Welcome to this week’s comprehensive roundup of key global events and developments shaping politics, economics, and society. From major diplomatic manoeuvres and security crises to economic policies with global implications, we bring you the latest updates and insights. For Indian audiences, these developments offer crucial insights into how global shifts may influence India’s foreign policy and strategic interests.Whether it’s a headline that dominates international discourse or an underreported issue with far-reaching consequences, we provide a clear, in-depth, and analytical perspective on what matters most.Trump’s pivot to RussiaIn a dramatic departure from longstanding US policy, President Donald Trump has swiftly advanced direct negotiations with Russia regarding the Ukraine conflict. While returning to Washington from Florida on Air Force One, Trump expressed his trust in Russia by stating that he “does” trust them, adding that he believes “the Russians want to see the war end.” He further argued that because Russia “has taken a lot of territory,” they effectively “have the cards” in these negotiations.This sudden pivot comes on the heels of his earlier promises during the 2024 campaign to end the conflict promptly, and it has already led to a series of actions: a high-level phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, discreet talks in Saudi Arabia between US and Russian officials, and the deployment of Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and retired General Keith Kellogg to Kyiv.This marks a sharp departure from the Joe Biden administration’s approach of supporting Ukraine while isolating Russia. The move risks fracturing NATO unity and straining US-EU relations. The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) notes that Trump’s team is pursuing a “grand bargain” with Russia, potentially reshaping geopolitical spheres of influence, arms control, and resource access. Negotiations began with a prisoner swap for American teacher Marc Fogel, facilitated by Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff, who met Putin for over three hours. Witkoff remarked, “I would think that it was a show of good faith on the part of President Putin . . . and it’s led to a lot of positivity.”Meanwhile, Trump has publicly lambasted Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy—accusing him of clinging to power as a “dictator” and shifting blame for Russia’s aggression onto him.Story continues below this adPushback However, not everyone is convinced. Republican Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana criticised the narrative by asserting his disagreement with any claim that Ukraine started the conflict, emphasising instead that “Vladimir Putin started the war” and labelling the Russian president as “a gangster” based on his own bitter experiences. Adding to the debate, Vice-President J D Vance argued that it is impossible to end the conflict without engaging all parties, remarking, “How are you going to end the war unless you’re talking to Russia? You’ve got to talk to everybody involved in the fighting.”For Indian policymakers, Trump’s approach not only disrupts traditional US alliances but also poses new questions about the future of international conflict resolution—a scenario that merits close observation given India’s evolving strategic posture.Europe’s strategic reassessmentAcross Europe, there is growing concern that the United States may no longer be the steadfast guarantor of continental security. On the eve of critical elections in Germany, Friedrich Merz, leader of the Christian Democratic Union, warned that “we must be prepared for the fact that Donald Trump will no longer fully accept the promise of assistance under the Nato treaty,” urging European nations to “make every effort to at least be able to defend the… continent on their own.”These candid remarks emerge amid an environment where the US has been busy mending ties with Russia and, in some accounts, even shifting blame to Ukraine for Russia’s 2022 invasion. This follows Trump’s Russia pivot and concerns over NATO’s Article 5. Germany also faces a Russian disinformation campaign ahead of its election, where the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) could secure 21 per cent of the vote, per a Forsa poll. Green candidate Robert Habeck warned, “If we don’t solve the problems in the next four years, right-wing populism will be unstoppable.”Story continues below this adTurbulence in the Middle EastIsrael and the bus bombingsIn Israel, a series of coordinated bus bombings in Tel Aviv’s southern suburbs have been attributed by security services to Palestinian militant groups. The explosions, which targeted three buses parked at separate depots in Bat Yam, occurred in what local officials described as a “miracle” that no one was hurt. The situation prompted Defence Minister Israel Katz to order the Israel Defence Forces to “increase the intensity of activity to thwart terrorism” in the Tulkarem refugee camp and other camps in Judea and Samaria. Amid these developments, a statement from the Tulkarem Battalion of Hamas’s military wing warned that “we will never forget to take vengeance for our martyrs as long as the occupation is on our lands,” echoing the long history of militant responses in the region.Lebanon and US troop presenceIn a related development, Lebanon has demanded that Israel withdraw all its forces, insisting that any remaining troops would constitute an “occupation”. This demand coincides with a deadline set by a US-brokered deal aimed at ending the offensive in southern Lebanon—a process that has already faced delays and criticism from UN officials for violating resolution 1701, passed by the United Nations in 2006 to bring an end to the war between Israel and Lebanon. As tensions persist, these issues add another layer of complexity to an already volatile regional security environment.Shifts in the Americas Mexican cartels designated as terror groupsIn a move that underscores the widening gap between the US and its Latin American neighbours, the Trump administration has designated eight Latin American organised crime groups—including Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel and Jalisco New Generation Cartel—as terrorist organisations. Trump characterised Mexico as being “largely run by the cartels” and stated that if the Mexican government wanted help combating them, “we would give them help.”This designation further strains US-Mexico relations and raises the spectre of military intervention, especially amid contentious debates over migration and economic sanctions.Story continues below this adMexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum rejected this, stating, “If this decree is about extraterritorial actions, we do not accept that, we think that it is true we have to advance in joint investigations.”Argentina’s Memecoin scandalArgentina’s libertarian President Javier Milei has been rocked by a scandal involving his promotion of the cryptocurrency $LIBRA. The coin’s value surged briefly before collapsing, and amid accusations of a “rug pull” scheme, Milei described the debacle as a “slap in the face.” He noted, “I’m a techno-optimist… and this was proposed to me as an instrument to help fund Argentine projects,” adding that “it’s true that in trying to help out those Argentines, I took a slap in the face.” His office later clarified that although the president had met with representatives involved in creating the coin, he “was not involved at any point” in its development, and admitted that “the most interesting lesson is that… I need to put up more filters, it can’t be so easy for people to reach me.”Colombia’s government in chaosColombian President Gustavo Petro, whose administration is already under fire from various internal crises, demanded the resignation of his entire cabinet and soon after boarded a flight to Dubai to address issues of artificial intelligence and global civilisation. The upheaval follows a bitter televised cabinet meeting where several front-benchers, including Vice President Francia Márquez, criticised his controversial appointments amid an ongoing campaign finance scandal. Petro’s earlier social media outburst, in which he controversially compared Trump to a “white slaver,” further deepened the crisis. María Claudia Lacouture, head of the Colombian-American Chamber of Commerce, warned that “there’s no space for division or political opportunism,” highlighting the broader regional implications of Colombia’s internal disarray.European defence spending In response to growing concerns over US commitment, European officials are urgently rethinking defence strategies. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth warned that the US military presence in Europe would not be “forever,” a sentiment that resonated strongly at the 61st Munich Security Conference. Trump had previously said, “Nobody’s asking to do that, so I do not think we would have to do that,” but supported European peacekeeping in Ukraine, saying, “If they want to do that, that is great.”Story continues below this adDuring the event, US Vice-President Vance delivered a speech that was met with sharp criticism; German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius called the remarks “unacceptable,” while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that the “long-standing relationship between Europe and America is now coming to an end.” Against this backdrop, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi took the opportunity to advocate for a multipolar world order based on “equality and order,” stressing the importance of “adherence to international law, multilateral cooperation, and mutual economic benefit”—arguments that have further encouraged Europe to explore greater strategic autonomy. For India, these debates underscore the evolving dynamics of global security and the need for diversified strategic partnerships.Regional developments Pakistan’s call for economic reformsPakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb acknowledged that the nation “has lost its credibility” and stressed that “urgent economic reforms were necessary to restore trust.” He noted that while the Asian Development Bank had committed USD 500 million, Pakistan was expecting to secure USD 1 billion from the International Monetary Fund soon, and revealed plans to issue “green panda bonds” to attract additional investment for green projects. Russian interference in Central African Republic pollsThe United Kingdom has accused Russia of planning to interfere in the upcoming elections in the Central African Republic (CAR). Britain’s deputy UN ambassador James Kariuki emphasised that while the elections are “an important milestone in expanding the political participation of all individuals in CAR,” there is disturbing information that “proxies directed by the Russian state have plans to interfere with CAR elections,” including suppressing political voices and conducting disinformation campaigns.Echoing this concern, US minister-counsellor John Kelley warned that Kremlin-backed actors are “undercutting the Central African Republic’s authority and undermining peace with the primary goal of stealing CAR resources without contributing to its development,” a claim countered by Russia’s deputy UN ambassador Anna Evstigneeva, who remarked that it is “surprising that our US and UK colleagues continue whipping the dead horse of their campaign to smear the Russian Federation.”Story continues below this adDispute over the Gulf’s nameIn a dispute that blends digital policy with national sovereignty, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced that her government is awaiting a second response from Google regarding the naming of the Gulf of Mexico. She stressed that “under no circumstance will Mexico accept the renaming of a geographic zone within its own territory and under its jurisdiction.” Meanwhile, Cris Turner, Vice-President, Government Affairs, Google, defended the company’s longstanding mapping policies by stating that “while international treaties and conventions are not intended to regulate how private mapping providers represent geographic features, it is our consistent policy to consult multiple authoritative sources to provide the most up to date and accurate representation of the world.” This controversy, sparked by Trump’s executive order renaming the gulf, underscores the geopolitical sensitivity of digital cartography.Rebuilding Gaza Egypt is taking concrete steps to rebuild the Gaza Strip without displacing its Palestinian residents. The Egyptian Foreign Ministry has postponed an emergency Arab summit to March 4 to finalise plans for reconstruction, a move that follows President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s declaration that “we stressed the importance of the international community adopting a plan to reconstruct the Gaza strip without displacing Palestinians—without displacing Palestinians from their lands.” This effort comes in direct response to Trump’s controversial proposal to transform Gaza into “the Riviera of the Middle East,” a plan widely rejected as tantamount to ethnic cleansing.India’s strategic engagementsA significant highlight for India was the high-profile visit of Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, the Amir of Qatar, who received a ceremonial welcome at Rashtrapati Bhavan from President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Qatar’s Minister of State for Foreign Trade Affairs, Ahmed Bin Mohammed Al Sayed, emphasised the growing potential of non-oil sectors by noting that “we are focusing on growing the non-oil and gas business where we can team up with India. We are welcoming Indian business people.” He further observed that “the world today is changing dramatically in terms of trade and business and the application of technology and AI,” signalling Qatar’s commitment to diversifying its investments and deepening economic ties with India. This visit reinforces Qatar’s strategic shift and highlights India’s central role in emerging global economic partnerships.Discussion QuestionsUS policy shifts:o How might Trump’s accelerated outreach to Russia reshape US alliances and influence the future of the Ukraine conflict?Story continues below this ado In what ways could India’s strategic interests be affected by this recalibration in US foreign policy?European security and autonomy:o What are the potential risks and benefits for Europe if it moves toward greater defence autonomy amid doubts about US commitment?o How does the European approach to security influence India’s engagements with Western partners?Middle Eastern dynamics:o With ongoing tensions in Israel, Lebanon, and Gaza, what challenges remain for achieving long-term stability in the region?Story continues below this ado How might India play a role in promoting dialogue and stability in the broader Middle East?Regional instability in the Americas:o What are the implications of designating Mexican cartels as terror organisations on US-Mexico relations and regional security?o How might internal political crises in Argentina and Colombia affect broader Latin American geopolitical trends?Geopolitical influence and information warfare:o How does the dispute over digital mapping in the Gulf highlight the intersection of technology, policy, and national sovereignty?o In what ways does alleged Russian interference in CAR elections illustrate the challenges of maintaining democratic governance in volatile regions?