Latest news for 27 May 2025

RUSSIA

Trump calls Putin “absolutely CRAZY”.

Moscow has dismissed President Trump as “emotional” after the US president criticised Putin’s biggest-yet aerial attack on Ukrainian cities. Meanwhile, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has confirmed Kyiv’s European allies have now removed all range restrictions on military aid to Ukraine, though it’s unclear if that means he’ll now uphold his election pledge to share Germany’s famed ‘Taurus’ missile. (BBC)

EUROPEAN UNION

US to delay EU tariffs ‘till July.

48 hours after first announcing them, President Trump announced on Sunday he’ll now pause his 50% tariffs on EU goods until 9 July to allow more time for talks, following a call with his EU counterpart Ursula von der Leyen. (CNBC)

Comment: von der Leyen says her bloc is ready to act “swiftly and decisively”, though that doesn’t necessarily mean substantively. The UK-US mini-deal suggests the hurdle for the White House to declare victory might be fairly attainable, and likely includes measures to box out China-based supply chains.

VIETNAM

Paris and Hanoi sign Airbus deal during Macron visit.

The deal for 20 Airbus jets was one of several agreements President Macron signed during his first visit to Vietnam in a decade. (Straits Times)

Comment: As Macron continues to pour effort into France’s international standing, we wonder to what extent it’s to distract from his low approvals at home, versus him sensing an opportunity to fill any perceived US vacuum abroad. Perhaps both.

JAPAN

Did a 1990s comic book just crash tourism?

Some flight bookings into Japan for late June / early July have dropped by up to 80%, with travel agencies blaming a 1999 Japanese graphic novel which famously warned of a “great disaster” in March 2011 (when Fukushima then hit). The newly updated work also warned in 2021 of a disaster hitting Japan on 5 July 2025, though the author is urging folks not to take her predictions literally. (Guardian)

Iran

The mullahs go green.

Tehran is now allocating $1.5B for solar panel installations, in an effort to diversify the country’s energy mix as it continues to grapple with shortages. (Energetica)

SURINAME

Elections neck-and-neck in oil boom race.

The two main parties are now in rival talks with smaller players to secure a majority after Sunday’s elections produced a hung parliament. Suriname is among the poorest countries in the Americas, with massive recent oil discoveries dominating this election campaign. (France 24)