diplomatic strategy

In a stunning reversal that has sent shockwaves through global financial markets, US President Donald Trump announced a pause to the sweeping global tariffs he imposed just a week ago — except for China, where tariffs have been raised even higher. This latest development comes amid conflicting messages from the White House and senior officials, leaving world leaders and investors scrambling to make sense of what happens next.

US Vice President JD Vance delivered a fiery 19-minute speech at the Munich Security Conference on Friday, leaving European leaders stunned and igniting controversy over Washington’s foreign policy direction. In a departure from expected topics, Mr. Vance barely mentioned Russia and instead accused European nations of stifling free speech, a move some critics say is an attempt to “pick a fight” with US allies.