international diplomacy

On the third consecutive day of open conflict, Israel and Iran expanded their military operations against each other, resulting in hundreds of casualties on both sides. President Donald Trump has publicly called for an end to hostilities, warning Iran not to target U.S. assets in the region. As G7 leaders prepare to convene in Canada, Washington’s ability to restrain its closest ally appears increasingly limited, even as attempts at high-level mediation continue.

Israel’s recent air strikes on Iranian nuclear sites—and Iran’s retaliatory missile launches—mark a decisive shift in the balance of power across the Middle East. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu demonstrated his willingness to act unilaterally, defying even President Donald Trump’s entreaties to hold off until after planned US-backed negotiations on a new nuclear deal with Tehran.

On the evening of May 25, 2025, French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron, disembarked Air France Flight AF274 upon arrival at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi, Vietnam. As the couple stepped onto the mobile stairway, a waiting throng of photographers and videographers captured an unexpected moment: Brigitte Macron appeared to shove her husband lightly in the face. The gesture startled President Macron, who stepped back, waved to onlookers, and then descended with his arm extended—only to have Brigitte refuse his assistance as they moved off the plane.

In the early hours of Saturday, Kyiv endured one of the largest drone and missile strikes it has faced since Russia’s full-scale invasion began over three years ago. According to Ukraine’s Air Force Command, Russian forces launched 14 ballistic missiles alongside approximately 250 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in two successive waves. Ukrainian air defenses intercepted six of the missiles and destroyed the vast majority of the drones before they reached the capital. Nevertheless, pieces of missile debris and several drones struck six city districts, injuring at least 15 people, including two children, and causing significant property damage.

In a landmark encounter at the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit in Riyadh on Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump and Syria’s interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa met for the first time in a quarter-century, paving the way for the lifting of crippling U.S. sanctions on Damascus. The meeting signals a tectonic shift in Middle Eastern diplomacy just months after the fall of the Assad dynasty and comes amid intensifying regional realignments.

Iran is likely to push back against a key proposal from the United States to relocate its enriched uranium stockpile to a third country—such as Russia—as part of renewed nuclear negotiations aimed at curbing Tehran’s nuclear programme. The suggestion, raised during initial talks in Muscat, Oman, has emerged as a major sticking point in efforts to revive a broader diplomatic agreement.

A High-Profile Exchange with Diplomatic Implications In a significant development in US-Russian relations, dual Russian-American citizen Ksenia Karelina has been released from Russian custody as part of a prisoner swap with the United States. Karelina had been serving a 12-year prison sentence in Russia after being convicted of treason for donating a modest sum to a US-based charity supporting humanitarian efforts in Ukraine. Her release was exchanged for Arthur Petrov, a German-Russian citizen accused by the US of illegally exporting sensitive microelectronics to Russia.

The recent Paris summit highlighted urgent calls for a unified European security strategy in response to ongoing geopolitical challenges, particularly the Ukraine conflict. European leaders, including Macron and Scholz, emphasized the necessity for collective action amidst rising transatlantic tensions and internal divisions within Europe. Discussions focused on enhancing defense cooperation and the potential establishment of a European peacekeeping force in Ukraine. Despite existing disparities in national interests and the rise of populist movements threatening EU solidarity, the outcomes of the summit offer a critical platform for fostering cooperation and addressing the complexities of shared values. As Europe navigates this evolving landscape, the imperative for a coherent response to external threats becomes increasingly clear.