When EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa arrived at Jordan's Al Husainiyah Palace at midday on Thursday, there was not a cloud in the sky. Temperatures hovered around a pleasant 20 degrees Celsius. While large parts of Europe were struggling with heavy snowfall, Jordan was showing its best side, as were the leaders gathered for the first-ever EUJordan summit in Amman.
Gulf expert Gregory Gause explains what Saudi Arabia wants from Washington and what Washington wants from Riyadh. United States President Donald Trump looks at Saudi Arabia like a piggy bank or an ATM machine and that's why the recent Saudi-US summit focused on deals instead of strategic regional issues, such as Sudan, Palestine, Iran and Syria, argues political scientist Gregory Gause, professor emeritus of international affairs at Texas A&M University.
Yes, showing the flag and having the President interact with counterparts is an important part of diplomacy, at the highest level. It has impact because it shows that the U.S. cares about allies and partners, that the U.S. values this relationship and will be there for allies and partners, regardless of the cost. So, Mr. Trump's visit to the region was more than tariffs and trade. It was about relationships that principally deal with national security,
Since 2023, our administration has maintained an open and active engagement with Christian and Muslim leaders alike and continues to address security challenges which affect citizens across faiths and regions, Tinubu said in a statement. The characterisation of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality, nor does it take into consideration the consistent and sincere efforts of the government to safeguard freedom of religion and beliefs for all Nigerians.
There is no doubt they're on a solid footing. I think - and you've got to look at it across four kind of buckets, if I could. There's a geostrategic, military, economic and then cultural. Going backwards, you know, there's the great pastime in Japan is baseball. You got a Japanese player - two players for the Dodgers... And he's taking America and Japan by storm.
Optimists latch on to the hope that the stability we have lost can be restored post-Trump. Having spent the past few days in Washington, I doubt it. Even in recent history, things were not quite so bad for the transatlantic relationship. The current tensions make the first Trump administration look like a walk in the park for Europeans. It is one thing to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal, which Trump did in his first term.
Beijing will continue to support the Afghan government to achieve long-term peace and stability, Wang told Muttaqi, according to a readout of the meeting released by China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. China is willing to deepen political mutual trust with Afghanistan and step up cooperation in areas including trade and agriculture, Wang said. He called on Afghanistan to combat armed groups, adding that tighter security ties would provide a guarantee to bilateral economic cooperation.
