US-China Trade Pause, Russia-Ukraine Peace Talks in Turkey

US-China Trade Agreement

• 🤝 An agreement has been reached for a 90-day pause in the US-China trade war, with both sides agreeing to reduce tariffs.
• 📉 The US will lower its reciprocal tariffs by 115% and China will also reduce its tariffs by 115% to 10%, removing their countermeasures.
• ⚖️ Despite the reduction, the US still maintains a 30% tariff on Chinese goods, which is three times the Chinese tariff on American imports.
• 📈 The announcement of the trade deal led to a surge in US stock futures and Asian and European markets.

Russia-Ukraine Peace Negotiations

• 🕊️ Efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war are ongoing, with a potential meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Zelenskyy in Turkey.
• ⏳ Putin has evaded a 30-day ceasefire proposal, instead calling for direct negotiations and launching an overnight drone attack.
• 🇹🇷 Zelenskyy has agreed to meet Putin in Turkey on Thursday, but expressed concerns about Putin not negotiating in good faith.
• ✅ The White House is celebrating a negotiated ceasefire between India and Pakistan in the disputed Kashmir region.