Important Takeaways:
- The leader of Canada’s most populous province has followed through on a pledge to hike electricity prices for Americans in response to President Trump’s tariffs as residents of US border states New York, Minnesota and Michigan can expect to pay more for power.
- The Canadian province of Ontario raised electricity export prices by 25% for the three American states on Monday — marking a direct response to the escalating trade dispute between the two countries.
- Ontario Premier Doug Ford ordered the Independent Electricity System Operator, which oversees the province’s electricity market, to implement a $7-per-megawatt-per-hour fee on all power exports to the three states, Bloomberg News reported.
- Despite the aggressive stance, the actual impact on US consumers may be minimal.
- Electricity prices on US spot markets, where power is bought and sold in real-time, fluctuate based on supply and demand.
- With multiple sources available, American buyers are not obligated to purchase from Ontario, meaning they may be able to source cheaper electricity from alternative suppliers.
- New York imported about 4.4% of its total electricity from Canada in 2023, according to Bloomberg calculations using data from the state’s grid operator.
- Minnesota and Michigan relied on Canadian imports even less, according to the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO), which manages the power grid across much of the Midwest.
- “In 2024, less than 1% of MISO’s total energy was supplied via Canadian imports and less than half of that came from Ontario”
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Important Takeaways:
- The commander-in-chief gave the grim warning as he lamented the dangers of stockpiling nukes amid his push to kickstart arms control talks with Russia and China again.
- “The greatest [threat] is sitting on shelves in various countries called ‘nuclear weapons’ that are big monsters that can blow your heads off for miles and miles and miles,” Trump told Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures.”
- “We spend a lot of money of nuclear weapons — the level of destruction is beyond anything you can imagine,” he said in the wide-raging interview.
- “It’s just bad that you have to spend all this money on something that if it’s used, it’s probably the end of the world.”
- “I watched [former President Joe] Biden for years say the existential threat is from the climate,” Trump said. “I said ‘No.’”
- “They talk about the climate and they talk about the dangers of the climate but they don’t talk about the dangers of a nuclear weapon, which could happen tomorrow.”
- “There’s no reason for us to be building brand new nuclear weapons, we already have so many,” Trump said last month. “You could destroy the world 50 times over, 100 times over. And here we are building new nuclear weapons, and they’re building nuclear weapons.”
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Important Takeaways:
- Members of the so-called Five Eyes spy alliance, as well as Israeli and Saudi officials, fear the identities of foreign assets could inadvertently be shared with Moscow.
- The allies, including Israel, Saudi Arabia and members of the so-called Five Eyes spy alliance of English-speaking democracies, are examining how to possibly revise current protocols for sharing intelligence to take the Trump administration’s warming relations with Russia into account, the sources said
- “Those discussions are already happening,” said a source with direct knowledge of the discussions.
- No decision or action has been taken, however, the sources said.
- Asked about allies’ possibly limiting what they share with the United States, a spokesman for the White House National Security Council said President Donald Trump is “clear-eyed” about America’s adversaries.
- “The U.S. has unrivaled intelligence capabilities which is exactly why intelligence sharing initiatives such as the Five Eyes exist,” spokesman Brian Hughes said in an email.
- “President Trump is clear-eyed on all threats our adversaries pose to our national security and he will work with any ally or partner who understands the dangerous world inherited after the disastrous Biden years,” he added. “On Biden’s watch, we had the war in Ukraine, the surrender in Afghanistan, and the slaughter of the innocents on October 7th.”
- Publicly, longtime U.S. allies downplayed the issue. The United Kingdom, the most important U.S. intelligence partner, said it had no plans to reduce intelligence cooperation with the United States.
- The Canada Security Intelligence Service said in a statement that it has strong relationships with numerous U.S. agencies that are “long-standing and resilient.
- An Israeli official also praised its alliance with the U.S., saying “Cooperation between Israel and the United States on every level, including the sharing of crucial intelligence data, is as strong and solid as ever.”
- Officials from New Zealand, Australia and Saudi Arabia did not respond to requests for comment.
- Some officials in allied countries, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive intelligence matters, played down the idea that Trump’s policies on Russia would disrupt information sharing that dates back decades
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Important Takeaways:
- As members of Congress and guests chanted, “U-S-A, U-S-A,” President Donald Trump addressed the nation as he recounted his achievements since his inauguration.
- With a strong show of support from the Republican-controlled chamber, Trump stated, “Six weeks ago, I stood beneath the dome of this Capitol and proclaimed the dawn of the golden age of America. From that moment on, it has been nothing but swift and unrelenting action to usher in the greatest and most successful era in the history of our country. We have accomplished more in 43 days than most administrations accomplished in four years or eight years.”
- President Trump continued with a long list of accomplishments, starting with the creation of DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) headed by Elon Musk.
- “The Government Accountability Office, a federal government office, has estimated annual fraud of over $500 billion in our nation. And we are working very hard to stop it.”
- In his first 43 days, the president has signed at least 81 executive orders, ranging from requiring federal workers’ return to the workplace, bringing back free speech by removing government censorship, making English America’s official language, and ending Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (D.E.I.) policies while removing critical race theory from public schools.
- He also addressed transgender controversies, reminding the nation, “There are only two genders, male and female.”
- He brought up the ban on transgender athletes playing in women’s sports and the criminalizing of sex changes performed on children.
- He stated, “A message to every child in America is that you are perfect. Exactly the way God made you.”
- On the topic of immigration, the chief executive introduced a new way successful migrants can buy a path to U.S. citizenship. “We have developed in great detail what we are calling the Gold Card, which goes on sale very, very soon for $5 million,” he said.
- Throughout his speech, the president honored regular Americans, including the family of Laken Riley, a nursing student killed by an illegal migrant while jogging last year.
- One of the most emotional moments of the night came when the president honored D.J. Daniel, a 13-year-old brain cancer survivor who at one time was given five months to live. His dream was to be in law enforcement. On Tuesday night, his dream became a reality.
- Trump announced, “D.J., we’re going to do you the biggest honor of them all. I am asking our new Secret Service Director, Sean Curran, to officially make you an agent of the United States Secret Service.”
- The 47th president concluded his speech with a list of promises to the American people, including fixing the economy for people still struggling under the burden of high prices.
- “Fellow Americans, get ready for an incredible future,” he exhorted. “Because the Golden Age of America has only just begun. It will be like nothing that has ever been seen before. Thank you. God bless you, and God bless America.”
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Important Takeaways:
- A politician vying to replace Justin Trudeau as Canada’s next leader has suggested forming a closer alliance with Britain and France as the NATO nations possess nuclear weapons, which could help safeguard the Canadians against potential threats posed by President Donald Trump.
- Chrystia Freeland, former deputy prime minister under Trudeau, warned that Trump poses a direct “threat” to Canada’s sovereignty by saying that the country could potentially become the 51st U.S. state.
- What Happens Next
- Canada is hoping that the head of state, Britain’s King Charles III, will condemn Trump’s statements on annexing the nation. Trudeau met with the king on Monday at the monarch’s royal residence Sandringham, Norfolk, east England.
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Important Takeaways:
- In an interview on NBC News, Ford said he had never met a single American who supported the idea of tariffs, despite the fact that the majority of Americans voted for Donald Trump.
- Ford ranted:
- We are the largest purchaser of alcohol in the world. We buy over 3,600 products from 35 states. I talked to the Governor of Kentucky and Mitch McConnell. Don’t touch our bourbon. I’m going after absolutely everything.
- And I don’t want to. We keep the lights on for 1.5 million homes in manufacturing in New York, in Michigan, and in Minnesota.
- If he wants to destroy our economy and our families, I will shut down the electricity going down to the U.S. And I’m telling you, we will do it.
- Ford then went on to say that Americans, particularly those in red states, would feel immense pain as his retaliatory measures.
- He continued:
- This is the last thing we want to do. It’s one person that’s coming to attack us economically.
- Your closest friend, your treasured ally, that will stand shoulder to shoulder with you in every situation you’ve faced, and he’s attacking the person, his number one customer.
- There’s no country in the world that buys more products off the U.S. than we do.
- We’re the number one trading customer to 28 states, and a lot of them are red states. They’re going to feel the pain like they’ve never felt before.
- We’re going to feel the pain, but I’ll tell you, Canadians are resilient, we’re strong, we’re proud, and we’re going to fight back like they’ve never seen before.
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Important Takeaways:
- Zelenskyy made the concession in a lengthy statement posted to social media on Tuesday, saying Ukraine “is ready to come to the negotiating table.” He added that last week’s meeting “did not go the way it was supposed to be,” and he said “it is time to make things right.”
- “My team and I stand ready to work under President Trump’s strong leadership to get a peace that lasts,” Zelenskyy wrote.
- “We are ready to work fast to end the war, and the first stages could be the release of prisoners and truce in the sky — ban on missiles, long-ranged drones, bombs on energy and other civilian infrastructure — and truce in the sea immediately, if Russia will do the same. Then we want to move very fast through all next stages and to work with the US to agree a strong final deal,” he added.
- “We do really value how much America has done to help Ukraine maintain its sovereignty and independence. And we remember the moment when things changed when President Trump provided Ukraine with Javelins. We are grateful for this,” the statement continued
- “Our meeting in Washington, at the White House on Friday, did not go the way it was supposed to be. It is regrettable that it happened this way. It is time to make things right. We would like future cooperation and communication to be constructive. Regarding the agreement on minerals and security, Ukraine is ready to sign it at any time and in any convenient format. We see this agreement as a step toward greater security and solid security guarantees, and I truly hope it will work effectively,” Zelenskyy concluded.
- U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron suggested a freeze on strikes from the air, sea and on energy infrastructure for 30 days in Ukraine. Macron told French media the window could be used to negotiate a wider peace deal.
- Trump’s White House has yet to weigh in on the proposal.
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Important Takeaways:
- Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated on Tuesday.
- It is obvious that the US has been the main supplier of military aid to Kiev, Peskov noted, adding that if the US were to relinquish this role or suspend supplies altogether it would “probably be the best contribution to the cause of peace.”
- The spokesman said that if the US had indeed stopped all military aid to Ukraine, it would mean that Kiev would effectively lose the vast majority of its ammunition, equipment and intelligence.
- “If this really is so… then perhaps, without indulging in excessive optimism, we can modestly hope that this could encourage the Kiev regime to lean towards attempts to resolve the situation through peaceful means,” Peskov told Rossiya 1 TV journalist Pavel Zarubin.
- According to Bloomberg, Trump has ordered a freeze on all military aid to Ukraine, which includes equipment already designated for delivery, as well as weapons in transit on aircraft and ships or waiting in transit areas in Poland. The New York Times reported that the president’s order, which has already taken effect, affects more than $1 billion in “arms and ammunition in the pipeline and on order.”
- Meanwhile, the Washington Post claimed that in addition to stopping weapons shipments to Kiev, Washington is also considering the termination of intelligence sharing and training for Ukrainian troops and pilots.
- Zelensky stated on Sunday that peace between Ukraine and Russia was still “very, very far away,” prompting even more ire from Trump, who said it was “the worst statement that could have been made” by the Ukrainian leader.
- Trump warned that “America will not put up with it for much longer,” and suggested that Zelensky “doesn’t want there to be Peace as long as he has America’s backing.”
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Important Takeaways:
- On Friday, Ukraine’s President Zelensky made just such a miscalculation by presuming to lecture President Trump and Vice President Vance while in the White House, and the fallout from that is still landing on the Ukrainian leader’s track-suited shoulders.
- Now British Prime Minister Keir Starmer… proclaiming that the United Kingdom would not only pledge billions in support for Ukraine but would also put British boots on the ground in Ukraine.
- Keir Starmer has said he is ready to put British “boots on the ground” to maintain the peace if a deal is done to end the war in Ukraine.
- The prime minister said he was working with French president Emmanuel Macron to come up with a plan to present to Donald Trump aimed at finally ending the three-year-long conflict.
- He was speaking after hosting an emergency summit of world leaders at Lancaster House in London at which he also set out his plan to build a “coalition of the willing” to deter Russia from attacking its neighbor again.
- Now, there’s a condition: British “troops on the ground and planes in the air,” as the PM points out, would be after a peace deal.
- Starmer said Europe was “doubling down in our support” of Ukraine as he announced that Britain would donate a further £1.6 billion in export finance to the country so it can by 5,000 air defense missiles to be made in Belfast.
- The PM said: “We are at a crossroads in history. This is not a moment for more talk, it is time to act, time to step up and lead and unite around a new plan for a just and enduring peace.”
- Declaring that any peace deal “must be backed by strength”, Starmer said: “We will go further to develop a coalition of the willing to defend a deal in Ukraine and to guarantee the peace.
- Have PM Starmer and President Macron, who apparently is in on this, considered what might happen if things go sideways? What if British or French troops are shot at, even inadvertently, by Russian forces? What if a few young British or French troops were injured or killed? What then? Would the UK and France invoke NATO Article Five? Would they expect all of NATO, including the United States, to suddenly pile on Russia? Russia, we might note, has a primary ally – what, in this instance, might China do?
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Important Takeaways:
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky started a blazing row with Vice President J.D. Vance in the Oval Office during a press conference on a pending minerals deal, prompting President Donald J. Trump to intervene strongly against the Ukrainian leader’s “very disrespectful” behavior.
- Addressing a question from the press, Vance said that engaging in diplomacy may be “the path to peace and the path to prosperity” before Zelensky cut in to recall the beginnings of Ukraine’s conflict with Russia in 2014 and sarcastically ask him, “What kind of ‘diplomacy,’ J.D., are you asking about?”
- Vance responded in strong terms, saying it was “disrespectful” to attack the Trump administration in front of the media in this way, while Zelensky continued to snipe at him about his understanding of Ukraine’s problems. President Trump lost patience when Zelensky began lecturing Vance on the negative consequences he would feel if the conflict crossed his “nice ocean.”
- “Don’t tell us what we’re going to feel. You’re in no position to dictate what we’re going to feel,” Trump warned.
- “You’re not in a good position. You don’t have the cards right now,” the President continued.
- Zelensky shot back, saying that he was “not playing cards,” with Trump responding, “You’re playing cards. You’re gambling with the lives of millions of people. You’re gambling with World War III. And what you’re doing is very disrespectful to the country, this country, that’s backed you far more than a lot of people said they should have.”
- “In this entire meeting, have you said ‘thank you’ once?” Vance asked, recalling how Zelensky campaigned for Kamala Harris in Pennsylvania in 2024.
- President Trump told Zelensky in no uncertain terms he was “not winning” without American support, praising the bravery of Ukraine’s soldiers but stressing their reliance on American equipment. “Your people are dying. You’re running low on soldiers… And then you say, ‘I don’t want a ceasefire, I don’t want a ceasefire,’” he continued.
- “I’ve empowered you to be a tough guy, and I don’t think you’d be a tough guy without the United States,” Trump added bluntly. “Your people are very brave, but you’re either going to make a deal, or we’re out.”
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