New Year, same Monday Briefing. In the first edition of 2025 (and my first edition as head of this column) we will follow Trump’s move in the US and abroad. From the Indian Subcontinent to the EU, the world is moving fast. Don’t miss any news with our Monday Briefing.
Spotlight: Trump’s 3 weeks in power
Donald Trump has been inaugurated has the 47th president of the United States on the January 20th, 2025. It has been just three weeks, but it felt like a whole decade. We have officially entered the second Trump’s administration, with a series of unprecedented and unpredictable actions by the White House. Let’s quickly recap these intense weeks of news, focusing both on the domestic and international stage. I apologize if this will feel just like a list of items, the fault is clearly not mine.
Everything started off quickly the first day in office. Within hours after having swore his second oath, Trump signed an impressive number of executive orders, spanning from cultural issues to international treaties. Among the most discussed decisions taken on day 1 we find: recognition of only 2 genders, pardons for January 6th’s offenders, delaying Tik Tok ban, declaration of emergency on the southern border, renaming of the Gulf of Mexico in the Gulf of America, suspension of the Ius Soli (which has already been challenged in courts) and the US withdrawal from the Paris Agreements and the WHO. Moreover, the close advisor and head of the DOGE, Elon Musk was caught on video doing what resembled a fascist salute (one realized quite poorly if I may comment). Maybe it was just resemblance.
On the domestic side the new administration has adopted a very strong position on several key issues, most importantly the immigration crisis and the American welfare state. Elon Musk has been leading the operation of the DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) in order to cut the US federal budget. Public servants are being fired with video messages while major agencies, such as USAID, are being drastically downsized.
On the southern front, Tom Homan, described as the border czar, and the ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) have been granted vast resources to fortify the border with Mexico and to repatriate illegal immigrants already present on US territory.
On the international stage Trump as assumed a bullying attitude towards every country, friends and foes alike. He has threatened trade wars on both Canada and Mexico, two of US biggest trade partners, just to obtain better deals regarding border control. The use of economic weight as leverage has also reached other American states, such as Colombia, which was basically blackmailed into a deal, in a what can be described as aggressive negotiations. Tariffs on China are rising as announced, and the EU seems to be the next target of this trade strategy.
The self-declared peacemaker that now sits in the White House has also revisited wider US foreign policy, with a bit of good old imperial fashion. Trump has repeatedly stated that Canada would be better off being a US state, the 51st of the Union. Moreover, he didn’t rule out the possibility of using military actions to secure two strategic objectives in particular: the Panama Canal and Greenland. The world cannot be certain on how serious are these threats, but the governments of Denmark and Panama are under unprecedented pressure by Washington.
Finally, we have the two major ongoing conflicts, both of which have taken a new turn since Trump’s inauguration. The president has done what he had announced: he stood firmly with Isreal and pushed heavily in favour of peace talks over Ukraine. For the moment the Israel-Hamas ceasefire holds, and any future plan for Gaza is as far as possible from being ready. Europe on the other hand is heading towards negotiations over the Ukrainian conflict, whether the EU and Zelensky want it or not. In both of these decisive stages, any consideration outside of his personal gains does not bother Donald Trump.
Around the World
Egypt, Jordan, and the US aid game
Former US President Donald Trump’s proposal to expel Palestinians from Gaza into Egypt and Jordan could reshape regional alliances, analysts say. Trump reiterated his stance after meeting Jordan’s King Abdullah II, who sought to appease him by pledging to accept 2,000 sick Gazan children. Both Egypt and Jordan rejected Trump’s idea, with Egypt hosting an emergency Arab summit on February 27 to counter it. Heavily reliant on US aid, Egypt and Jordan might seek alternative funding from Gulf allies or global powers like China and Russia. Reduced US support could destabilize their economies, leading to austerity measures and security concerns.
India’s Adani withdraws from troubled $442m Sri Lanka wind power projects
The Adani Group has withdrawn from a $442 million wind power project in Sri Lanka after the government sought to renegotiate the deal. The project, signed in May 2024, involved two wind power plants and transmission projects. Adani cited financial unviability as the reason for its exit. The Sri Lankan government had attempted to lower power costs from $0.08 to $0.06 per kWh. Despite withdrawing, Adani remains open to future collaborations. The conglomerate is also involved in a $700 million port terminal project in Colombo. Sri Lanka, facing an energy crisis, continues to push for renewable energy investments.
JD Vance’s Munich speech laid bare the collapse of the transatlantic alliance
JD Vance’s speech at the Munich Security Conference marked a pivotal moment in transatlantic relations, signaling a deep ideological divide between the Trump administration and Europe. Instead of addressing military burdens or the Russian threat, Vance criticized European elites for undermining democracy and suppressing populist voices. His remarks hinted at a US withdrawal from NATO’s moral commitments, aligning more closely with nationalist movements. European leaders pushed back, with Olaf Scholz condemning far-right extremism and Friedrich Merz defending free speech within legal limits. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy warned that US support for Europe was no longer guaranteed, urging the formation of a European army.
At least 18 people die in crowd crush at Delhi railway station
At least 18 people died in a crush at a railway station in New Dehi, India as crowds rushed to board trains for the Kumbh Mela, the world’s largest religious gathering. The incident occurred Saturday when a platform shift caused panic. Most victims died from hypoxia or blunt injuries. Officials have launched a high-level inquiry, and additional trains are being deployed. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other leaders expressed condolences. The Kumbh Mela, which has a history of crowd disasters, has drawn 500 million visitors this year and will conclude on February 26. Past tragedies include a 1954 stampede that killed over 400 people.
European News
by Giulio Savare and Pietro Ferrari
Two victims and several injured after car attack in Munich.
While the whole world was watching the Security Conference taking place in the city, a terrible attack has occurred in Munich. A 24 years old Afghan has rammed a union protest with his car, leaving almost 40 injured in the crowd. Unfortunately, a girl and her mother have died due to their wounds. The man at the wheel, an asylum seeker that had arrived in Germany only recently, appear to have an Islamic extremist intent in his actions, according to public prosecutor. He is now in custody of the Bavarian police and will certainly face trial. Politically this attack comes at an uncertain time, with general elections coming next week and the AFD anti-immigration narrative rampant throughout the country.
As the U.S. and Russia prepare for peace talks to end the war in Ukraine, European leaders are meeting urgently to strategize their response to these crucial negotiations, which are unfolding without their direct involvement. U.S. President Donald Trump, after speaking with Russian President Vladimir Putin, believes Putin wants to end the conflict. Trump’s top diplomat, Marco Rubio, will meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Saudi Arabia to lay the groundwork for a possible Trump-Putin meeting. Meanwhile, European leaders, including British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, will meet in Paris to discuss concrete plans to ensure European defence and support Ukraine. European leaders aim to develop a unified position and explore the possible deployment of European troops in Ukraine, even though the U.S. has ruled out sending American troops there. The talks come amid European concerns about shifting security dynamics and the need to assert their involvement in shaping the future European security architecture.
Every week, your TiL Monday Briefing 🗞: you better read it with a cup of coffee! ☕️
Head of the Monday Briefing column: Pietro Ferrari. Current writing staff: Vatsal Aggarwal, Cristiana Murè. Cartoons by Polina Mednikova. The Monday Briefing column was established in its current form in 2021 by Bojan Zeric.
I have spent most of my life in India before recently moving to Milan, where I am pursuing an MSc in Finance at Bocconi. I am interested in politics, art and culture, cinema, and travelling. Through my writing, I aspire to document important voices and present opinions. In my free time, I try to keep up with my movies-to-watch list, sample as many restaurants as I can, and find cats to pet.
Always trying to extend my knowledge about the mysterious forces that shape our reality, sometimes with some weird model, sometimes by reading the news. In this chapter of my life I am pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Economic and Social Sciences at Bocconi.
