In this week’s edition of the Monday Briefing we go back to Cuba, where the US oil embargo continues. Trump Administration moves fast on Ai and against the Pope, while in Europe Magyar consolidates power after defeating Orban. Relentless, the War in Ukraine continues in its 50th month.
Spotlight: American Officials Visit Havana as Cuban Crisis Rages On
by Diego de Carvalho and Pietro Ferrari
Last week, senior American diplomats met with Cuban officials to discuss the ongoing diplomatic crisis between the two countries. Since the beginning of the year, Cuba has been facing a deep economic and fuel crisis (which I have unfortunately procrastinated on covering), as the US has enforced an oil blockade on the island.
The crisis in Cuba began on January 3rd, when the United States kidnapped Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro and imposed an American-friendly regime. Subsequently, the US has established a blockade, impeding Cuba’s main allies, Mexico and Venezuela, from shipping it oil. As a result, the isle has faced fuel shortages, which in turn have generated a massive economic and humanitarian crisis. Essentially all aspects of daily life, from water access to healthcare, in Cuba have been affected by the crisis. Last month, a Russian oil tanker broke through the blockade, but this relief has mostly subsided.
Cuban-American diplomatic relations have historically been fraught, but the current crisis is a remarkable worsening of tensions between the two. Given the geographical proximity between the two countries, United States intervention in Cuba dates back to the 19th century, when Washington fought against Spain to decolonize the island. After the famous Cuban Revolution, the new leader Fidel Castro aligned his country with the USSR. A long period of tension between Havana and the US followed, with the peak reached in the 1960s, when the Bay of Pigs Invasion and the Cuban Missile Crisis occurred. Since then, the US has enforced a very strict trade embargo on the Caribbean Nation, only lightly lifted by President Obama in the early 2010s.
The current crisis may be the peak in tensions between the two countries since the end of the Cold War, as American President Donald Trump has demanded the resignation of Miguel Díaz-Canel, his Cuban counterpart. Even as American foreign policy currently seems occupied with other matters, regime change has been a priority for Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is himself of Cuban origin. Further, Rubio’s ideological interests in the island raise the possibility of more drastic political upheaval, especially when compared to the relatively soft realignment that has occurred in Venezuela.
Whether this crisis will be enough to force regime change on the island is yet to be seen, but in the fall of Cuba’s Communist Party would represent the closure of one of America’s most longstanding foreign policy issues, and also the end of one of the last truly socialist regimes in the world. The people of Cuba have long been subject to many deprivations, partly because of the isolation imposed by Washington, yet the current crisis has shown once more the cost that geopolitical conflicts can impose on innocent civilian lives.
World News
White House and Anthropic hold a ‘productive’ meeting over new AI capabilities
by Alice Di Terlizzi
On Friday, April 17th, 2026, Anthropic’s chief executive conducted a ‘productive and constructive’ meeting with White House officials to define the imminent future of A.I. security, as resulting from the recent launch of the ‘Mythos’ platform. After having denied collaboration with Anthropic, as driven by the Pentagon’s opposition to technological dictatorship on whether and how to use fully autonomous weapons with no humans in the loop, the White House is now debating whether insulation from advanced A.I. use will effectively benefit U.S. security. Granting the White House a privileged canal for accessing Mythos software-protection abilities can, indeed, enhance U.S. cybersecurity and provide for the protection of federal networks. Although on March 5th Anthropic had been addressed as a ‘supply chain risk’ by U.S. Secretary of Defense, the latter may now be renegotiating his position as a compromise between security and innovation could be reached.
Anthropic has expressed its willingness to help agencies fix software threats and vulnerabilities. As Pentagon’s engineers previously noted, aversion to cutting-edge A.I. technology will likely undermine intelligence analysis and remove a sophisticated parameter for handling data sensitivity. For innovation to be truly implemented within the U.S. federal computer apparatus, Anthropic will need to be granted access to the systems housed within the Pentagon, which still relies on the outdated version of Anthropic’s Opus A.I. as caused by a dispute dividing the two on A.I. matters. Technological priorities will thus be enforced upon loyalty establishment between Anthropic and the U.S. government, whose different security concerns could either collide or merge into a mutually beneficial agreement.
Trump and Pope Leo: the clash and its aftermath
by Lisa Tomaselli
When it comes to lashing out at critics, President Donald Trump spares no one, not even the Pope. In recent weeks, a highly unusual public confrontation has unfolded between Trump and Pope Leo XIV, seemingly weakening an already vulnerable Republican Party.
The Pope has consistently criticized political violence, and more recently condemned the war in Iran, describing its brutality as “absurd and inhuman” and warning against using religion to justify war.
Last Sunday, following a 60 Minutes segment in which several Catholic leaders openly criticized the president’s decisions and moral stance, Trump responded forcefully. In a lengthy post on Truth Social, he labeled the Pope “weak on crime,” “terrible for foreign policy,” and “very liberal.” He also claimed that Leo’s election was tied to his own presidency: “He was only put there by the Church because he was an American, and they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J. Trump,” referring to himself in the third person. He ultimately urged the pontiff to focus on being a great Pope, not a politician.
Trump’s controversial approach did not stop there. He also shared an AI-generated image depicting himself in a Christ-like scene. Although he later deleted it, claiming he intended to portray himself as a doctor, the episode further worsened an already precarious situation.
By contrast, Pope Leo’s response was measured. Stating that he has “no fear” of the Trump administration and no interest in direct confrontation, he emphasized that his role is not political: his aim is to spread the Gospel and promote peace.
Trump, already facing difficulties in maintaining public support —due largely to rising oil prices and an unpopular war— is not making his position any easier. Support among Catholics, a key part of his base, is now at risk, with many aligning with the Pope’s anti-war stance.
At the same time, vulnerable Republicans facing midterm elections have begun to distance themselves. Senator Susan Collins of Maine called Trump’s remarks “offensive,” while Representative Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania labeled his claims about the Pope “absurd.”
Trump’s behavior has become increasingly difficult to interpret. Long regarded as part of a well-established tactic of generating mediatic noise to divert attention from political difficulties, this strategy now appears to be losing effectiveness. Rather than shifting the narrative, it is backfiring, weakening his position and raising doubts over whether it remains a calculated move at all, or simply impulsive temperament.
European News
Hungary turns page: Orbán era ends as Péter Magyar secures an historic victory
by Cecilia Franceschini
On Sunday night, April 12th, with a record 79.5% turnout at the polls, Hungarians spoke clearly and chose Péter Magyar as their new president. His victory brings an end to Viktor Orbán’s 16 years of “electoral autocracy,” a period that reduced civil and media freedoms and undermined the independence of the judiciary branch. “Together we overthrew the Hungarian regime,” he declared before a crowd of supporters filling the streets of Budapest shortly after the results of his victory – one that wasn’t confined to the cities, but also to provinces and rural areas – were announced. This outcome has significant repercussions not only domestically, where Magyar has secured a “supermajority” (i.e. the two-thirds of parliamentary seats required to amend the Constitution) that should allow him to restore checks and balances between branches of power, but also internationally, particularly in Europe. It marks the end of an era in which Orbán, often seen as Vladimir Putin’s man in the EU, opposed decisions that could have weakened Russia and instead supported Ukraine in its defense against the invasion.
Péter Magyar has already spoken about a transition to be completed by May. At the national level, after years of centralisation, rebalancing power lies at the core of a program focused on transparency and renewed public trust, supported by an anti-corruption package. The break with the past will take shape through a constitutional reform to be submitted to a referendum, which will also include a two-term limit for the prime minister – after Viktor Orban served five – applied retroactively. As for foreign policy, attention is focused on unlocking €18 billion in frozen EU funds, an issue that could also be influenced by the decision to lift the veto on the joint loan for Ukraine.
Russia-Ukraine War continues amid global uncertainty
by Veronika Lizier-Zmudzinski
Amid crisis and uncertainty in the whole world, the war in Ukraine has also not arrived to any stability. This past Thursday, Russia launched one of its largest drone and missile attacks this year, killing 18 and wounding more than 100 people.
659 drones and 44 missiles were sent in waves to Ukraine’s major cities, primarily targeting civilians, energy infrastructure, and military positions. The attacks followed a short ceasefire last week that President Vladimir Putin declared for the Orthodox Easter holiday, that had followed a request from President Volodymyr Zelensky for a pause in attacks.
Although Ukrainian air defense is often able to intercept many of the drones and missiles sent by Russia, some were still able to cause harm. The attacks are often done at night, causing more panic and making emergency response more difficult.
The war in Ukraine continues with peace seemingly distant.
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.
From my background in classical studies to completing my bachelor’s degree across three different countries, learning something new has always been what fuels my curiosity — whether inside a GIO class or in a conversation with a stranger. That curiosity has grown into strong interests across diverse fields, from international relations to languages or the arts. Writing is the tool that allows me to connect and make sense of them all.
I’m Veronika. I grew up in the US but am half-Italian, half-Polish. I’m a first-year BIEM student and am interested in not only economics, but fashion, politics, books, and getting to know the community around me.
