News: Trump’s turning away from Ukraine, France, coalition talks in Berlin

Trump is now targeting Zelensky again – How long will it take to turn away?

In France, the protest turns into violence – the crisis is homemade

Relief at the probes in Berlin – Red-Green-Red wants to lead coalition talks

US President Donald Trump apparently believes a few days before the midterm elections, thanks to his diesel deal with Russia’s ruler Vladimir Putin to push prices at the gas stations (more here) and thus improve the poor poll results of his Republicans. Meanwhile, Ukrainians must continue to withstand massive Russian attacks: Shortly before winter, Russia is trying to destroy as much civilian Ukrainian infrastructure and energy facilities as possible.

US President Trump: How long will his latest departure from Ukraine go?

Incidentally, the agreement on the supply of diesel was made in contempt of international sanctions. In addition, Ukraine should “damn one more thing,” Trump said, stop attacks on Russian refineries and oil export ports (as if they were the reason for the high fuel prices in the US and not the completely unnecessary war against Iran) and seek a new president. It is only logical that Trump has now suspended a sanctions package against Russia approved by Congress for the time being (more on this here). How dramatic this decision is will become apparent.

What do you do when the most powerful man in the world wants to make you a scapegoat (which could perhaps still be endured) and at the same time behaves volatilely in his support? How long will Trump’s latest departure from Ukraine go? Memories of the beginning of 2025 are awakened as Trump and his vice-president J.D. Vance Zelensky made the rounds in front of the world. In the meantime, the US President attacked Putin more sharply, as it was also once: “Vladimir, STOP!” or: “He has become completely CRAZY!” A bit like the children’s play “Trees, change!”: If you don't rush fast enough, you'll miss one over the ether. Only that Ukraine is about the naked existence.

The sanctions package, which was stopped for the time being, rarely received the support of both Democrats and Republicans (more on this here). Trump signed the law, which his confidant, the now deceased Senator Lindsey Graham, had significantly advanced. Now Trump lets himself be celebrated by those who started this war: Moscow called the suspension of American punitive measures a “historic moment” (more on this here). At least no one can dispute that.

More background here: Trump and Putin are putting Ukraine to the pincers

What happened? Just a few weeks ago, we talked about pupils who (rightly) took to the streets because of bad conditions at their ailing schools – since last weekend at the latest, France has probably had to deal with a nationwide wave of protests. People took to the streets all over the country. And no longer only the young, not only a certain political direction, but a broad layer of people, according to official figures about half a million, who rebelled against the excessive cost of living, among other things.

French policemen: Also not exactly known for de-escalation

In many places, the protest turned into violence. Our Paris correspondent Leo Klimm, who is watching the protests on the ground for us, reports on young men dressed in black who threw objects at the police (read his report here). Many from the banlieues, the social hotspots where many immigrants live. The French police, on the other hand, is not exactly known for understanding de-escalation as a police task (more on this here). Shops were looted, cars set on fire, a town hall, public property destroyed – on a level that even rocked the hardened French demonstration society.

Half a year before the presidential election, which should also have an impact on Europe, our neighbouring country is struggling with all kinds of crises. The mass protest, a looming debt crisis, a more divergent society. And who is to blame? True, immigration, at least according to US Vice President JD Vance (more here). The crisis is 100 percent home-made, as Leo writes: a “French failure”.

More background here: The violence in France is homemade

For my colleagues, who report on domestic and national politics, it must have been a dream weekend, at least journalistic: The representatives of Red-Green-Red decided on coalition talks in Berlin (more here). In Bonn, the Junge Union met at the same time for its annual »Deutschlandtag« (more here). Breathing guaranteed.

Probing noise (SPD), Eralp (Left), Graf (Green)

In the capital, the probing Elif Eralp (Left), Werner Graf (Green) and Steffen Krach (SPD) were relieved to see that it will continue. In the old Federal Republican capital, on the other hand, there was talk of a “culture break”, one demanded the “banning” of this coalition (if it should exist) by “all democrats”, a red-green-red state government must be excluded from information from the Federal Constitutional Protection and the Federal Criminal Police Office – in short: from this perspective, the serf may soon rule in Berlin.

It is not completely absurd, as a party man standing on the right of the center, as a young savage especially, to consider everything that stands on the left or far left of the center to be absolutely intolerable. And you also have to fight the real anti-Semitism, no matter where you stand. One of the open flanks of the left under election winner Elif Eralp, whose shop in this regard in the..