Donald Trump signals Ukraine should hold elections as part of Russia peace talks

At this time’s agenda: Large Tech emboldened; KKR’s Italian telecoms pains; pushback on Elliott’s BP transfer; drastic value cuts at renewables chief; and Bolsonaro charged

Good morning. We start with Donald Trump’s first public remarks since he held high-level talks with Russia, wherein he signalled there needs to be elections in Ukraine.

What he stated: In feedback essential of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s dealing with of the conflict, the US president stated: “It’s been a very long time since we’ve had an election” in Ukraine, he advised reporters at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. “You may have management [in Ukraine] now that’s allowed a conflict to go on that ought to have by no means even occurred.” The president didn’t point out Russia’s function in destroying Ukrainian cities and cities throughout its invasion.

What’s at stake: Zelenskyy’s time period expired final yr, however Kyiv has stated it might probably solely maintain an election after the combating stops and martial legislation is lifted. David Arakhamia, head of Zelenskyy’s ruling get together in parliament, stated this month that elections shouldn’t be held sooner than six months after the tip of martial legislation.

Holding elections can be a formidable problem since thousands and thousands of Ukrainians are displaced, residing overseas or residing in areas underneath Russian occupation. Kyiv has additionally expressed safety issues round any polls, saying western peacekeepers or a safety drive can be wanted to make sure voters’ security. Read more about Trump’s remarks.

Right here’s what else we’re conserving tabs on in the present day:

• Financial knowledge: The UK has January inflation knowledge, whereas the Federal Reserve publishes minutes from its final assembly.

• Ukraine talks: French President Emmanuel Macron is main an emergency assembly of European leaders, the second this week, amid Trump’s talks with Russia.

• Outcomes: BAE Techniques, Carrefour, Glencore, HSBC, Manchester United, Nationwide Occidental Petroleum, Philips and Rio Tinto report. Full checklist in The Week Ahead publication.

5 extra high tales

1. Large tech corporations are rising assured of their efforts to problem EU rules, believing new backing from the Trump administration will permit them to struggle what they see as hostile guidelines on synthetic intelligence and market dominance. Listed below are the Silicon Valley corporations leading the pushback against EU technology laws.

2. Unique: KKR clashed with administration over a projected €449mn earnings gap that threatened to derail its plans for the Italian telecoms firm it purchased final yr in Europe’s biggest-ever non-public fairness deal. The US agency has tightened its management over FiberCop after administration offered earnings forecasts that jeopardised billions of euros in potential dividends. Silvia Sciorilli Borrelli has more from Milan.

3. Unique: A gaggle of 48 institutional buyers has referred to as on BP to provide shareholders a vote on any plan to row again on its local weather targets, organising a possible conflict with Elliott Administration. The US activist hedge fund is pushing the vitality group’s chief to divest a few of its inexperienced vitality investments. Here are the shareholders behind the intervention.

4. Unique: Finnish renewable vitality group Neste has pledged to dramatically lower prices, together with firing a tenth of its workforce. However the world’s largest producer of unpolluted fuels for vehicles and planes says it stays bullish on decarbonisation. Read the FT’s interview with Neste chief Heikki Malinen.

5. Brazil’s former chief Jair Bolsonaro has been formally charged with main an alleged coup plot meant to maintain him in energy after dropping the 2022 election to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The hard-right politician was accused by the attorney-general of main a “felony organisation” to subvert democracy in Latin America’s most populous nation.

Information in-depth

European officers are awakening to a actuality that Donald Trump has lengthy underscored: the US now not desires to be the area’s major safety guarantor. Though he isn’t the one US president to criticise Nato allies, he’s the primary to drive Europe to contemplate critically what it would have to do if the US have been to take away its defence protect.

We’re additionally studying . . . 

Chart of the day

Chancellor Olaf Scholz final week dismissed the thought of privatising Germany’s rail system, arguing it might “finish as badly as in England”. However knowledge reveals Deutsche Bahn persistently delivering one of many least dependable providers in central Europe — even compared with the UK community. Learn the FT’s evaluation based on 1.9bn data points.

Take a break from the information . . . 

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