On The Deals Shaping Our Economy
🏉 Rugby’s Collision Course
The draw for the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia has set the stage for a blockbuster quarterfinal clash between the Springboks and the All Blacks.
The state of play: A new 24-team format introduces a Round of 16, meaning pool winners can now face each other earlier in the knockouts.
Pool A: Hosts Australia will face New Zealand in the pool stage for the first time ever.
Pool B: Defending champions South Africa are grouped with Italy, Georgia, and Romania.
The stakes: If the Boks and All Blacks top their groups as expected, they are projected to meet in the quarterfinals—a rematch of the 2023 final.
"Things happen in World Cups that you can't even imagine... you just don't know."
🛑 No Deal in Moscow
A high-stakes, five-hour meeting between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, ended without a breakthrough on the Ukraine war, signaling a long road ahead for peace negotiations.
The big picture: While the Kremlin described the direct exchange as "very useful," deep divisions remain over territory and security guarantees.
The friction: Moscow is insisting Ukrainian forces surrender the remaining held territory in Donetsk, a demand Kyiv firmly rejects.
The response: NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte urged the alliance to keep weapons flowing to change Putin's calculus.
"Some things were accepted, some things were marked unacceptable and that's a normal working process."
💶 Brussels' €210bn Emergency Gamble
The European Commission is floating a controversial plan to raise up to €210bn for Ukraine by leveraging immobilized Russian state assets—and bypassing national vetoes to do it.
Why it matters: This marks a watershed moment. Brussels plans to use emergency powers (Article 122) to strip dissenting countries—specifically Hungary—of the ability to block the funds.
How it works: It’s a "reparations loan." Ukraine wouldn't repay it; the funds are backed by frozen Russian assets until Moscow pays reparations.
The pushback: The ECB and Belgium (home to Euroclear) are nervous, fearing it violates international law and risks the euro's stability.
"If we want to secure Europe as a centre where the rule of law applies, we should not start by violating the rule of law."
The global stage doesn't rest,
and neither do I.
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