A fresh round of Trump-Putin telephone diplomacy revived speculation on Monday 18 May 2026 of a possible bilateral meeting before the June G7 cut-off, against a backdrop of stalled Ukraine ceasefire talks, the Iran war, and Putin’s imminent state visit to Beijing.
European equity markets traded firmer on Monday 18 May 2026 as the CAC 40 reclaimed lost ground and the FTSE 100 reasserted technical control, whilst oil prices kept swinging on Strait of Hormuz tension. The ECB countdown to the 4-5 June decision is now fully on.
The European Central Bank held its deposit rate at 2% for a third consecutive meeting on 30 April, though a Bloomberg survey of economists now anticipates two summer rate rises as the Iran war pushes eurozone headline inflation towards a projected 2.6% in 2026.
UK Health Secretary Wes Streeting is expected to resign on Thursday 14 May 2026 to mount a Labour leadership challenge against Sir Keir Starmer, after 93 Labour MPs publicly called for the Prime Minister to step down. The political turbulence overshadows the King’s Speech and arrives amid acute gilt-market pressure.
EU defence ministers met this week to discuss reinforced military support for Ukraine and EU defence readiness as Middle East conflict reshapes the security landscape.
Reflections on why the European Union must build a coherent, enduring defence doctrine rather than a reactive set of measures driven by today’s headlines.
Preliminary data reveals the eurozone economy expanded by a mere 0.1 per cent in the first quarter of 2026 as Middle East energy shock hampers consumption and investment.
The European Environment Agency’s annual progress report confirms the bloc is on track for the 2030 target, but flags transport and buildings as persistent weak points.
MEPs approved sweeping amendments to the EU Artificial Intelligence Act on Tuesday, tightening restrictions on biometric surveillance and clarifying obligations for general-purpose AI providers.
