World Review: Year 5 in Ukraine, Tariff shock, Is Cuba's time finally running out?
A synopsis of this week's edition of World Review
Each week, I host a video podcast called World Review with Ivo Daalder where journalists from major news outlets around the world join me to discuss the latest global news stories of the week.
Each Friday morning, I host a video podcast called “World Review with Ivo Daalder” where journalists from major news outlets around the world join me to discuss the latest global news stories of the week.
Yesterday, February 27, ahead of the strikes on Iran, we discussed the anniversary of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the implications of the Supreme Court’s decision on Trump’s tariffs, and recent developments in Cuba. Joining me this week were Felicia Schwartz, Diplomatic Correspondent of Politico, Giles Whittell, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of The Observer, and Michael D. Shear, Chief U.K. Correspondent of The New York Times.
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While I encourage you to watch or listen to the episode (and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts!), here are a few interesting things I took away from our discussion:
Tuesday marked four years since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The stalemate is leaving its mark on the country and its people. Giles described a story from Kherson, where a three-year-old went outside for the first time in his life last December. The front line is a drone-patrolled kill zone stretching some 30 kilometers, where movement in daylight can be a death sentence. The numbers are staggering on both sides, with Russia losing roughly 30,000 soldiers a month and Ukraine paying an even higher price relative to its population. The debate in Washington appears far removed from this reality. Felicia notes that the focus is mostly on the negotiations, while the public’s and the President’s attention wanes. Michael notes Europe has the will but not the means to meaningfully support Ukraine, and continues to defer to and rely on Washington in the negotiations. Giles warned that Russia is the closest to having a plan, to keep grinding forward, and to try to weaken NATO, while Europe struggles with its own internal vetoes and unfinished debates over frozen assets. 2026 will be a test for whether Europe can get organized fast enough, otherwise the talk of standing up for Ukraine risks staying just that, talk.
The Supreme Court decision that Trump cannot use emergency powers to impose tariffs is a direct hit on his favorite instrument of leverage. Michael framed Trump’s worldview as the fusion of money and power, with tariffs functioning less as trade policy than as a club he can swing at allies and adversaries alike. The ruling produced a global exhale, weakening the threat that every disagreement can be met with economic punishment. But the relief is tempered by the obvious reality that Trump is already looking for workarounds, including temporary across-the-board tariffs under other authorities. Giles argued that the judgment creates a moment of choice for everyone else, whether to keep courting Washington or to start pushing back. The UK has so far chosen deference. The bigger question is whether the European Union, with more economic weight, decides this is the opening to get tougher, even as Michael noted that interconnected dependencies, especially on security, make it hard for capitals to tell Trump no in one arena without worrying about retaliation in another. As Felicia noted, while the Supreme Court may have constrained the President’s power, the underlying dynamic remains: the world is still trying to work out how to deal with an American president who treats tariffs as a form of personal power.
Cuba returned to the conversation through a bizarre incident that felt like it was from another era: a stolen speedboat run from the Florida Keys and ten would-be infiltrators. But the larger story is that the US has long held the conviction that the project in Cuba is ending. The Trump administration continues the pressure campaign with an oil embargo. Felicia argued that Marco Rubio is the key here, given his long-held fixation on transforming Cuba. He now has real authority to try. The administration appears to have departed from the old dream of toppling the system overnight and is instead pursuing regime change light: exerting economic pressure and trying to find a next-generation insider to open the island up for business. The Obama administration tried to change Cuba with carrots and optimism about markets. Trump’s approach is to use sticks to elicit concessions. Whether that strategy will be more effective remains an open question.
Those are my quick takes on this week’s episode here on World Review. To get the full story, please listen to the episode itself.