UK Pledges Ukraine Peacekeepers, Defence Spending & Xi Drives China Rally

Your morning briefing, the business news you need in just 15 minutes.

On today's podcast:

(1) Prime Minister Keir Starmer pledged to send British peacekeeping troops to Ukraine if needed as he sought to show that European nations are serious about their own defense.

(2) President Donald Trump said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy will be involved in peace talks with Russia, a day after top US advisers suggested the negotiations might go on without him.

(3) The US move to pull back from providing European security guarantees comes as Donald Trump said he's open to allowing Europe to buy US-made weapons to give to Ukraine. European officials are working on a major new package to increase defence spending and support Ukraine, but the plans won't be announced until after the German election this coming weekend.

(4) Germany’s plodding election campaign flared into life Sunday when the four main candidates clashed on live television, exchanging barbs a week before the ballot on topics ranging from irregular migration to the war on Ukraine and the country’s economic woes.

(5) A potential encounter this week between President Xi Jinping and e-commerce icon Jack Ma, coming after a blistering run by tech shares, could be the next catalyst to extend the rally in China’s stocks.

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