Tuesday Briefing: Europe’s leaders discuss Ukraine

Plus, "Paddington in Peru"

View in browser|nytimes.com February 18, 2025 By Natasha Frost Good morning. We're covering talks about Ukraine's future and mass displacement in the West Bank. Plus: Avenging people whose graves were desecrated. President Emmanuel Macron of France, right, with Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany at the Élysée Palace in Paris on Monday. Ludovic Marin/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Europe's leaders met on Ukraine as U.S. went its own way European leaders convened in Paris yesterday to discuss a coordinated response as the Trump administration prepared to start its own talks with Russia about ending the war in Ukraine. The leaders were also expected to discuss military spending and how to guarantee Ukraine's security if a permanent cease-fire or a peace deal is reached. It is unclear what an end to the war might look like: Ukraine has few options for reversing Russia's recent gains on the battlefield, and any deal is likely to require painful territorial concessions from Kyiv. At the same time, Russia is suffering about 1,000 casualties a day as well as huge economic pain. A settlement could pave the way for a reduction of Western sanctions. Here's what experts think could happen next. Diplomacy: President Volodymyr Zelensky was in the United Arab Emirates yesterday for talks with Russia that are focused on prisoner exchanges and the return of Ukrainian children. More on the Trump administration Four top aides to Mayor Eric Adams of New York said they would resign after the Justice Department moved to dismiss his corruption case, apparently in exchange for his help with President Trump's deportations. With a pliant Congress, Trump is using his office to benefit his family's business interests, former prosecutors and ethics lawyers say. In his first month in office, the president has carried out a campaign of retribution with little precedent in U.S. history. The list of targets is growing. A member of Elon Musk's government efficiency team could soon have access to sensitive taxpayer data, insiders said. Canada's conservative front-runner in the race for prime minister is facing an electorate worried about Trump's vow to annex the country. Track Trump's actions since he took office. Palestinians left their homes for safety on Tuesday during an Israeli raid in the Nur Shams refugee camp in the occupied West Bank. Zain Jaafar/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Tens of thousands in the West Bank have been displaced A weekslong Israeli military operation across cities in the northern West Bank has displaced roughly 40,000 Palestinians from their homes. It is, experts say, the biggest displacement of civilians in the territory since the Arab-Israeli war of 1967. While roughly 3,000 have returned, most remain homeless after more than three weeks, and some will have no home to go back to. The Israeli military has demolished scores of buildings in the areas it has invaded, ripping up roads, water pipes and power lines to destroy what it says are booby traps set by militants. The Israeli military says the operation is solely an attempt to stifle rising militancy, targeting gunmen who they say have carried out or are planning terrorist attacks on Israeli civilians. But Palestinians fear it is a veiled attempt to permanently displace people from their homes and exert greater control over areas administered by the Palestinian Authority. Context: Many of the displaced are descendants of refugees who were expelled or fled from their homes during the wars surrounding the creation of the state of Israel in 1948, a period known in Arabic as the Nakba. The renewed displacement, even if temporary, raises painful memories of the central trauma in Palestinian history. In other news from the region: Marco Rubio, the U.S. secretary of state, met yesterday in Saudi Arabia with the kingdom's de facto leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Few details were released. The Israeli military said yesterday that it would keep forces in five locations in southern Lebanon as the deadline elapsed for the Israeli military and Hezbollah forces to withdraw from the area. The Delta flight, with 80 people aboard, crashed and flipped over while landing at Toronto Pearson International Airport on Monday. Ian Willms for The New York Times A plane flipped over at Toronto's airport A Delta Air Lines jet attempting to land at Toronto Pearson Airport amid strong winds and drifting snow crashed and overturned on the tarmac yesterday afternoon, finally coming to a rest with its belly up and at least one wing shorn off. All 80 passengers were evacuated, but at least 18 people were injured, officials said. Two passengers, including a child, were in critical condition but were expected to survive. MORE TOP NEWS Andrew Medichini/Associated Press Vatican: Pope Francis will remain in a hospital after being admitted late last week following a series of tests that indicated a "complex clinical picture," the Vatican said. China: Xi Jinping, China's top leader, met yesterday with Chinese business leaders in what was seen as a show of support for private enterprise. Automobiles: German carmakers are losing the Chinese market to rivals that have changed the definition of a high-end car. It now means one that is electric, smart and affordable. South Korea: The government suspended new downloads of the Chinese company DeepSeek's chatbot over data security concerns. Japan: For decades, a weak yen made companies more competitive and bolstered the economy. But for ordinary households, the depreciated currency has only made life harder. South Korea: The actress Kim Sae-ron, a former child star whose career was derailed by her drunk-driving conviction in 2022, was found dead at her home, the police said. Singapore: A court found the leader of the opposition Workers' Party guilty of lying under oath to Parliament. South Africa: An imam who devoted his life to promoting gay rights and tolerance for L.G.B.T.Q. Muslims was shot and killed on Saturday, police said. Culture: A scene in a play on London's West End depicts a makeshift abortion. It has left audience members talking — and sometimes passing out. SPORTS NEWS Soccer: Ruben Amorim was supposed to turn Manchester United's fortunes around, but things are worse than ever. Is patience wearing thin? Formula 1: The 75th season is on the horizon. Here's what to know about the big kickoff. Golf: Ludvig Aberg announced himself as a major contender when he claimed the biggest win of his career to date at the Genesis Invitational. MORNING READ James Estrin/The New York Times Late last year, Michael Hirsch, a regular visitor to Most Holy Trinity Cemetery in Brooklyn, discovered that hundreds of inexpensive grave markers commemorating working-class Catholic migrants had been ripped from the ground. He decided to do something about the thefts — starting with getting in touch with the descendants of the people buried there. Lives lived: Zakia Jafri, who waged a decades-long legal battle against government officials in India after her husband was killed during sectarian riots, died at 86. CONVERSATION STARTERS Compliments as punchlines: Milo McCabe, a comedian known for praising strangers on social media, is proof that kindness never goes out of style. Salvaging silver screens: As local movie houses close, residents in smaller U.S. towns are forming nonprofits to save them. Preparing for the end: What happens when Alzheimer's patients who apply for assisted death lose the ability to confirm their wishes? Just be normal: Experts shared tips on avoiding gaffes in video calls and internal messages. ARTS AND IDEAS Warner Bros. Pictures, via Associated Press An animated bear's lasting appeal After "Paddington 2," a British film about the marmalade-loving bear, was released in 2017, it became an internet phenomenon. The third installment, "Paddington in Peru," is now in theaters, and it has already passed $100 million in global ticket sales. "Paddington 2" had modest box office success, but DVD and streaming releases spawned a devoted community of fans who fiercely adore the outsider bear. For a time, that movie was the best-reviewed film ever on the site Rotten Tomatoes — that is, until one critic wrote a negative review, provoking what he said were doxxing and death threats. Read more about what one fan called "the greatest film ever made." We hope you've enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times. RECOMMENDATIONS Christopher Simpson for The New York Times Cook: Sautéed chard with chiles and ginger is delicious with nearly any protein. We chose shrimp. Read: The filmmaker Lee Chang-dong's early fiction has been collected in "Snowy Day and Other Stories." Nourish: How good are fake meat products for you, really? Travel: A writer discovers the timeless appeal of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Play the Spelling Bee. And here are today's Mini Crossword and Wordle. You can find all our puzzles here. That's it for today's briefing. See you tomorrow. — Natasha Reach Natasha and the team at briefing@nytimes.com. Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for Morning Briefing: Europe Edition from The New York Times. To stop receiving Morning Briefing: Europe Edition, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. 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