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New Diplomacy on the Horizon: U.S. and Russia Push Ahead Without Ukraine

  In a bold shift from previous diplomatic efforts, top U.S. and Russian officials have agreed to advance negotiations aimed at ending the war in Ukraine—even as Ukrainian representatives remain notably absent. High-level talks held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, saw U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov discussing the framework for future peace negotiations and steps toward restoring bilateral relations. The Trump administration’s approach, which prioritizes direct engagement with Moscow, marks a departure from longstanding principles that insisted on “nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine.” Critics in Kyiv have voiced strong opposition. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that any agreement reached without Ukraine’s participation would be unacceptable and would undermine the nation’s sovereignty. European leaders echoed these concerns, with several officials labeling the move as a dangerous precedent that could lead to a “dirty deal...
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Canadian Retail Sales Rebound in December, Boosting Consumer Confidence

 

Canadian consumers went on a holiday shopping spree at the end of last year, after reining in their spending just a month earlier. Receipts for retailers jumped 0.8% in December, the biggest increase since April. This followed a 0.2% decrease in November, which missed the median estimate of a flat reading in a Bloomberg survey. In volume terms, retail sales also edged down 0.2% that month. The early estimate for December suggests sales increased 0.8% that month, but warned the figure is subject to revision.

The rebound in retail sales in December is a positive sign for the Canadian economy. The holiday season is a crucial period for retailers, and the increase in sales indicates that consumer confidence is on the rise. The report also highlights that the pullback in November still highlights some spending weakness for consumers, who are facing higher interest rates and many of whom are due to renew their mortgages this year.


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