(Nykole King – The Kyiv Independent) A new artificial intelligence agent could equip Europe to better defend itself against the barrage of Russian disinformation attacks. Cipher is Canadian-developed AI software that has proven to accurately and quickly detect Russian disinformation targeting Canadian networks, on both the far right and the far left of the political spectrum. Now that Cipher has passed the testing stage, the researchers are training the AI agent to distinguish those same narratives in the Russian language. – Canadian AI software could flip Russia’s disinformation war on Europe
(Polina Moroziuk – The Kyiv Independent) Ukraine has repatriated the bodies of 1,000 fallen soldiers, the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War reported on Feb. 26. The exchange comes as talks between Ukraine and the U.S. continue in Geneva, Switzerland, with preparations underway for a new round of trilateral negotiations with Russia that Washington hopes to broker in the coming weeks. – Russia, Ukraine agree on body exchange, 1,000 fallen Ukrainians brought home
(Polina Moroziuk – The Kyiv Independent) More than 90,000 Ukrainians are officially registered as missing due to Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine’s commissioner for missing persons said on Feb. 26. The figures come as Ukrainian authorities continue efforts to determine the fate of thousands of soldiers and civilians whose whereabouts remain unknown amid ongoing fighting and limited access to Russian-occupied territories. – More than 90,000 Ukrainians officially missing due to Russia’s war, commissioner says
(Asami Terajima – The Kyiv Indepedent) Ukraine has increasingly reported using domestically produced Flamingo cruise missiles since November 2025, with the General Staff most recently saying it hit a key missile factory in Russia. While the FP-5 Flamingo’s actual capability has been a subject of debate, the reported strikes on Russian-occupied territories and deep inside Russia may signal that Ukraine could expand its use of the missiles for attacks on high-value Russian targets. The General Staff on Feb. 21 confirmed using Flamingo missiles in its overnight attack on the Russian state-owned Votkinsk missile plant, located about 1,400 kilometers (870 miles) from Ukraine. – The Kyiv Independent — News from Ukraine, Eastern Europe
(UN News) UN human rights chief Volker Türk on Thursday appealed for dialogue between Afghanistan and Pakistan amid border clashes and deadly airstrikes, while condemning ever harsher “apartheid” edicts issued by the Afghan de facto authorities that continue to severely impact women and girls. “This situation calls for urgent political dialogue, rather than escalating the use of force,” said the High Commissioner for Human Rights, following a sharp increase in civilian casualties in cross-border clashes with Pakistani military forces, who have been reportedly targeting armed militants sheltering in Afghanistan. According to the UN Mission in Afghanistan, UNAMA, 70 civilians were killed and 478 were injured in Afghanistan in the last three months of 2025. “There were further casualties earlier this week, when 13 civilians were killed and several more injured following airstrikes by Pakistani forces,” Mr. Türk said. – UN’s Türk urges dialogue after deadly clashes on Afghan-Pakistan border | UN News
(UN News) An international early warning system blocked a shipment of chemicals used to make fentanyl that could have produced up to 1.6 billion potentially lethal doses, the UN narcotics control body said on Thursday. The interception highlights to vital role of cooperation in tackling the rapidly evolving illegal drugs trade. In its 2025 Annual Report, the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) said that authorities used its pre-export notification platform to stop the diversion of three tons of the precursor 1-boc-4-piperidone – a chemical intermediary used in the manufacture of fentanyl. Had the shipment not been intercepted, it could have been used to manufacture an estimated 1.4 to 3.3 tons of fentanyl – between 700 million and 1.6 billion doses of the deadly street drug. The case, in March 2025, is one of several examples cited by the INCB to illustrate what it dubs an “international success story” in terms of cooperation. “Tackling the trafficking and misuse of drugs, while ensuring the availability of essential medicines, has been carried out effectively over the last 60 years through the drug control conventions, a robust framework for working together with almost universal support,” said Board President Professor Sevil Atasoy. “Our role is to reinforce the cooperative efforts of countries and territories through our work.” – UN drug alert stops shipment that could have made 1.6 billion lethal fentanyl doses | UN News
(Ray Furlong – RFE/RL) Ukrainian and US negotiating teams have sat down for a fresh round of talks in Switzerland with a focus on post-war reconstruction and preparing a future trilateral meeting with Russia. The talks in the city of Geneva began on February 26, hours after Russian forces rained down drones and missiles on multiple Ukrainian regions — and also after Moscow sent Kyiv bodies of people apparently killed in the now four-year long war. “A bilateral meeting with the American delegation has begun — with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner,” wrote Ukraine’s chief negotiator Rustem Umerov in a social media post. – US-Ukrainian Talks Kick Off Amid Attacks And Repatriation Of Dead
(Hugo Bachega – BBC) US and Iranian officials have met in Geneva for a third round of indirect talks seen as crucial to averting conflict, with President Donald Trump threatening to strike Iran if a nuclear deal is not reached. The discussions come amid the largest US military build-up in the Middle East since the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, and with Iran vowing to respond to an attack with force. Thursday’s talks were adjourned after three hours. Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi, who is acting as the mediator, said negotiators had exchanged “creative and positive ideas” and would return after taking a break. “We hope to make more progress,” he added. But the chances of an agreement remain unclear. – US and Iran hold talks seen as crucial to prevent conflict
(Tom Bateman, James FitzGerald – BBC) The top Democrat on the congressional committee investigating Jeffrey Epstein has accused the US justice department of withholding files containing allegations of sexual abuse of a minor made against President Donald Trump. Robert Garcia, who sits on the House Oversight Committee, said he had personally viewed documents containing the allegation that had not been made public. In response, the justice department said “NOTHING has been deleted”, adding that documents were withheld only if they were “duplicates, privileged, or part of an ongoing federal investigation”. Trump has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing in relation to the Epstein case and has recently said he has been “totally exonerated”. – US justice department accused of withholding Trump-related Epstein files
(Vanessa Buschschlüter, Bernd Debusmann Jr, Max Matza – BBC) Cuba has accused 10 people aboard a US-registered speedboat it intercepted off its coast on Wednesday of planning “an infiltration with terrorist aims”. Border guards shot dead four people and injured the other six on the boat, the Cuban interior ministry said, alleging that those on the Florida-registered vessel had fired first. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington was investigating the “highly unusual” incident. The deadly shooting comes at a time of increased tension between the two countries, less than two months after US forces seized Cuba’s close ally, Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, and stopped his successor from supplying it with oil. – Cuba says group shot on US-registered speedboat planned ‘armed infiltration’
(Marc Caputo, Mike Allen – Axios) FBI Director Kash Patel says the FBI under President Biden subpoenaed his phone records and those of Susie Wiles, who ran President Trump’s campaign and is now White House chief of staff, when they were private citizens. The big picture: Trump officials familiar with the investigation tell Axios the revelations might be “the tip of the iceberg,” and that the FBI may have probed more Trumpworld figures. – Wiles “in shock” over FBI phone-record subpoena
(Avery Lotz, Brittany Gibson – Axios) ICE is on a multi-billion-dollar quest for new immigration detention facilities, but they’re increasingly facing pushback from an unlikely foe: Republicans. Why it matters: The Trump administration has prioritized investing tens of billions of dollars to increase how many people it can hold in immigration detention, and ICE has a limited amount of time to spend it. – ICE detention facilities face Republican revolt
(Zachary Basu – Axios) Supremacy can be fleeting in the highly competitive AI race. But two months into 2026, Anthropic’s Claude is upending U.S. national security, roiling financial markets and redefining how startups are built. Why it matters: The company is in the middle of the most important fight of the era — how much power to give AI in the face of threats, real and virtual. – How Claude conquered Washington, Wall Street and Silicon Valley
(April Rubin, Avery Lotz – Axios) World Economic Forum leader Børge Brende announced his resignation Thursday, the latest casualty of the Epstein files fallout rocking business, politics and academia. The big picture: The files’ release has captured some of the world’s most powerful people in a far-reaching shadow of shame, effectively ending the careers of captains of industry, academic big shots and prominent politicians. And the dominoes keep falling. – Epstein files: WEF CEO Brende resigns amid growing global fallout
(Amy Harder, Ben Geman – Axios) Big Tech’s coming vow to pay for its own power amid the data center boom may be light on policy specifics. But it could still pack a political punch. Why it matters: Electricity markets are largely regulated at the state and regional levels, limiting Washington’s direct sway. – Tech ratepayer pledge may be more bark than bite — but still matters
(Johanna Treeck – Politico) European Central Bank staffers believe they must keep their opinions to themselves — or face the consequences. That is the message from a staff survey conducted by the ECB in November and December, revealing that the majority have “no confidence” that they can voice their views without inviting retaliation from above. The findings threaten to blemish President Christine Lagarde’s legacy, raising questions about the quality of debate culture within the central bank under her leadership amid ongoing rumors that the Frenchwoman will end her eight-year term early. The results also land at an awkward moment, as the ECB faces legal action from its staff union over alleged efforts to curb free speech. – ECB staffers fear backlash when speaking out, survey says – POLITICO
(Aitor Hernández-Morales – Politico) Denmark will hold a snap election next month, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announced Thursday. “I have recommended to King Frederik that elections be held on March 24,” Frederiksen told lawmakers during a plenary session of the Danish parliament in Copenhagen. With less than a year left in the current parliamentary term, the country was due to go to the polls no later than Oct. 31. But the decision to move up the date of the vote is likely based on the surge of support Frederiksen’s ruling Social Democrats have experienced as a result of U.S. President Donald Trump’s aggressive threats to annex Greenland. – Mette Frederiksen announces Denmark will hold snap election on March 24 – POLITICO
(Gabriel Gavin – Politico) When the EU faces a crisis, the lights go on in an ultra-secure room deep in a building in Brussels that hosts the European Council. Over the past year, they’ve been switched on more frequently than ever as the bloc’s 27 government envoys take the rudder. The suite of rooms, including a “bunker” in the basement designed to prevent surveillance, is the meeting place for EU ambassadors who are playing a greater role than they’ve done before in deciding the bloc’s response to the biggest challenges of our time. From Donald Trump’s threats to take over Greenland and his imposition of import tariffs to the conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine, the possibility of strikes on Iran and broader concerns about Europe’s economy, this formation of the most powerful national representatives permanently in Brussels is coming into its own. Known in Brussels jargon as Coreper II (short for the Committee of Permanent Representatives), the group has existed for as long as the EU. It is gradually giving itself greater authority to take decisions — not just so the bloc can operate more efficiently, but also as a counterweight to an increasingly powerful European Commission, the EU’s executive branch. – The crisis corps running the EU – POLITICO
(Tim Ross – Politico) She’s not Donald Trump’s biggest foe in Europe — yet. But European Parliament President Roberta Metsola wants the White House to know its attempts to influence politics in Europe are not welcome. In an interview with POLITICO, Metsola said the European Union won’t express a preference on who should win the U.S. midterm elections in November. But U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio weighed in to endorse Viktor Orbán in Budapest this month, ahead of Hungary’s general election coming up in April. – Don’t meddle in our elections, EU’s Metsola tells Trump’s MAGA warriors – POLITICO
(John Johnston – Politico) Global Counsel started the year riding high. The public affairs agency had just posted its best-ever financial results, could boast of staff in multiple countries, and was in the process of expanding its international operations. In a matter of weeks, the lobby shop’s 16-year legacy had been all-but wiped out, and it had collapsed into administration under the weight of the Epstein scandal. Co-founder Peter Mandelson, the former U.K. ambassador to Washington and one of the commanding figures of British politics over the past four decades, is facing fresh revelations over his links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Despite frantic efforts to distance itself from Mandelson, the influence business he masterminded was forced to fold. – How the Epstein files brought down lobbying powerhouse Global Counsel – POLITICO
(Karl Mathiesen, Hanne Cokelaere, Nahal Toosi – Politico) America’s ambassadors in Europe are targeting just one person with their charm offensive: President Donald Trump. Everyone else — including key U.S. allies — can expect little charm and plenty of offense. The American president’s friends, fellow real estate developers and political donors who have been awarded EU ambassadorships during Trump’s second term are ruffling feathers in their host capitals. – ‘Frankly, it’s rude’: How Trump’s European envoys play to an audience of one – POLITICO
(Zia Weise – Politico) Global warming intensified a series of torrential rainstorms that battered Spain and Portugal in recent weeks, new research has found. Nine destructive winter storms hit the Iberian Peninsula with extensive flooding between mid-January and mid-February, killing six people in Portugal, forcing the evacuation of more than 12,000 people in Spain and leaving a trail of devastation across both countries. The economic damage was significant: The Spanish government has already allocated €7 billion in relief payments to help people affected, while in Portugal the damage is estimated to reach €6 billion, equivalent to more than 1.5 percent of the country’s GDP. The Portuguese government has said the reconstruction cost will constrain the nation’s finances. – Climate change supercharged Iberian Peninsula’s destructive storms – POLITICO
(Noah Keate – Politico) British politicians laid into the Trump administration Thursday over far-right activist Tommy Robinson’s visit to the United States, which included a tour of the State Department. Emily Thornberry, chair of the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, told POLITICO that U.S. officials should not be taken in by Robinson’s claim to be a “free speech warrior,” while fellow MPs in the governing Labour Party branded the move by a supposed ally “incredibly alarming.”. Joe Rittenhouse, a senior adviser at the State Department’s Consular Affairs bureau, posted photos of himself on X alongside Robinson Wednesday. He said he was “honored to have [the] free speech warrior,” who has a history of criminal convictions in the U.K., “at Department of State today.” – Far-right activist Tommy Robinson’s US welcome sparks British backlash – POLITICO
(Milena Wälde – Politico) Belgium’s Prime Minister Bart De Wever said the Port of Antwerp-Bruges will get its own anti-aircraft defenses by next year, as the Belgian government moves to fortify one of Europe’s most critical trade gateways. De Wever also confirmed that Belgium has ordered a separate anti-drone system after multiple drone sightings last year forced the temporary closure of Belgian airports and a military airbase, the Gazet van Antwerpen reported. “An air-defense system is coming to the port of Antwerp. It’s a NASAMS type and has already been ordered,” De Wever said at the port, according to the Gazet report. – Belgium to arm Antwerp port with anti-aircraft guns – POLITICO
(Gabriel Gavin – Politico) Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán suggested he could drop his veto on the EU sending €90 billion to Kyiv if the EU assesses damage to an oil pipeline in Ukraine. In a letter to European Council President António Costa dated Thursday, obtained by POLITICO, Orbán said he is “fully aware of the political difficulties” created by Budapest blocking the loan, which was agreed upon by all EU leaders at a summit in December. Capitals have railed against Orbán for changing his mind after a Russian drone damaged the Druzhba pipeline, through which Hungary and Slovakia have continued to import discounted Russian crude oil throughout the four years of the war. – Investigate oil pipeline damage to unblock Ukraine funds, Orbán tells EU – POLITICO
(Aitor Hernández-Morales – Politico) Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez wants you to know that rumors of his imminent demise have been greatly exaggerated. For several weeks, right-wing social media accounts have spread a rumor that the socialist leader is being treated for a terminal heart condition. The prime minister — a frequent target of fake news posts — initially ignored the allegations, but finally hit back Thursday with an unusual post on social media. – Sánchez hits back at trolls: I’m not dying – POLITICO
