A US boycott in France? Europe reacts to group chat leak

Press Review

PRESS REVIEW – Wednesday, March 26: International papers react to the Black Sea security deal reached by Ukraine and Russia that was brokered by the US. Elsewhere, European papers react to the Signal group chat leak with outrage. Also, Palestinians participate in the largest anti-Hamas protest since October 2023. Finally, two otters are on the loose in Wisconsin after escaping the local zoo.

The international papers are discussing the news of a tentative Black Sea ceasefire reached in Saudi Arabia. The Saudi paper Arab News headlines with: "US says it brokered deal to end fighting in the Black Sea in talks with Ukraine and Russia". It says that although many details remain unresolved, the agreement could present a path to a wider ceasefire. The Ukrainian press says that the deal "is not what Ukraine needs" and adds that the ceasefire favours Russia more than it does Ukraine. The Kyiv Independent says that the deal misses out crucial securities that Ukraine needs, including the protection of its port infrastructure. In Russia, the newspaper Vedomosti says that what Russia wants is access to international markets for its agricultural products and fertilisers. It says that for that to happen, it needs access to ports and payment systems, which would mean that the US would have to put pressure on Europe.

The European papers are also discussing the deal. The Belgian paper Le Soir says that Russia wants to renew a deal that it killed in the first place, referring to the Black Sea Grain Initiative that Moscow pulled out of in July 2023. The Guardian has an analysis piece with an evocative title: "Ukraine ceasefire deal looks like a Russian wishlist tied with a US bow”, highlighting that the Kremlin said it would only implement the Black Sea ceasefire once the US significantly rolls back its sanctions.

European papers are also up in arms about the Signal group chat leak. The British tabloid the Daily Star asks if JD Vance is the most dangerous man in the world. In Germany, the paper FOCUS discusses a "real hatred of Europe" and accuses the Trump administration of using "mafia-worthy tactics". In Italy, the broadsheet La Repubblica features the story on its front page, headlining with a Vance quote calling Europe freeloaders or "parasitic". Libération, in France, takes a slightly different angle on its front page. According to a recent study, more than 60 percent of French consumers would support a boycott of American products, while a third of them try to actively avoid products associated with Donald Trump and Elon Musk's policies.

Turning to the Middle East, Palestinians have taken to the streets for the largest anti-Hamas protests since October 2023. The New York Times describes the protests in the streets of Beit Lahia in northern Gaza. It says there were neutral signs against the war in general, but that there were also chants asking Hamas to "get out". The BBC reports that masked Hamas militants tried to disperse protesters, hurting several people in the process. It notes that open criticism of Hamas has grown in Gaza since the war began, but that it is hard to tell how much support for the group has changed since the start of the conflict.

Finally, we all know otters for their cuteness, but the AP brings us the news that they are actually criminal masterminds! Louie and Ophelia, two otters at Wisconsin zoo, have escaped and are on the run. The zoo is on their tail: it has hired a tracker, installed motion detecting cameras and urged the public to share any information on the two fugitives.

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