What Actually Mattered This Week: NATO’s 75th Anniversary Summit

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WHAT ACTUALLY MATTERED THIS WEEK

At NATO summit, allies move to counter Russia, bolster Ukraine

The strongest military alliance in history hosted a very successful summit in Washington DC this week (America’s political crisis notwithstanding, which was the elephant in every room).

The alliance is more united than ever, showing the highest levels of support for Ukraine to expand its capabilities to defend itself and turn back the Russian offensive.

Most notably, the 32 alliance members pledged support for an “irreversible path” to future membership for Ukraine.

But it’s hard to make that commitment considering another Trump election would almost certainly reverse it.

In a surprise, French leftists win the most seats in legislative elections

The far left winning the most seats in the second round of France’s elections was definitely a surprise in France.

But Marine Le Pen and her far-right National Rally party still doubled their seats in parliament.

(The critical difference between France’s right-wing and the USA’s: Marine Le Pen and the National Rally party accept the outcome of their election as legitimate.)

Incumbent Macron lost substantial power and will face an incredibly challenging governing environment. I wouldn’t say this was a “win” for him or France.

'No one involved in the effort thinks he has a path': Biden insiders say the writing is on the wall

A growing chorus of Democratic lawmakers, officials, aides, and even George Clooney (?) called for Biden to exit the race this week. The decision ultimately lies with Biden himself, who believes he’s still the best chance to defeat Donald Trump in November.

But both Biden and Trump are viewed by an unprecedented number of Americans as too old and incapable of running for office.

If Biden drops out, this liability will become Trump’s alone.?

US Gaza aid pier to be permanently dismantled after operating for just 20 days

The United States’ floating pier in Gaza is set to be permanently dismantled…after delivering the equivalent of a single day’s pre-war land aid in two months.

An embarrassing outcome for the USA.

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TRUTHS, DAMNED TRUTHS, AND STATISTICS

- BBC

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THE GZERO WORLD WE’RE JUST LIVING IN

THE GRAPHIC TRUTH

YOUR GZERO WORLD

With nearly 40,000 Palestinians and over 1,000 Israelis dead, the war in Gaza is still far from over. But one day, it will end. And then what? On the season premiere of “GZERO World,”?I?sat down with Palestinian-American diplomat?Riyad Mansour?to discuss the Gaza war and how it might end. Mansour serves as the Palestinian ambassador to the United Nations and was appointed to his role by Mahmoud Abbas, head of the Palestinian Authority, which governs the West Bank in partnership with Israel but has no jurisdiction, for now at least, over Gaza.

In a wide-ranging and candid interview, Mansour emphasizes the need for justice and an end to the occupation for both Israelis and Palestinians. He discusses the role of the United States in facilitating a ceasefire and a two-state solution and highlights the growing international support for the Palestinian cause. "There is something in the air,” Mansour tells me. “People want justice for the Palestinians. People want this war and this conflict to end. People want the occupation to end because it's good for Israel and it's good for the Palestinians."

Perhaps the most contentious part of the interview has to do with Hamas, an organization that Mansour takes pains to distance himself from without condemning it outright. Mansour laments the killing of innocent civilians and calls for the release of hostages and prisoners on both sides. “Innocent people, innocent civilians, should not be exposed to any harm. This is international law."

He also touches on Gaza's future governance and Hamas’ problematic role in those talks, stating that negotiations are ongoing and that progress can be made through diplomatic efforts. “Now for us, internally, we need to put our house in order with all political groups,” Mansour says, implying that Hamas’ role in Gaza’s future is far from certain.

For a longer, wider-ranging version of my interview check out the GZERO World podcast.

WORLD IN 60

What was I watching out for at the NATO summit?

How will the UK’s new PM Keir Starmer lead Britain?

As a Russian missile struck a children’s hospital in Kyiv, is there still no end in sight for the war in Ukraine?

Find out in this week’s World in 60 Seconds!

DIG DEEPER: GZERO DAILY BY IAN BREMMER

Incumbents in trouble, Putin’s bet, Conservative Canada, and more

Is 2024 shaping up to be the year of anti-incumbents? What US election result is Putin hoping for? What’s the biggest geopolitical risk in the world today?

This week, I answer readers' most pressing from social media.

Do you like what you’ve seen??Sign up for GZERO Daily by Ian Bremmer

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BECAUSE THE INTERNET

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WHAT TO READ THIS WEEK

When the Clock Broke: Con Men, Conspiracists, and How America Cracked Up in the Early 1990s

In “When the Clock Broke,” John Ganz details the early post-Cold War beginnings of America’s descent toward its current place as the world’s most dysfunctional democracy. It’s an engaging and chilling read.?

DEEP THOUGHTS

“Courage is the most important of all the virtues because, without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently.” ― Maya Angelou

Thanks for reading!?Please subscribe to GZERO Daily for coverage of global politics. And make sure to read my latest book?The Power of Crisis?for a roadmap of this decade's great crises and how they might help us build a better world.

I am president of Eurasia Group and GZERO Media and foreign affairs columnist at TIME. I currently teach at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs and previously was a professor at New York University. You can follow me on?X, Threads,?Facebook, and?Instagram.