While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, Feb 15, 2025
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Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky is pressing for robust security guarantees from the US.
PHOTO: EPA-EFE
Zelensky-Vance talks in Munich end without agreement on critical minerals deal
Talks between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US Vice-President J.D. Vance ended in Munich on Feb 14 without an announcement of a critical minerals deal that is central to Kyiv’s push to win the backing of President Donald Trump.
Kyiv came back to the US earlier with a revised draft agreement of the deal that could open up its vast resources of key minerals to US investment, amid concerns in Kyiv over a US version that was presented to Ukraine on Feb 12.
“Our teams will continue to work on the document,” Mr Zelensky wrote on X, adding that he had had a “good meeting” with Mr Vance and that Kyiv was “ready to move towards as quickly as possible towards a real and guaranteed peace”.
Two members of the Ukrainian delegation told Reuters that “some details” still needed to be worked out.
In Munich, Vance accuses European politicians of censoring free speech
US Vice-President J.D. Vance on Feb 14 took a swipe at European governments for what he described as their censorship of free speech and their political opponents, while largely avoiding the question of how to resolve the Ukraine war.
Speaking to European political leaders, military officers and diplomats, Mr Vance surprised the audience by dismissing risk of Russian political interference in Europe, taking a similar stance to US President Donald Trump, who has railed against claims by US intelligence agencies that Russia had interfered on his behalf in the 2016 election.
Instead, he adopted a confrontational tone, accusing European politicians of what he said was a fear of their own people and warned them that the real threat against their democracy was not from Russia or China.
China will have to hit back at US ‘bullying’, Wang Yi tells Munich forum
China’s top diplomat said the country will respond to any further unilateral US sanctions, calling such moves a form of “bullying” in his first major public remarks since US President Donald Trump launched a new trade conflict.
“If the US is not willing, if it is bent on suppressing and containing China, then we have no choice but to play along to the end,” Foreign Minister Wang Yi told officials at the Munich Security Conference on Feb 14. “We will resolutely respond to unilateral bullying practices of the US.”
The Trump administration imposed 10 per cent tariffs on China days into his second term. Beijing retaliated by targeting a handful of American companies, slapping levies on some US goods and placing export controls on some critical metals.
Modi-Trump hug sets stage for goodwill amid tariff minefield
The much-awaited hug came. Their hands clasped for handshakes that lingered. Smiles and fulsome praises were exchanged.
All this was ample indication that the bromance between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump remains alive. Since they met for the first time in 2017 as leaders, they have cultivated a close relationship.
It is a good sign for Indo-US ties, because their personal rapport could come handy to smooth any friction in the bilateral relationship – and there has been plenty of that in recent weeks.
Dell nears deal to sell about $7b in AI server to Elon Musk’s xAI
Dell Technologies is in advanced stages of securing a deal worth more than US$5 billion (S$6.7 billion) to provide Elon Musk’s xAI with servers optimised for artificial intelligence work.
The company will sell servers containing Nvidia Corp GB200 semiconductors to Mr Musk’s AI startup for delivery this year, according to people familiar with the matter, who asked to not to be named because the work is private. Some details are being finalised and still may change, some of the people added.
Demand for computing to run AI workloads has led to a boom for makers of high-powered servers like Dell, Super Micro Computer and Hewlett Packard Enterprise. Mr Musk’s companies, including carmaker Tesla and xAI, have emerged as major customers for the hardware.
