French President Macron:

End of Russia as a permanent provider of local energy.

End of China as a main export market.

The U.S. imposing tariffs on our economy and a coercion mechanism.

This is a game changer, which is why this is not just a transition, and none of these new factors will change in the short run.

This is not a temporary shock. This is clearly a structural turning point.

French President Macron:

We must make Europe an independent power — a Single Market, but also an economic power.

French President Macron:

High energy prices, combined with carbon costs, are accelerating deindustrialization and not decarbonization.

French President Macron:

As long as we differentiated renewable, nuclear, and so on, it was a stupidity.

French President Macron:

As long as we put additional regulations on our industries, we have to be sure that we reflect them to the non-European industries.

We have to kill our regulation to our own players; our overregulation strategy is the killer of our own industry.

French President Macron:

So many times we invest in and finance non-European solutions; we are crazy.

French President Macron:

Everybody is fascinated by Starlink. I'm super happy.

But if you are lucid, Mr. Musk is probably one of the guys in the world who has had in his pockets the most billions of dollars from American taxpayers in order to be subsidized.

I mean, Elon Musk is first an over-subsidized guy by the federal agencies in the US.

Good news! It makes him super innovative.

French President Macron:

China is an authoritarian regime, no offense, this is a collective choice.

The U.S. is becoming an unpredictable economy and governance, for companies and sometimes for countries.

At the middle of that you have the European Union, and it remains a place where rule of law and predictability remains valid.

Germany's Merz:

Over the past 20 years, China has grown by around 8% a year, the U.S. by 2%, and the EU on average only by 1%.

We must close this gap.

At least 16 U.S. Air Force KC-135 refueling aircraft and one RC-135 Rivet Joint reconnaissance plane were captured by Chinese satellite imagery at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.

Source: MizarVision

📸 Netanyahu and Trump meet.

Germany's Merz:

China builds the world’s largest solar farms within a few months.

In the EU, it takes years just for the project to get approved.

Therefore, I propose to implement a fundamental principle in most permitting processes: Any project that is not treated within a few weeks or months will be regarded approved automatically.

Germany's Merz:

We must deregulate every sector. I call for a “regulatory clean slate.”

Minor corrections to laws are not sufficient. We need to systematically review the whole set of existing EU legislation.

German Chancellor Merz contradicts Macron:

European growth and prosperity have never come from protectionism.

German Chancellor Merz:

I’m fully in line with all those who are saying we have to do more on climate change.

I’m fully in line with all those who are saying we are looking for instruments, for the right instruments.

But not at the cost of our industry, at the cost of the working places in our industry. This is unacceptable.

German Chancellor Merz:

If we are lagging behind longer than we did in the past with our growth rates, with our innovation capacities, labor market, we will lose this battle.

And we will never catch up again because the world is changing so fundamentally.

Türkiye’s state energy company TPAO won two oil & gas exploration blocks in Libya in the country’s first licensing round in 17 years.

Onshore Block C3 (Sirte Basin, ~8,200 km²) — awarded to a TPAO–Repsol consortium (Repsol is operator).

Offshore Block O7 (off Benghazi, ~10,300 km² deepwater) — TPAO (40%) with Repsol (40%, operator) and Hungary’s MOL (20%).

The awards are part of Libya’s 22-block tender launched in 2025.

Major firms like Chevron and Eni also won blocks.

Türkiye’s state oil firm TPAO has just signed a global oil and gas cooperation deal with BP, following a similar agreement with U.S. energy giant Chevron.

Both partnerships are meant to expand TPAO’s international exploration and production activities.

Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said these new joint ventures could start work in several regions — including Venezuela, as well as Syria, Libya, Iraq, and Kazakhstan.

Source: Bloomberg

NEW: International coalition forces withdrew from Syria’s al-Tanf base to Jordan.

Source: Reuters

The U.S. military shot down what it thought was a suspicious drone near El Paso, Texas during counter-drone testing around Fort Bliss.

But it turned out to be a harmless party balloon.

It briefly triggered an FAA airspace closure over El Paso International Airport.

Trump:

I have just finished meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu, of Israel, and various of his Representatives.

It was a very good meeting, the tremendous relationship between our two Countries continues.

There was nothing definitive reached other than I insisted that negotiations with Iran continue to see whether or not a Deal can be consummated.

If it can, I let the Prime Minister know that will be a preference. If it cannot, we will just have to see what the outcome will be.

Last time Iran decided that they were better off not making a Deal, and they were hit with Midnight Hammer — That did not work well for them.

Hopefully this time they will be more reasonable and responsible.

Additionally, we discussed the tremendous progress being made in Gaza, and the Region in general. There is truly PEACE in the Middle East.

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