1.US President Donald Trump has expressed confidence in the progress of negotiations toward a possible Ukraine peace deal following talks between US and Russian senior officials. The two country’s top diplomats met in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday and agreed to establish high-level teams to continue talks to end the fighting in Ukraine. 2. China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi says his country supports the United Nations’ central role in international affairs, and expressed Beijing’s endorsement of multilateralism at the world body.
3. US President Donald Trump says that the tariffs on imported automobiles that he plans to impose from early April will be set at around 25 percent. If tariffs are imposed on all countries, it will deal a blow to Japan as a major automobile exporter to the United States.
日: 2025年2月19日
February 18, Tuesday, 2025
1. European leaders have gathered in France for emergency talks on Ukraine amid concerns over upcoming US-Russian negotiations on ending the war in the country. Participants likely discussed the current situation regarding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine amid media reports on possible talks between the US and Russia in Saudi Arabia. They also discussed their countries’ post-war plans, including whether to send peacekeeping troops to Ukraine. 2. Japan’s Environment Ministry has submitted to the United Nations its new target for reducing the country’s greenhouse gas emissions by 60 percent in fiscal 2035 from fiscal 2013 levels. Under the new targets, the country aims for a 73-percent reduction by fiscal 2040. 3. Japan’s government has approved a new basic energy plan for the country. It calls for wind, solar and other renewables to be the main national power source by fiscal 2040. Renewables are expected to account for 40 to 50 percent of the total energy mix by that time.