Why India Isn’t Winning the Contest with China | America’s Soft-Power Retreat | America’s Economic Warfare Is Sowing Its Own Demise | Illusions of Containment, and more

US Approves Sale of $7.4B in Bombs, Missiles to Israel  (AFP / VOA News)
The United States on Friday announced the approval of the sale of more than $7.4 billion in bombs, missiles and related equipment to Israel, which has used American-made weapons to devastating effect during the war in Gaza.
The State Department has signed off on the sale of $6.75 billion in bombs, guidance kits and fuses, in addition to $660 million in Hellfire missiles, according to the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA).

Inside Trump’s Hastily Written Proposal to “Own” Gaza  (Jonathan Swan and Maggie Haberman, New York Times)
Although the president had been talking about the idea for weeks, there had been no meetings on the subject, and senior members of his government were taken by surprise.

Trump’s Gaza Takeover Plan May Sound Death Knell for the Two-State Solution (Peter Baker, New York Times)
Already unlikely, the prospects for creation of a Palestinian state alongside Israel could vanish altogether if the United States takes over Gaza and displaces the population, as President Trump proposes.

The Challenges the U.S. Would Face in Gaza  (Mark Hertling, The Atlantic)
The president offered no outline for overcoming a daunting set of obstacles.

THE LONG VIEW

Trump’s Trade Wars Are Self-Defeating  (Keith Johnson, Foreign Policy)
The economic own goals are bad. The strategic backfires are worse.

Italy Is Trump’s New Bridge to Europe  (Giovanni Legorano, Foreign Policy)
Giorgia Meloni wants to be Europe’s top transatlantic leader for the Trump era.

Can Europe Defend Itself from Russia?  (Ben Farmer, The Telegraph)
As the US calls on the Continent to step up its own protection, allies face a daunting task.

America’s Soft-Power Retreat  (Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker)
Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s gutting of U.S.A.I.D. will weaken Washington’s reach, but the U.S. was already losing the fight for global influence.

Trump’s Tariff Tactics Are an Unpromising Foreign Policy Anomaly (Max Boot, Washington Post)
There’s no U.S. precedent for Trump’s tariff use. But it does evoke China’s economic bullying.

America’s Economic Warfare Is Sowing Its Own Demise  (Keith Johnson, Foreign Policy)
A new book provides insight into the unintended consequences of U.S. sanctions.

France’s Bitter Retreat from West Africa  (Economist)
The danger is a security void now opens up.

MORE PICKS

Ben Wallace: Trump’s Ukraine Peace Talks Have Echoes of Nazi Appeasement  (Danielle Sheridan, The Telegraph)
Former defense secretary warns there could be repeat of Neville Chamberlain’s “peace for our time” moment.

Donald Trump’s Super Bowl Tariffs Are an Act of Self-Harm  ((Economist)
Duties on aluminum and steel will throttle American industry and fragment global markets.

Europe Cannot Rely on U.S. Protection, Pentagon Chief Tells NATO Allies  (Joe Barnes, The Telegraph)
Pete Hegseth says America will focus on domestic concerns and the threat of China over sending peace-keeping troops to Ukraine.

How Venezuela Helps Fuel the Violence in Colombia  (Julie Turkewitz, New York Times)
After finding refuge and building power in Venezuela, a decades-old rebel group has waged the worst violence in Colombia in a generation, setting off troubling regional tensions.

Starmer’s Security Excuse for Chagos Deal “Blown Out the Water” –by His Own Science Minister  (Tony Diver, The Telegraph)
Sir Chris Bryant appears to undermine the PM’s case for the controversial move after saying a UN body could not close communication channels.

Nato Allies Discussed Sending Troops to Greenland After Trump Threats  (Joe Barnes, The Telegraph)
European countries held informal talks on options if US president moves to seize Danish island.

The White House’s Wildly Inaccurate Claims About USAID Spending  (Glenn Kessler, Washington Post)
Eleven out of 12 claims about the agency’s work are misleading, wrong or lack context.

Turkey is building a spaceport in Somalia  (Economist)
Believe it or not, the president is planning a moonshot.