Russian President Vladimir Putin has rejected a proposal by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for a face-to-face meeting, saying he sees "no point" in it. Speaking Friday at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Putin described Zelenskyy's open letter proposing the meeting as "boorish." It was the first public message Zelenskyy has sent directly to Putin since Russia sent troops into Ukraine in 2022 and was a critique of the Russian leader's 26 years in power as well as taunting him about his age. The 73-year-old Putin pointed at other global leaders who are older, adding that "the main thing is the ability to work." In an earlier speech, Putin criticized the West's unilateral sanctions.
Among the threats tariffs pose to the U.S. economy, none may be as strange as the sell-off in the dollar. Currencies rise and fall all the time over inflation fears and other factors, but economists worry the dramatic dollar drop shows a loss of confidence in the U.S. as President Donald Trump tries to reshape global trade. If true, the blow could be big. The special status of the dollar as the medium of international trade and a safe haven has allowed the U.S. government, consumers and businesses to borrow at low rates even as debts have ballooned, which has helped speed economic growth.
