Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda has announced that Lithuania will increase its defense spending to between 5-6% of its gross domestic product by 2026, in response to the threat of Russian aggression in the region. This decision makes Lithuania the first NATO country to commit to meeting a target recently set by U.S. President Donald Trump. Currently, Lithuania spends around 3% of its GDP on defense, and achieving the new goal would make it the NATO member with the highest defense spending as a percentage of GDP, surpassing Poland which currently spends over 4%.
https://www.fakti.bg/en/world/942459-nato-country-to-sharply-increase-defense-spending-amid-russian-aggression-threatLithuania has become the first NATO country to commit to meeting US President Donald Trump's demand for member nations to spend at least 5 percent of their GDP on defense. This decision was made by Lithuania's State Defense Council, led by Minister of National Defence Jonny Antanaitis and Chief of Defense Lieutenant General Valdemaras Budrys. The move comes as a response to the perceived threat from Russia, with which Lithuania shares borders.
https://www.politico.eu/article/lithuania-pledges-to-hit-donald-trumps-5-percent-defense-spending-target/French President Emmanuel Macron visited Lebanon for twelve hours, eight days after Michel Aoun was elected to fill a position left vacant for over two years due to political divisions. The French presidency stated it would support Aoun's efforts to consolidate Lebanon's sovereignty and maintain its unity. In one of his first acts, Aoun appointed Nawaf Salam, head of the International Court of Justice, as Prime Minister, which is seen as a diplomatic victory for France. However, this move has reportedly angered Hezbollah and its allies, whose influence in Lebanon has declined following losses during the war against Israel last autumn. Macron's visit coincides with that of UN Secretary General António Guterres, who arrived in Beirut on Thursday evening.
https://africanews.com/2025/01/17/lebanon-newly-elected-president-receives-visit-from-french-president-macron/French President Emmanuel Macron urged Israel to accelerate its withdrawal from south Lebanon and transfer control of all weapons to the Lebanese Army, as per a cease-fire agreement reached after last year's war between Hezbollah and Israel. Macron made this statement during a joint news conference with newly elected Lebanese President Joseph Aoun at the Presidential Palace in Baabda, southeast of Beirut.
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2025/01/17/lebanon-Macron-Guterres-Lebanon-Israel/8151737135382/French President Emmanuel Macron is set to visit Lebanon as part of an effort to promote the country's sovereignty and push for economic reforms. The trip aims to secure international confidence in Lebanon, which has been plagued by political instability. Macron has also spoken with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ahead of his visit, seeking Riyadh's support for Lebanon's government. French officials are optimistic that Saudi Arabia will provide financial aid and equipment to bolster the Lebanese Armed Forces, which plan to strengthen their presence across the country and take control of southern Lebanon as part of a 60-day truce with Israel.
https://www.brecorder.com/news/40343207/emmanuel-macron-heads-to-lebanon-to-push-sovereignty-reforms-amid-new-hopeFrench President Emmanuel Macron and UN chief António Guterres have urged Israeli forces to withdraw from south Lebanon, in support of Lebanon's new leaders after a two-year political stalemate was ended with the election of a new president and prime minister-designate. The visits come as a deadline for Israel to fully implement a ceasefire deal approaches, which includes the withdrawal of Israeli forces and the Lebanese Army taking control of positions currently held by UN peacekeepers. Macron met Lebanon's new president, Joseph Aoun, and announced that Paris would host an international reconstruction conference for Lebanon in the coming weeks. Guterres also called on Israel to withdraw its forces, citing violations of a UN Security Council resolution, and revealed that over 100 weapons caches belonging to Hezbollah or other armed groups had been found in south Lebanon since the ceasefire was implemented.
https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2025/01/17/french-president-emmanuel-macron-and-un-chief-antonio-guterres-visit-lebanon/EU leaders have expressed their commitment to strengthening ties with the US, citing the benefits of a united front between Europe and the US. However, this stance may be put to the test as some analysts believe that Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni may attempt to exploit divisions between the two entities in order to secure concessions from the US. This is based on comments made by Giulio Pugliese, director of the EU-Asia Project at the European University Institute, who suggests that Meloni may use her relationship with the Trump administration as a bargaining chip.
https://channelnewsasia.com/world/eu-european-union-usa-donald-trump-presidency-protectionist-4866976Mexico is joining forces with Canada to counter the economic measures imposed by US President Donald Trump. The two countries are strengthening their business and trade ties in an effort to mitigate the effects of Trump's tariffs on Mexico and Canada. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum met with Canadian businessmen to discuss ways to strengthen their relationship and oppose the US tariff measures, which are set to be reviewed in 2026 as part of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). The meeting is a sign that both countries are taking steps to defend the agreement.
https://www.firstpost.com/world/mexico-canada-join-hands-to-tackle-trump-tariff-plan-if-executed-cutting-off-energy-supply-an-option-13853711.htmlMexico and the European Union announced a revised trade agreement that aims to increase trade and investment between the two parties, just before Donald Trump's inauguration as US President. The deal will reduce tariffs on agri-food imports from Europe into Mexico, remove barriers for European companies investing in Mexico, and boost Mexican exports of raw materials such as fluorspar, antimony, copper, zinc, and lead. This updated agreement, which has been in place for 25 years, also seeks to enhance cooperation between the two parties on key geopolitical issues.
https://apnews.com/article/mexico-european-union-trade-trump-auto-agriculture-tariffs-45f7a48e4771517c23fe1941c8b48150