You’ve gotta hand it to Donald Trump — even when you’re expecting him to surprise you, he still surprises you. 

The Unites States president once again caught Europe off guard with his plan to start Ukraine peace talks — after a call with Vladimir Putin. As the post-World War II order veers toward collapse, how many more surprises will it take before European leaders actually do something?

POLITICO’s Veronika Melkozerova, Clea Caulcutt and Koen Verhelst join EU Confidential host Sarah Wheaton to analyze how the EU is managing tensions on trade, tech and security.

But it’s not all breakups: In honor of Valentine’s Day, we’re talking to one of the duos on POLITICO’s list of Brussels Power Couples 2025: Members of the European Parliament Robert Biedroń and Krzysztof Śmiszek, who mix the personal and political in their fight for LGBTQ rights. 

And don’t miss the latest episode of our sister podcast, Power Play. Host Anne McElvoy sits down with Federico Sturzenegger, the right-hand man of Argentina’s president, Javier Milei. They discuss, among other topics, the Mercosur deal. It’s worth a listen, here.

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