The big picture: The Trump administration is investing heavily in financial tools to compel Iran to change its behavior in the region and to negotiate a new nuclear deal consistent with U.S. parameters. Meanwhile, European political leaders are continuing their search for a sanctions-proof financial channel to keep Iran in the current agreement.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has worked behind the scenes for the last year to "open doors" in the Trump administration for Viktor Orban, Hungary's controversial nationalist prime minister, Israeli officials tell me.
Why it matters: Orban, who has been called the "Donald Trump of Europe," leads an ultra-nationalistic government and is working to turn Hungary into what he has termed an "illiberal democracy." Cold relations that had existed between his government and the Obama administration carried forward to the first year under Trump. Israeli officials tell me that when Netanyahu met with Orban in Budapest last July, the Hungarian Prime Minister asked for his help in improving those relations.
Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) is the U.S. Congressman named in Monday's FBI affidavit against Russian national Maria Butina, which alleges Rohrabacher was part of a 2015 delegation that traveled to Moscow and planned to meet with a Russian official widely believed to be Alexander Torshin, reports The Daily Beast.
Why it matters: Torshin, who has been described as a "godfather" in a Russian organized crime syndicate, has been under FBI investigation for potentially funneling money through the NRA to help President Trump win the 2016 election. The notoriously pro-Russia Rohrabacher did not deny being the congressman referenced in the document, but said that the charge against Maria Butina is "bogus," according to Politico.
U.S. military officials said they are expecting to retrieve the remains of up to 55 service members who were killed during the Korean War within two weeks, reports the Washington Post.
Why it matters: “It would be the first time that remains believed to be those of U.S. troops have been directly returned by North Korean officials in 13 years,” the Post notes, citing an official who said the timing and number of remains could change.
While U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May held a lively press conference with President Trump Friday at her country retreat, Michel Barnier, the EU's Brexit point man, was in Washington responding to her Brexit plan.
Between the lines: May is facing an intraparty revolt for allegedly going too "soft" in her plan, but parts of it still look unacceptable from Brussels. Still, EU officials aren't anxious to see May fall, and a "no deal" Brexit would also damage Europe. So can Barnier show a bit of flexibility?
Bookings Holdings, the parent company of travel sites like Priceline and Kayak, has invested $500 million in Chinese ride-hailing giant Didi Chuxing. The companies will also make each other's services available to their respective customers as part of the deal.
Why it matters: Accommodations is a natural extension of Didi Chuxing's ambitions to be more than a service for on-demand car rides, and fits with its ongoing global expansion beyond China.
Russian President Vladimir Putin told Fox News' Chris Wallace Monday that Western efforts to isolate Russia have "failed," and he and President Trump began a "new path" today.
The backdrop: Trump has been pilloried from all sides following today's press conference for seeming side with Russia, rather than the U.S. intelligence community, over election meddling in 2016. Putin reiterated his denials in the Fox News interview, saying, “Do you really believe that someone acting from the Russian territory could have influenced the United States, and influenced the choice of millions of Americans?”
Maria Butina, a Russian national, has been arrested for failing to register with the Attorney General while operating as a foreign agent in the U.S. as part of an effort to infiltrate the NRA, according to the affidavit filed in a U.S. district court.
Why it matters: This shows Russian efforts to meddle in U.S. politics go beyond hacking and social media influence campaigns — it's also about wheeling and dealing with influencers. Butina was also a part of Russian efforts to create a backchannel of communications as part of the campaign, which Russian President Vladimir Putin appears to have approved, according to messages obtained by the FBI.
At his Helsinki summit with President Trump, Vladimir Putin argued for letting bygones be bygones and opening a new era in U.S.–Russia relations, something Trump was happy to embrace. Trump went on to indulge in some unfortunate moral equivalence by stating that both countries bore the blame for the poor state of their relationship.
Why it matters: As was the case in Singapore, Trump exaggerated what had been accomplished at the summit. Indeed, little appeared settled in the way of policy other than perhaps a revival of arms control talks.
In response to President Trump's stunning refusal to back the U.S. intelligence community's assessment of Russia meddling in the U.S. 2016 election while speaking with Russian President Vladimir Putin Monday, Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats said his agency “will continue to provide unvarnished and objective intelligence in support off our national security."
"The role of the Intelligence Community is to provide the best information and fact-based assessments possible for the President and policymakers. We have been clear in our assessments of Russian meddling in the 2016 election and their ongoing, pervasive efforts to undermine our democracy, and we will continue to provide unvarnished and objective intelligence in support of our national security."
President Trump today, at a press conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin, said he didn't see "any reason" why Russia would interfere in the 2016 election, in response to a question on whether he believed Putin or U.S. intelligence agencies.
Our thought bubble from Jonathan Swan in Helsinki: "I just have no words. As press in this room, we are all sitting in here speechless and stunned. Trump cast doubt over the U.S. intelligence community and endorsed Putin’s denial. Trump was given an opportunity to denounce the meddling and he didn’t; he just pivoted to lines about the missing server and Hillary’s emails. While Putin spoke forcefully, lying, Trump nodded along. There’s no way of sugar coating or spinning this."
Jeffrey Tricoli, a senior FBI official who is one of two leaders of an election-meddling task force created last year, has left the agency for a private-sector job at Charles Schwab Corp., the Wall Street Journal’s Dustin Volz reports.
Why it matters: The departure adds to concerns over the effectiveness of the task force in protecting U.S. elections from foreign interference.
President Trump is calling his 2+ hour one-on-one Helsinki meeting with Vladimir Putin “a very, very good start for everybody.”
"I think we have great opportunities together ... and frankly we have not been getting along very well for the last number of years ... I think we will end up having an extraordinary relationship ... Getting along with Russia is a good thing, not a bad thing."
