Axios

French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday told Chinese President Xi Jinping he was counting on him to “bring Russia to its senses." For now, Macron's top priority is convincing Xi not to send Russia arms, a French official tells Axios.

Why it matters: Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen met Xi in Beijing in what the BBC dubbed a “good cop, bad cop” act. The more hawkish von der Leyen arrived fresh off a major speech on “de-risking” Europe’s relations with China, while Macron brought 53 deal-seeking business leaders along on his three-day visit.

The U.S. acknowledged its evacuations from Afghanistan in 2021 should have begun sooner — but largely blamed the Trump administration, according to a newly released National Security Council document outlining key moments.

Why it matters: The chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan in summer 2021 — a pain point in Biden's presidency that's drawn bipartisan criticism — has also become a growing target of GOP-led congressional investigations.

Seeking asylum in the United States is a codified right — but immigrant advocates say it's been severely restricted.

The big picture: A string of policies aimed at reducing irregular migration, both by President Trump and now President Biden, have made it much harder for people fleeing persecution to seek safety in the U.S. if they come through the southern border.

The effects of climate change, violence, political instability and economic strife across Latin America and the Caribbean are forcing millions of people to migrate.

The big picture: Not only are more people coming to the U.S., they're also migrating more within Latin America and beyond the cities that have long drawn migrants.

Migrants are increasingly making treacherous journeys from faraway nations to seek asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border, including from China, India and Russia.

Why it matters: This has complicated an already chaotic situation at the border, with authorities now contending with new language barriers and countries that do not cooperate with U.S. deportation efforts.

Migration through the Americas has radically changed over the past decade, yet U.S. immigration laws remain stuck in the last century, with a patchwork of policies to address a growing humanitarian crisis at the southern border.

Driving the news: On May 11, the Biden administration is expected to end the Title 42 pandemic policy, which has allowed immigration authorities to rapidly turn back hundreds of thousands of people without giving them a chance for asylum.

Permanently moving to the U.S. was once as easy as getting on a ship or strolling across a border.

Today, most lawful means of entering the country take years because of overwhelmed immigration agencies, rising levels of global migration and a limit on the number of certain visas, all of which have culminated in a massive backlog of people trying to get to the U.S.

China's embassy in Washington, D.C., warned members of Congress in an email to not meet with Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen on Wednesday, calling the prospect "a blatant provocation."

Driving the news: The four-page email, sent Tuesday from Li Xiang, the embassy's liaison to Congress, warned of consequences if the meetings between lawmakers and Tsai took place.

BEIRUT — Lebanon's spiraling economy is threatening the stability of the military and security services, as current and retired security personnel see the value of their salaries and pensions plummet.

Why it matters: Without adequate salaries, soldiers have taken second jobs or, in some cases, deserted their ranks, threatening Lebanon’s security. The army serves as a stabilizing force to police the country’s sectarian feuds, and it's long been a critical partner for the U.S. as it's able to function as a counterweight to the Iran-backed armed group Hezbollah.

UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed (MBZ) appointed his eldest son Khaled as crown prince last week, elevating him above an older generation of senior royals and ending the uncertainty about the kingdom's line of succession.

Why it matters: It took MBZ 10 months to announce this decision after succeeding his late half-brother last May, suggesting he needed time to build internal consensus and reach an understanding with his five full brothers, some of whom were perceived as potential candidates for the crown prince position.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters Wednesday that he has "no doubt" that Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich has been wrongfully detained by Russia.

Driving the news: Russian authorities detained Gershkovich last week on spying charges, marking the first time Russia has detained a U.S. journalist on espionage charges since the Cold War.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) met with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen in California on Wednesday despite warnings from Beijing that the meeting would provoke "severe confrontation" with the U.S.

Why it matters: China views any gesture that seems to treat Taiwan as an independent country as an affront, and responded to a visit to Taipei last year by then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi by holding massive military drills around Taiwan and firing a missile over the island.

A statement Gen. Mark Milley, the chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, made during a House hearing last week on Iran's nuclear program alarmed Israeli defense and intelligence officials to the point they protested and asked the Biden administration for clarifications, four Israeli officials told Axios.

Driving the news: Milley, testifying before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, said that the U.S. "remains committed as a matter of policy that Iran will not have a fielded nuclear weapon." The word "fielded" created the impression among Israeli officials that the U.S. had changed its policy on Iran and would tolerate Tehran having a nuclear weapons program, the four sources said.

The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and Iran will meet on Thursday in Beijing under the auspices of their Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in another significant step in resuming full diplomatic relations between the two regional adversaries, according to Iranian and Saudi press reports.

Why it matters: The meeting is part of a wider wave of normalization between the Saudi-led camp and the Iranian axis in the Middle East in recent months in an effort to de-escalate tensions and end regional conflicts, including the war in Yemen.

Tensions at Jerusalem's Haram al-Sharif compound, also known as the Temple Mount, exploded Tuesday night when Israeli police raided the area to remove Palestinians who had barricaded themselves inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

The big picture: The violent confrontation, which took place in the middle of the holy month of Ramadan and on Passover eve, was reminiscent of the events that led to the last war in Gaza in May 2011. It also comes despite massive efforts to lessen tensions in the region.