Axios

The U.S. voted against a UN resolution Monday condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine, siding with Moscow and other non-democratic countries like North Korea, Belarus and Sudan.

Why it matters: The Trump administration has found itself increasingly isolated on the world stage as it seeks to broker peace on the third anniversary of the war in Ukraine.

More than just "a big, beautiful Ocean," in President Trump's words, separates the U.S. from its European allies on the third anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The big picture: The Trump administration has cast a shadow of doubt not only across embattled Kyiv, but across an entire continent that has trusted the U.S. for decades as its most powerful protector and partner.

The U.S. and Ukraine are closing in on minerals agreement worth hundreds of billions of dollars under which the U.S. would express its desire to keep Ukraine "free, sovereign and secure," according to a draft obtained by Axios.

Why it matters: The Trump administration sees the agreement as a way to get a return on U.S. investment in Ukraine, which has vast untapped mineral wealth. Ukrainian officials see the deal as a way to halt the deterioration of relations with the Trump administration and establish a longer-term partnership with the U.S.

The war for AI dominance is playing out on a global stage, sparking a heated debate about technological supremacy versus national ideology.

Why it matters: As U.S. companies, including Scale AI, ply their wares to foreign governments and corporations, they're increasingly aware that being American is no longer necessarily an absolute advantage.

Pope Francis' 10th night in the hospital "went well," according a brief Monday update from the Vatican.

The big picture: But the Vatican did not provide any information on whether the 88-year-old Catholic church leader's health has improved.

Three years into Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia is making only small-scale advances on the battlefield but has the upper hand both militarily and diplomatically.

The big picture: Russia has superior manpower and firepower, particularly with U.S. military support in question. President Trump has further tightened the vise with his initial approach to peace talks.

Germany's CDU/CSU conservative alliance won Sunday's general election and the Elon Musk-endorsed far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party came second, preliminary results show.

The big picture: Friedrich Merz, of the center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU), is set to become Germany's chancellor and he's indicated that Europe's biggest economy and the largest EU member intends to move away from the U.S. once coalition talks have concluded.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday he's "ready" to "give up" his leadership in exchange for peace in his nation or Kyiv becoming a member of NATO.

The big picture: Zelensky made the comments on the eve of the third anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, as U.S. and Russian officials hold talks on the war ahead of a possible summit between President Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

The Trump administration moved Sunday to fire some 2,000 U.S. Agency for International Development workers and place most others on administrative leave, according to an email the agency sent to staff.

The big picture: The action that's set to take effect on Sunday just before midnight comes days after a federal judge permitted the administration to move ahead with the mass firings and continue the DOGE-led dismantling of the large-scale operation at what was the world's largest humanitarian aid organization.