Axios

China accused the U.S. violating the trade deal that the world's two largest economies signed last month and vowed to take "resolute and forceful measures," per a briefing on Monday morning local time.

Why it matters: It's the latest sign of deteriorating relations between the two nations since their Switzerland meeting last month led to a deal to lower tariffs on each other for 90 days while they negotiated on trade.

President Trump claimed Monday that the U.S. won't allow Iran to enrich uranium under a potential nuclear deal.

Why it matters: Trump's claim contradicts the proposal his envoy Steve Witkoff made to Iran on Saturday, the details of which were reported by Axios on Monday. The question is whether Trump will stick to that red line or show more flexibility to secure a deal than his statement suggests.

A man accused of throwing Molotov cocktails at demonstrators advocating for Hamas to release its hostages has been charged with a federal hate crime, as the number of injured rose to 12, Boulder District Attorney Michael Dougherty said Monday.

The big picture: No victims died as of Monday afternoon following the Sunday attack in Boulder, Colorado, which is being investigated as terrorism, local police said. Multiple people were left with burns and at least two remain in the hospital, according to local authorities.

MAGA influencers warned of dark forces at play — and the risk of dangerous escalation — as Ukraine celebrated a historic drone operation targeting Russia's bombing fleet.

Why it matters: President Trump has not publicly commented so far on Ukraine's stunning "Spiderweb" operation, in which more than 100 drones infiltrated air bases deep inside Russia and destroyed nuclear-capable bombers.

An attack in Boulder, Colorado, near a rally calling for the release of Hamas-held hostages in Gaza left eight people injured on Sunday in an attack that the FBI is investigating as terrorism, officials said.

The big picture: A suspect was taken into custody after witnesses reported that a man with "a makeshift flamethrower" yelling "free Palestine" threw an incendiary device into the crowd" during the attack, FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek said at a Sunday evening briefing.

Ukraine over the weekend unleashed more than 100 drones on Russian military sites thousands of miles away from the front lines — a clandestine operation some have compared to Japan's surprise assault on Pearl Harbor.

Why it matters: The coordinated attacks, code-named "Spiderweb," are a serious blow to Moscow's reputation and materiel. They also comprise one of the most audacious moves in recent warfare.

Some six months after South Korea was cast into a constitutional crisis by a stunning declaration of martial law, the nation will head to the polls Tuesday.

The big picture: The election in many ways will be a referendum on impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol and his party, as whoever wins will be tasked with mending a divided South Korea after months of turbulence.

Editor's note: Read the latest on the Iran nuclear deal talks here.

The nuclear deal proposal the U.S. gave Iran on Saturday would allow limited low-level uranium enrichment on Iranian soil for a to-be-determined period of time, Axios has learned, contradicting public statements from top officials.

Why it matters: White House envoy Steve Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have said publicly that the U.S. will not allow Iran to enrich uranium and will demand the full dismantlement of Iran's nuclear facilities. The secret proposal shows far more flexibility on both points.

President Trump used Sunday night's attack in Boulder, Colorado, to tout his administration's anti-immigration policies and bash former President Biden.

The big picture: The suspect entered the U.S. and sought asylum during Biden's term, but he's currently staying in the country illegally, per the Department of Homeland Security.

Celebrations of Juneteenth, the new federal holiday that honors the emancipation of enslaved people in Texas, are growing amid a general backlash on civil rights and discussions on racism.

Why it matters: Like Pride, companies are pulling back of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives around race, and the Trump administration reinterprets Civil Rights-era laws to focus on "anti-white racism."

Russia presented Ukraine with a "peace memo" on Monday stating its terms for a ceasefire and peace deal, though the Russian position effectively remains unchanged, a Ukrainian official told Axios.

Why it matters: The delegations met in Istanbul for a second round of peace talks a day after Ukraine conducted a stunning drone attack deep inside Russian territory.

The two most durable and decisive geopolitical topics of the 2020s are fully merging into one existential threat: China and AI supremacy.

• Put simply, America either maintains its economic and early AI advantages, or faces the possibility of a world dominated by communist China.

Why it matters: This is the rare belief shared by both President Trump and former President Biden — oh, and virtually every person studying the geopolitical chessboard.

U.S. trade policy is making China great again — at the United States' expense, per an analysis from Morning Consult that looks at global favorability ratings, and finds China's rising while America's falls.

Why it matters: The drop in America's reputation is already costing the country economically — through a fall in foreign visitors turned off by White House policies, and even the decline of the dollar.

The big picture: There's potential for more damage:

• "As views of the United States worsen, trade and investment opportunities for American firms doing business overseas may also diminish as consumers shun the products and job opportunities they provide," writes Jason McMann, head of political intelligence at Morning Consult.
• There's also concern about a specific provision buried in the Republican tax bill that could reduce demand for U.S. assets, plus worries over losses from banning foreign students studying in the country.

The latest: America's favorability started edging up a smidge after the president agreed to slash tariffs on China earlier in May (see the chart above).

• But on Friday, Trump said China "totally violated the deal," all but blowing up the fragile detente.

By the numbers: As of the end of May, China had an 8.8 net favorability rating, compared to -1.5 for the U.S., according to favorability data for last month provided exclusively to Axios by Morning Consult.

• In January 2024, the U.S. rating was above 20 and China was in negative territory.

How it works: The data tracks net favorability ratings, or the share of respondents with a positive view of a country minus those with a negative view.

• Morning Consult surveyed adults in 41 countries including Canada, France, Japan, Russia and the U.K.

Zoom out: The U.S. had a largely positive reputation last year — but it dropped sharply after President Trump took office.

• "Since January 2025, the overwhelming majority of countries simultaneously exhibit worsening views of the United States and improving views of China," McMann writes.
• "Only in Russia have views of America meaningfully improved."

Meanwhile, China's rating has been negative going back to October 2020, when Morning Consult first began tracking; it started trending into positive terrain after election day last year.

• But most of the country's improvements have come since March — including a sharp tick up after Trump's "Liberation Day" tariff announcements.
• "The reputational damage done by the "Liberation Day" tariff announcements has now sealed the deal," per the report.

What to watch: The president's Truth Social feed.

Apple filed an appeal to the European Commission's specifications around how the company complies with its interoperability requirements, which compel it to share user information with outside developers as part of the Digital Markets Act, per a source familiar with the situation.

Why it matters: Apple continues to push back forcefully against requirements imposed by the DMA, which the company has said forces it to give up its intellectual property and compromise user privacy.