Laura Tingle

Something has now been unleashed in Europe which is going to be hard to put back in the bottle.

A detailed look at the 28-point plan — as it has been reported — shows some very minor concessions to Russia. But it mostly contains all the same points that have always been made with more or less force by Moscow. 

The European Union will ask the United States to establish a "steel union" of higher tariffs and tighter import restrictions — which could have knock-on effects in Australia's steel sector — at crucial talks in Brussels on Monday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is under pressure to agree to a peace deal, while US President Donald Trump faces domestic blowback over his foreign policy decisions.

Europe is pouring resources into military production and coordination which will impact its agency as well as that of the United States.

A breakthrough in long-stalled negotiations over a free trade deal between Australia and the European Union could come as soon as this weekend, sources have told the ABC.

As what's happening in Trump's America dominates our attention there is a lot going on, mostly involving everyone else around the world refashioning their politics in an environment that has never seemed more uncertain.

It is not US President Donald Trump who represents the biggest political threat to the BBC, but a leaked 8,000-word letter of complaint to the broadcaster's board motivated by "despair at inaction".

European leaders now feel a very existential threat from Russia but it seems their own problems at home are constraining them from doing anything about it.

The South-East Asian nation has been in the spotlight this week after hosting the ASEAN summit, which was attended by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and US President Donald Trump.

The unintended consequences of Donald Trump's tariffs may be the exact opposite of what was intended: closer links between ASEAN countries and China, and the creation of an even bigger manufacturing hub in south-east Asia.

Trump's remarks downplaying the threat of confrontation over Taiwan are highly significant for Australia. They should also shift the tone of much of the strategic discussion among China hawks on the prospects of imminent war.

All signs suggest Anthony Albanese will be sticking with Plan A in his meeting with the US president on Tuesday, rather than becoming a prop for the bigger global circus.

Donald Trump's unconventional and often haphazard approach to diplomacy means there are countless questions about what has driven him to date, and what might determine whether he stays engaged in the Middle East peace process in the future. 

On Wednesday, Donald Trump proclaimed his Middle East peace deal an "amazing thing". By week's end, things were not as straightforward as they seemed.

The Gulf, along with Israel, will be wondering just how far Donald Trump really is prepared to push Benjamin Netanyahu.

The world's most powerful people are meeting in New York this week. Here are the key takeaways from the UN summit's second day. 

Outlining China's new carbon targets in a video link to the UN climate conference in New York, President Xi Jinping says "green and low carbon transition is the trend of our time".

Ukraine's president calls for global action to regulate the twin threats posed by drone technology and artificial intelligence, warning "no-one can feel safe" from Russia's expansionist goals.

The prime minister is expected to travel to Washington to hold talks with the US president on October 20. 

Australia's formally recognised the State of Palestine, making the declaration alongside allies the United Kingdom and Canada. 

While the Israel Defense Forces bomb Gaza and bulldoze the West Bank for settlements, moves to recognise Palestine in pursuit of a two-state solution may appear like something of a sick joke. 

The UN's role in areas beyond diplomacy, such as in humanitarian aid and refugees, cultural heritage, health, and climate, are all under assault from savage budget cuts. 

In the Middle East and in Europe, political leaders are making their own arrangements in the absence of US leadership.

The ABC's Global Affairs Editor Laura Tingle believes Israel's airstrikes on US ally Qatar prove Donald Trump and his administration have no influence over Israel.