It’s hard to think of anything more ominous than Russian President Vladimir Putin offering you his “assistance” so you can “resolve the problems” that are keeping you busy. But that’s what Putin has just promised to Alexander Lukashenko, the embattled and apparently fading dictator of Belarus. As the post-Soviet state, wedged awkwardly between the European Union and Nato on one ...

After the euro-zone crisis, Spain emerged as a sort of model for how the monetary union’s more fragile nations might prosper. The economy expanded steadily as tight labour laws were loosened, and investors flocked to Madrid, pushing its government bond yields well below Italy’s. Subsequently, Spain strengthened its political clout in the European Union, challenging Italy’s position as the third-most ...

A new US edict limiting Huawei Technologies Co’s access to technology is more than just an incremental measure against the Chinese telecommunications giant. It threatens to kill the company, which invites retaliation from Beijing. In May, the administration of President Donald Trump mandated that manufacturers globally couldn’t use American technology to produce chips designed by Huawei. At first, that also ...