


Zelensky, Trump and Putin may all have done a U-turn on elections in Ukraine
Preparations are underway for a presidential vote, though many doubt they can be done in wartime
THE PREMIERE on February 28th of a new staging of “Macbeth” at the venerable Franko theatre in Kyiv was initially eclipsed by the diplomatic disaster unfolding the same day between Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump in the White House. Since then the production has become the talk of the city’s elite. Ivan Urivsky, the director, says he decided to put on the tragedy after sensing a change in the country’s mood since Mr Trump’s election four months earlier. He had wanted to stage “Midsummer Night’s Dream”, a comedy, he says: “But you can’t do theatre without thinking about politics, war or the people watching.” His viewers are drawing parallels between Shakespeare’s characters and current events. For some, Macbeth resembles the bloodthirsty dictator in Moscow. For others the story of ambition, power and treachery feels closer to home.
Explore more

A fight over a cloister in tourist-filled Florence
Augustinian friars are protesting against a redevelopment plan

The prospect of war has turned Europe into a continent of preppers
Could you survive 72 hours without outside food, water or electricity?

Ukrainian refugees may be in Europe for good
The war may end on terms too dangerous to lure them home
Trump is driving American scientists into Europe’s arms
But the continent will have to invest more to lure top talent
Russia plays for time in Ukraine ceasefire talks
A Black Sea deal starts sinking as soon as America announces it
Protests are the last thing keeping Turkey’s democracy alive
America and Europe have offered President Erdogan little resistance