Thursday Briefing: Ukraine Agrees to a Strike Pause

Ukraine agreed to halt strikes on energy sites

President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine agreed yesterday to Russia’s offer of a mutual pause in attacks on energy targets for 30 days as a step toward a broader cease-fire. He discussed the pause during a phone call with President Trump, who described the conversation as “very good.”

The two leaders spoke a day after Trump’s conversation with Vladimir Putin, Russia’s leader. It was the first time Trump and Zelensky had spoken since their disastrous Oval Office meeting last month.

Zelensky called the conversation “positive, very substantive and frank,” making clear that he had thanked Trump for America’s support.

Trump also floated the idea that the U.S. could take control of Ukrainian power plants — an idea that Ukrainian energy experts said was probably unworkable. Technical teams will meet in Saudi Arabia “in the coming days,” a White House statement said. They will discuss broadening the pause to cover activity in the Black Sea, “on the way to a full cease-fire.”

An agreement would allow the country to help build European fighter jets and other equipment at its own industrial facilities.

The goal is to strengthen the E.U. defense industry and offer Canada a credible alternative to the U.S., according to officials with direct knowledge of the talks. Canada’s new leader, Prime Minister Mark Carney, this week made Paris and London the destinations of his first overseas trip since taking office on Friday, calling Canada “the most European of non-European countries.”

Background: Canada has been a regular U.S. contractor, and its factories produce munitions, tanks, aircraft, technological defense systems and navy ships. A 2022 review found that the top destination of its military equipment, by far, was the U.S.

What’s next: The initiative and partnership will take years to bear fruit. E.U. defense has been falling behind because of U.S. dominance and underinvestment, a dire situation that has become more apparent after the drive to arm Ukraine depleted the arsenals of E.U. members.

Israel seized part of a central corridor in Gaza

Yesterday, Israeli forces took over parts of a major corridor that divides Gaza, in the most significant ground operation since the collapse of a cease-fire with Hamas.

The military said soldiers had begun “targeted ground activities” along the road, known as the Netzarim Corridor, to create a “partial buffer zone” in the territory between the north and south.

Context: Israel has not returned to a full-scale war in Gaza, but, by stepping up attacks, Israeli leaders appeared to be trying to force Hamas to agree to more favorable terms for a settlement.

In Jerusalem, thousands of Israeli protesters called for a renewed cease-fire.

Photos from the Gaza strikes: A cease-fire spared Palestinians the task of identifying bodies. Our photographers captured this grim return to the past.

• Soccer: Liverpool is heading for a summer transfer overhaul despite its impending Premier League championship win.

• Tennis: A lawsuit led by Novak Djokovic is threatening to rock tennis to its core. We broke down the details.

• Golf: The upcoming Masters has the chance to be the biggest opportunity of Rory McIlroy’s remarkable, yet frustrating, career.

MORNING READ

In Paraswara, a village in a rural corner of India, 12 men were sworn in this month to form a local government. A video of the ceremony went viral and caused a scandal because half of those men hadn’t been elected — their wives had.

The sidelining of women in rural Indian politics is nothing new, but some are starting to push back against “boss husbands.”

Lives lived: Anthony Dolan, who as Ronald Reagan’s chief speechwriter deployed the phrase “evil empire” in 1983 to describe the Soviet Union, died at 76.

A gorgeous digital window into feudal Japan

Open-world video games tend to have a central story, augmented with mostly extraneous side quests and hidden areas. Assassin’s Creed Shadows, which takes place in 16th-century Japan, reverses the formula. Here, the story takes a back seat to historical renderings that are as accurate as you’ll find without airfare.

As players step into the shoes of an African-born samurai and a young ninja on a tour of vengeance, the plot is outshone by the game’s fascinating picture of this vibrant era. The game comes out today in most countries. Read our review.