Russia expropriates companies, Trump pushes ahead with peace agreement and economy under pressure worldwide

Russia has placed the US company Glavprodukt under state control by decree - similar to Danish and Finnish companies previously. Western companies are hoping for Trump's possible easing of sanctions, but Moscow continues to expropriate foreign and domestic companies. New laws could use Western property as compensation for frozen Russian assets.

US President Trump and Ukrainian President Selenskiy plan to sign an agreement on Friday granting the US access to Ukraine's mineral resources. In return, 50% of the revenue will flow into a joint reconstruction fund. However, Ukraine will not receive any security guarantees. Trump is seeking a quick end to the war and better relations with Russia, which is causing concern in Europe.

China wants to boost consumption, but subsidies to date have only had a short-term effect. Experts are calling for higher social benefits and reforms to promote sustainable economic growth. However, there are no major changes in sight - Beijing could opt for more debt instead.

US President Donald Trump announces 25% tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada and an additional 10% on Chinese imports from March 4. The reason for this is insufficient progress in curbing fentanyl smuggling. While Mexico is increasingly extraditing drug traffickers, China has so far shown little willingness to negotiate. Trump's hard line could lead to trade conflicts and economic risks.

A federal judge in California has stopped the Trump administration's order to carry out mass redundancies at US federal agencies. Thousands of newly hired employees would have been affected. The measure is part of Trump and Elon Musk's plans to drastically reduce bureaucracy and save 1 trillion dollars in the US budget. Unions and Democrats have criticized the layoffs as illegal and dangerous to government functions.

Gene Hackman (95) and his wife Betsy Arakawa (64) were found dead in their home in Santa Fe, New Mexico. One of the couple's dogs also died. The cause of death is still unclear, but it is not suspected to be due to any other cause. Authorities are still investigating possible gas or carbon monoxide leaks. Hackman, a two-time Oscar winner, was known for roles in films such as “The French Connection” and “Unforgiven”.

Cryptocurrencies fell sharply after Trump's election victory. Bitcoin lost 21 %, Ether over 40 %, and Trump's own “meme coin” plummeted by 80 %. Analysts do not expect a recovery until there are clear signals such as interest rate cuts or pro-crypto regulation.

A measles outbreak in Texas led to one death and nearly 20 hospitalizations, highlighting the risks of vaccine critics. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. downplayed the outbreak, while health experts urged vaccination. All affected children were unvaccinated. Health authorities emphasize the importance of measles vaccination to prevent further cases.

The conservative parties and the SPD will begin talks on Friday to form a coalition government. Friedrich Merz is aiming to reach an agreement by April 20. The talks could be complicated by differences on issues such as migration and the economy. A coalition agreement between the CDU and SPD is the only option to form a government without including the AfD.

Mexico has extradited 29 drug lords to the USA after Trump threatened to impose tariffs. Among those extradited are Rafael Caro Quintero and Antonio Oseguera Cervantes. The move is intended to help combat fentanyl trafficking and avoid trade routes.

Vietnam has agreed to support a faster repatriation of Vietnamese nationals detained in the US after the US threatened trade tariffs and visa sanctions. The country will now respond to deportation requests in 30 days, which is a significant acceleration compared to before. Vietnam changed its stance after the US threatened punitive measures to take back illegal migrants.

Öcalan's call for a ceasefire and dissolution of the PKK could end the 40-year conflict with Turkey. He is calling on the PKK to disarm, which is seen as an opportunity for peace. Erdogan could benefit politically from this. Whether the PKK will heed the call remains unclear, as counter-demands are to be expected. A genuine peace process also requires political reforms and the inclusion of Kurdish society.

US President Trump expressed optimism about a possible ceasefire in the Ukraine war, saying it could be achieved “soon” or “not at all”. However, British Prime Minister Starmer warned that a peace that rewards the aggressor would be dangerous. Trump expressed his willingness to negotiate, but rejected military assurances. At the same time, he spoke out in favor of higher defense spending and reaffirmed the NATO alliance. Talks with Ukrainian President Zelenskyi on a raw materials agreement to support Ukraine were also expected.

The CDU/CSU and SPD begin exploratory talks today. Friedrich Merz wants to be able to form a government by Easter. To achieve this goal, the talks should begin as soon as possible. The exact topics are not yet known. (HB)

Hundreds of savers were sold a safe investment, then suddenly a lot of money was gone: The open-ended real estate fund “Uni Immo Wohnen ZBI” misrepresented its risk, a court has ruled. The ruling could have a signal effect for the entire industry, which is worth billions. (SZ)

Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, the founders of - that's right - Ben & Jerry's, are negotiating a buyback of the brand from Unilever at a valuation of several billion dollars. Cohen and Greenfield are currently in dispute with the parent company because Unilever has banned them from publicly criticizing Donald Trump. (BBG)

• DAX: Weakened yesterday - also due to tariff announcements from the USA (MM)
• Labor market study: Immigrants indispensable in many sectors (TAG)
• Baywa: Crisis agribusiness group has new CEO (HB)
• SAP boss Klein: Earned €19 million in 2024 (MM)
• René Benko: Real estate investor remains in custody (SPG)
• USA: Increasing China tariffs - and now introducing tariffs against Canada and Mexico after all (FT)
• China & US listings: China restricts IPOs of local companies in the US (FT)
• Amazon: Overhauling Alexa with AI (CNBC)
• Tencent: China tech giant wants to outdo DeeSeek with new turbo AI (HB)
• Nissan: Plans CEO change after failed Honda merger talks (BBG)