Friday Briefing: The E.U.’s Ukraine aid deal

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February 2, 2024

By Amelia Nierenberg Writer, Briefings

Good morning. We’re covering the E.U.’s multibillion-dollar fund for Ukraine and new U.S. sanctions on Israeli settlers.

Plus, a preview of the Grammy Awards.

Ukraine is facing one of its most difficult moments since Russia’s invasion. Tyler Hicks/The New York Times

The E.U. reached a Ukraine aid deal

The E.U. reached a multiyear funding deal for Ukraine worth about $54 billion yesterday, providing a critical lifeline for the country. President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked his neighbors and quickly nodded to a $60 billion aid package languishing in the U.S. Congress.

Europe’s commitment, Zelensky said, would “send a signal across the Atlantic.”

With U.S. funding for Ukraine held up in Congress, the breakthrough deal is especially significant. For Ukraine, it means stability and assurance as it continues to fight a grinding war. And for the E.U., it demonstrated leaders’ resolve to stand united against Russia.

Details: The E.U.’s breakthrough came after Viktor Orban, Hungary’s prime minister and a close ally of Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, dropped his opposition. Orban has long made himself an antagonist of the E.U.

What’s next: The European Parliament plans to vote on the fund, possibly this month. Ukraine urgently needs the money, which is set to last through 2027, to keep basic services running.

Related: Russia plans to seize the property of antiwar citizens who live abroad. It is urging other countries to crack down on them as well.

Many Arab Americans are frustrated with President Biden’s handling of the war in Gaza. Doug Mills/The New York Times

Biden imposed sanctions on Israeli settlers

President Biden ordered broad travel and financial sanctions on Israeli settlers accused of attacking Palestinians in the West Bank. His executive order appeared to be aimed, in part, at appeasing Arab American voters who are furious with his backing of Israel in the war in Gaza.

The move cuts settlers off from the U.S. financial system as well as from any assets they have in the U.S., and prevents them from traveling to America. It goes further than a directive issued in December by the State Department, which imposed visa bans on dozens of settlers who have committed acts of violence in the West Bank.

Context: The violent actions by Israeli settlers are meant to drive Palestinians from their homes, and reached a record level before the Oct. 7 attacks. They have accelerated since then.

A Times visual analysis: Israeli ground forces have carried out a wave of controlled demolitions that have razed entire neighborhoods in Gaza.

Music from artists like Ariana Grande has vanished from TikTok. Chad Batka for The New York Times

TikTok lost Taylor Swift and other music artists

Many TikTok videos using songs by stars like Taylor Swift, Lana Del Rey and Drake Grande have gone silent. That’s because of a public dispute between the platform and Universal Music Group, the world’s largest music company.

Earlier in the week, Universal Music published a letter to TikTok, saying the company hadn’t adequately addressed concerns over A.I.-generated music on the platform or agreed to a satisfactory royalty rate. The record company, whose deal with TikTok expired on Wednesday, said it would revoke its licenses if an agreement wasn’t reached. The deadline came and went. TikTok confirmed yesterday that it had begun removing songs.

The endless scroll: After only a few years, scrolling TikTok’s seemingly infinite bounty of charms has come to more closely resemble rummaging in a junk drawer.

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Around the World

President Biden’s campaign has ramped up its hiring as the general election approaches. Erin Schaff/The New York Times

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The Week in Culture

Amelia Earhart with her plane in 1937.

A Morning Read

The legal fight has come to symbolize a larger war between the bullfighting tradition and evolving views on animal cruelty.  Luis Antonio Rojas for The New York Times

Bullfighting is in limbo in La Plaza México, the world’s largest arena dedicated to the sport, in Mexico City. A legal ruling recently brought the fights back after a nearly two-year ban, only for a different judge to crack down on Wednesday in response to an animal rights petition.

Lives lived: Jack Jennings was a British P.O.W. during World War II who worked as a slave laborer on the Burma Railway, which inspired “The Bridge on the River Kwai.” He died at 104.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times.

Taylor Swift is admired among Grammy voters for both her music and her advocacy for creators’ rights. Jutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York Times

A Grammys preview

The 66th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday are poised to be a celebration of a dominant year for women in pop music. SZA, Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo and Billie Eilish are facing off in the major categories. Here’s what we’ve got our eye on:

A swift sweep: If Swift’s “Midnights” wins, she’ll become the first four-time champ in the album of the year category. But while Grammy voters love a success story, they could rebel at any perceived idea that they have to anoint a star — or that sales and fame alone should determine excellence.

Making history: SZA’s “SOS” is widely seen by critics as a strong contender for album of the year. She could be the first Black woman to take that award in 25 years, since Lauryn Hill for “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.”

Spoiler alert: Upsets are as much a part of the night as awkward stage pairings and cutoff speeches. The top candidates for an upset this year are the indie group boygenius and Jon Batiste, the only male performer on the ballot in the top categories.

Linda Xiao for The New York Times

Cook: Jazz up the weekend with an easy chocolate fondue.

Read: Explore Alice Munro’s work.

Watch: “Gilmore Girls,” which ended in 2007, has kept its small-town charm.

Search: Try Perplexity, an A.I.-powered search engine that our columnist prefers to Google.

Exercise: It might look silly to crawl around like a crab, but it’s a serious workout.

Wear: Stylists offer tips for millennials trying to navigate the wild world of Gen Z style.

Play Spelling Bee, the Mini Crossword, Wordle and Sudoku. Find all our games here.

That’s it for today’s briefing. Have a nice weekend! — Amelia

We welcome your feedback. Send us your suggestions at briefing@nytimes.com.

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