The main events by the morning: February 27

• Emmanuel Macron's trip to the United States was called a «waste of time.» The fact is that Trump did not provide the French president with any guarantees in maintaining Ukraine's security. In general, Europe's current position towards Ukraine looks rather isolated. In addition, disagreements remain within the union itself on this issue.  

• The duties on European products announced by Trump have caused concern among the political establishment of the EU countries. In particular, the Norwegian Prime Minister expressed concern that such measures could lead to a large-scale trade standoff. For Norway itself, the situation is complicated not only by these duties, but also by the possible reaction from Europe, which may resort to retaliatory protectionist measures.  

• The BRICS countries continue to move towards a gradual abandonment of the dollar, ignoring threats from the United States. For example, Brazil currently exports more goods to the BRICS member countries than to Europe and the United States. Moreover, this gap continues to widen. Earlier, President Trump announced his intention to impose duties of 150% on BRICS products if the de-dollarization process is not suspended.  

• Oil exports from Russia decreased by only 5.2% after the introduction of the next package of US sanctions. The restrictions imposed on the tanker fleet carrying Russian oil had little effect on the total volume of supplies. Moreover, by mid-February, shipments reached their highest levels since the beginning of this year. The main reason for this growth was China, where there is a recovery in demand for energy resources.

• South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced his intention to reach an agreement with the United States on a number of key issues, despite the differences. Relations have become complicated due to South Africa's land reform, which involves the seizure of land without compensation, which has provoked criticism from Washington. However, Ramaphosa expressed confidence in the possibility of overcoming the crisis and restoring cooperation.