Morning Briefing: Feb. 12, 2026

ISTANBUL

Here’s a rundown of all the news you need to start your Thursday, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu officially joining the Board of Peace, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan saying Türkiye and Greece should keep dialogue channels open based on cooperation, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying a new round of Russia-Ukraine peace talks is expected to take place next week.

TOP STORIES

• Israeli premier joins Board of Peace ahead of Trump meeting in Washington

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu officially joined the Board of Peace ahead of a meeting with US President Donald Trump in Washington, DC.

Netanyahu signed as a member of the board at Blair House, the US president’s official guest residence, during a meeting with Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

• Türkiye, Greece should keep dialogue channels open as neighbors, allies: President Erdogan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he firmly believes Türkiye and Greece, as neighbors and allies, should keep dialogue channels open based on cooperation.

Addressing a joint press conference after bilateral talks with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis at the Presidential Complex in the capital Ankara, Erdogan said: “Türkiye and Greece are working to raise bilateral trade to $10 billion, up from nearly $7 billion last year.”

Erdogan said they also discussed Ankara's position regarding the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean "openly and sincerely."

• Zelenskyy says new round of Russia-Ukraine peace talks expected for next week

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in remarks published Wednesday that a new and third round of peace talks between his country and Russia is expected to take place next week.

In a phone interview with Bloomberg News on Tuesday, Zelenskyy said the new round of talks is “slated for Tuesday or Wednesday,” though the report noted it is “unclear whether Russia would agree to talks in the US.”

According to the report, a US proposal to set up a free economic zone in the Donbas region as a buffer between Russia and Ukraine will be on the agenda of the expected talks, but Zelenskyy said both Moscow and Kyiv view the proposal with skepticism.

NEWS IN BRIEF

• New Israeli measures in the occupied West Bank mark “a new blow against international law,” the head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees said.
• China conducted a spacecraft safety test featuring a low-altitude flight of its Long March-10 rocket.
• The death toll from last week’s sinking of a vessel carrying hundreds of passengers in the Philippines rose to 52.
• China’s strategic cooperation with Canada reflects equality and inclusiveness, Beijing told the US, responding to threats by President Donald Trump to block a bridge connecting Ontario to Michigan.
• China accused the US of attempting to resume nuclear tests after Washington alleged that Beijing conducted nuclear explosive tests in 2020.
• The EU said Israeli steps giving it greater control over the West Bank are 'incompatible with international law.’
• Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and US President Donald Trump discussed international efforts to reduce escalation and strengthen regional security during a phone call.
• Iran’s top security official said the date of the next round of negotiations with the US remains under review and will be announced later.
• Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for stability and reconciliation in Syria, urging all sides to prioritize unity and avoid actions that could derail prospects for lasting peace.
• Illegal Israeli settlers displaced 15 Palestinian families from their homes in the occupied West Bank.
• Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Europe and Ukraine "raped" the US peace plan that was presented to Russia at a presidential meeting held in Anchorage.
• The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) temporarily halted all flights to and from El Paso, Texas for 10 days.
• A drone strike on a religious school killed one student and wounded 18 others, including children, in Sudan’s North Kordofan state.
• Twenty-one people were detained due to tensions escalating at an anti-government protest in Albania’s capital.
• One person was killed and three were injured in a shooting at an educational institution in the Russian city of Anapa in the southern Krasnodar region.
• A gunman who attacked a school in southern Thailand injured three people before being arrested by police.
• British troops deployed to Norway will double from 1,000 to 2,000 over the next three years, the country's defense secretary announced.
• President Donald Trump said the US should be paying the "lowest interest rate, by far," in the world as nonfarm payroll employment in the US exceeded expectations in January.
• The Kremlin confirmed that Russian officials do not plan to attend the first meeting of the Board of Peace scheduled for Feb. 19 in Washington.
• Germany criticized Israel for its recent decision to strengthen control in the West Bank, calling it a further step toward “de facto annexation” of the occupied Palestinian territory.
• US President Donald Trump said there was no concrete result from his closed-door meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu but said he insisted on further talks with Iran.
• French President Emmanuel urged Europe to pursue balanced, mutual and beneficial trade partnerships while reducing the bloc's dependencies.
• German Chancellor Friedrich Merz warned that the EU will not hesitate to retaliate if the US threatens new tariffs again.
• The Arab League held an emergency meeting to discuss Israeli measures to tighten control of the West Bank.
• US President Donald Trump signed an executive order that directs the Department of Defense to purchase energy from coal-burning plants as he seeks to shore up the flagging industry.
  

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

• Germany plans $639M purchase of AI-powered kamikaze drones

Germany's Defense Ministry plans to acquire thousands of AI-enabled strike drones for approximately €536 million ($639 million), local media reported.

According to Der Spiegel magazine, the procurement involves two German startups, Helsing and Stark Defense. The Defense Ministry has prepared the procurement package and is seeking approval from the German parliament's budget committee.

The order marks the first planned deployment of explosive-armed drones by the German military. The systems would equip Germany's 45th Armored Brigade, which is currently stationed in Lithuania as part of NATO's eastern flank deterrence.

• WTO chief urges reform, warns of 'chaos' if global trade system collapses

The head of the World Trade Organization (WTO) warned that the global trading system could descend into "chaos" without common rules, urging members to reform the institution to keep pace with geopolitical tensions and rapid technological change.

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said multilateral organizations remain essential despite questions about their relevance.

"At a time of geopolitical tensions, international cooperation has never been more needed,” she said, adding that fora such as the WTO allow countries to "come together…to try to handle these problems."

• US energy secretary launches ‘historic’ energy reset in Caracas

US Energy Secretary Chris Wright landed in the Venezuelan capital Caracas to finalize a sweeping energy partnership with the country’s interim government.

The visit, the highest-level US diplomatic mission to the country in nearly 30 years, came just one day after Washington issued a general license authorizing American companies to resume oil and gas production in the OPEC nation.