Morning Briefing: Sept. 5, 2025

ISTANBUL

Here’s a rundown of all the news you need to start your Friday, including the US saying countries recognizing Palestine would “create big problems” amid a push by Israel to annex the West Bank, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy saying Russian President Putin’s invitation to a meeting in Moscow means it will not happen, and a strong magnitude 6.3 earthquake jolting southeastern Afghanistan after a previous deadly tremor.

TOP STORIES

• US blames countries recognizing Palestine amid push in Israel to annex West Bank

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio blamed countries that recognized Palestine, saying the move would “create big problems,” as Israel advances plans to annex the occupied West Bank.

Asked about moves by members of the Israeli government toward annexation of the occupied West Bank, Rubio told a joint press conference with Ecuadorian Foreign Minister Gabriela Sommerfeld in Quito, Ecuador's capital, that the US has cautioned partners that recognition of a Palestinian state would “create big problems.”

• Zelenskyy says Putin's invitation to meeting in Moscow means it will not happen

In response to Russian President Vladimir Putin's invitation to come to Moscow for negotiations, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy said "if you want the meeting to not happen, you should invite me to Moscow."

Speaking at a news conference in Paris following a meeting of a group of countries willing to provide military assistance to Ukraine, Zelenskyy said that US mediators informed him about Putin's invitation.

"Our American partners told us that Putin invited me to Moscow, and I believe that if you want to avoid a meeting, you should invite me to Moscow," he said.

• Strong magnitude 6.3 quake jolts southeastern Afghanistan after deadly tremor

A strong magnitude 6.3 earthquake hit southeastern Afghanistan in the wake of Sunday’s tremor, which killed more than 2,200 people, according to the German Research Center for Geosciences.

The latest quake hit 14 kilometers (8.7 miles) east of Jalalabad at 1656GMT at a depth of 10 kilometers (6.21 miles). The US Geological Survey measured the magnitude at 5.6.

The quake was also felt in the neighboring central and northwestern areas of Pakistan. The Pakistan Meteorological Department measured the tremor at a magnitude of 5.9.

NEWS IN BRIEF

• The US sanctioned three Palestinian human rights organizations for their role in supporting the International Criminal Court’s investigation into Israeli officials.
• The Global Sumud Flotilla condemned what it called “baseless threats” by far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, accusing him of seeking to intimidate activists preparing to sail toward Gaza with humanitarian aid.
• European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stressed that the first and strongest line of security guarantees for Ukraine is a robust and unrestricted Ukrainian military.
• The grandson of former South African President Nelson Mandela is set to join a convoy heading to the Gaza Strip to break an Israeli siege on the enclave, the Global Sumud Flotilla said.
• US President Donald Trump urged European leaders to stop buying Russian oil to pressure Moscow to end its war on Ukraine and said economic pressure should be applied on China "for funding Russia's war efforts," a White House official said.
• Germany's decision on sending troops to Ukraine will depend on US involvement and parliament's approval, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz told a virtual summit of allies
• A drone struck a civilian car in northern Syria’s Aleppo province, local media said.
• NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said President Donald Trump broke the deadlock with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and "now Europe and Canada with the US must design security guarantees to ensure Ukraine has full backing in talks."
• China rejected US President Donald Trump's claim that at a Chinese Victory Day parade, the Chinese, Russian and North Korean leaders “conspired” against the US.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

• Xi, Kim set to hold bilateral summit in Beijing on China-North Korea ties

China’s President Xi Jinping will host North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Beijing for a bilateral summit, the Foreign Ministry said.

Xi and Kim “will hold talks to exchange in-depth views on China-North Korea relations and issues of common concern,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told reporters in the capital.

It would mark their six such bilateral summit since 2018.

• Türkiye’s international reserves reach all-time high of $178.4B

The Turkish Central Bank's official international reserves hit a new record high of $178.4 billion as of Aug. 29, according to official figures.

The reserves rose 1.2%, or $2.03 billion, from the previous week's $176.3 billion, the bank said.

Foreign currency reserves — in convertible foreign currencies — fell 0.1% to $83.3 billion compared to the previous week.