Axios reports the Trump administration is negotiating with Venezuela's interim government to acquire equity stakes in the country's significant oil assets.

Estonia foreign minister Margus Tsahkna said CIA director John Ratcliffe's Tuesday visit to Moscow did not change Estonia's assessment of the military threat from Russia, noting US officials have regularly met Russian counterparts throughout the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the visit should not be seen as decisive. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda said the trip may have aimed to ease regional geopolitical tensions amid a rise in sabotage. Intelligence officials have warned Russian intelligence and security services are considering hybrid operations against the Baltic states and Poland, potentially including infrastructure sabotage or false-flag attacks.

President TRUMP signed an executive order easing tariffs on certain imported ground beef to reduce consumer costs. Under the order, higher duties on lean trimmings will be temporarily waived if imports exceed a preset quota; the measure runs 90 days with a monthly cap of 100,000 tonnes. The WHITE HOUSE framed the step as keeping beef affordable amid supply strains and said safeguards aim to limit domestic disruption and give U.S. ranchers room to rebuild herds. U.S. ranchers sharply oppose the move, saying it will harm domestic producers and does not address obstacles to expanding the national herd, and the decision has strained a key Republican midterm constituency.