Ukraine

Apple’s iPhone 17 series, including the standard, Pro (“Cosmic Orange” hue), and Air models, has seen strong initial sales, particularly in China, boosting Apple’s stock. Counterpoint Research indicates the series is outpacing its predecessor. Elsewhere, Amazon Web Services experienced an outage, but Amazon’s stock remained positive. The U.S. market closed in the green, with investors monitoring upcoming trade developments and earnings reports. In other news, Trump urged Ukraine to cede territory to Russia after a tense meeting with Zelenskyy.

A Russian envoy proposed a Russia-U.S. undersea rail tunnel, dubbed the ‘Putin-Trump tunnel,’ potentially involving Elon Musk’s Boring Company. Trump expressed interest, while Zelenskyy was reportedly displeased. The project faces skepticism due to enormous engineering challenges in the Bering Strait’s harsh conditions and The Boring Company’s limited experience in such environments. Geopolitical concerns arise from Musk’s existing ties with Russia, including Tesla’s aluminum supply and reported discussions with Putin.

VEON Ltd. and Ukraine’s Ministry of Digital Transformation are partnering to create Ukraine’s first large language model (LLM), trained exclusively on Ukrainian data. This project, fueled by VEON’s $1 billion infrastructure investment, aims to develop a secure, culturally relevant AI ecosystem. The LLM will power AI-driven tools tailored to Ukrainian needs, specifically in sectors like government and healthcare. The first version is expected by December 2025, led by Kyivstar, aiming to enhance digital sovereignty and economic growth.