 Why European leaders made a show of strength in Kyiv as the US steps back. We explore how Riyadh is positioning itself on the frontline of diplomacy; keep an eye on the election in Poland after the dust settles in Germany; assess the effect of Lunar New Year domestic travel on China’s airlines; and examine why the next generation of luxury watchmakers is coming from Japan. Plus: the cheese war between Switzerland and France is maturing.

<p dir="ltr">&nbsp;Why European leaders made a show of strength in Kyiv as the US steps back. We explore how Riyadh is positioning itself on the frontline of diplomacy; keep an eye on the election in Poland after the dust settles in Germany; assess the effect of Lunar New Year domestic travel on China&rsquo;s airlines; and examine why the next generation of luxury watchmakers is coming from Japan. Plus: the cheese war between Switzerland and France is maturing.</p>

Monocle’s unrivalled coverage of news and current affairs kicks off on weekdays with ‘The Globalist’ at 07.00 GMT/08.00 CET. Anchored from London and Zürich, join our editors for insight and opinion on the big current affairs and business stories of the day and a review of the European front pages. Nominated for Best Daily Podcast in the 2020 British Podcast Awards. 

<p>Monocle’s unrivalled coverage of news and current affairs kicks off on weekdays with ‘The Globalist’ at 07.00 GMT/08.00 CET. Anchored from London and Zürich, join our editors for insight and opinion on the big current affairs and business stories of the day and a review of the European front pages. Nominated for Best Daily Podcast in the 2020 British Podcast Awards. </p>