| Qatar’s prime minister defended his country’s offer of a luxury jet to Trump, telling CNN the nation would not follow through with the gift if it was deemed illegal and insisting it’s not an effort to wield undue influence. The Trump administration called its $142 billion defense deal with Saudi Arabia “the largest defense sales agreement in history,” but critics are doubting the numbers.  Trump greets Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Photographer: Fayez Nureldine/AFP/Getty Images Although the air strikes and artillery fire between the two nuclear-armed powers have mostly fallen silent, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif took aim at his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi by accusing him of fanning instability and vowing a harsh response to future attacks. “Mr. Modi, if you take this route again, you will get a devastating answer,” Sharif said at a gathering of soldiers near the border. Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić is positioning himself as the key powerbroker in the volatile Balkan region, seeking to consolidate his power amid anti-government protests at home and to reap rewards from his connections to the Trump family. Read this report from Belgrade, where evidence of a turbulent history is never far away, as Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner is set to develop a $500 million hotel.  A tram passing the former army headquarters in Belgrade on May 9. Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, wants to turn it into a hotel complex. Photographer: Oliver Bunic/Bloomberg Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and his pro-Europe coalition are hoping a centrist ally will replace right-wing populist incumbent Andrzej Duda in the upcoming presidential election. The ballot — with a first-round vote on Sunday and a likely runoff in June — will be keenly watched across the European Union as more of the bloc’s members succumb to democratic backsliding and far-right forces are emboldened by Trump’s return to the White House. The governor of Brazil’s biggest state looked and sounded like he’s preparing for a 2026 presidential run at events in New York this week, where he wooed investors and CEOs eager to move past current leftist leader Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. São Paulo Governor Tarcísio de Freitas declined to talk about the race, but his focus on fiscal policy and other national issues fueled speculation he’s the heir apparent to Jair Bolsonaro, the banned former president. Trump said India has made an offer to drop tariffs on US goods as the Asian nation negotiates a deal to avert higher import taxes. The US leader also said Washington might be getting closer to an agreement with Iran to curb the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said his country is prepared to spend 5% of its economic output on defense, committing to a goal pushed for by Trump. Putin criticized a United Nations probe that found his country culpable for the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, which killed all 298 passengers and crew in 2014. The UK is drawing up plans for a special visa for foreigners who invest significant sums in Britain as Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government seeks to blunt the economic blow from recent tax hikes and wider curbs on work permits. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa plans to hold talks with Trump in Washington on May 21 and hopes to ease a simmering diplomatic row between the two nations. Sign up for the Washington Edition newsletter for news from the US capital and watch Balance of Power at 1 and 5 p.m. ET weekdays on Bloomberg Television. | 
