The past few days have been deeply unsettling, with global events shifting dramatically. Donald Trump attacked Volodymyr Zelenskyy as “a dictator”; the US secretary of state met Russia to discuss the future of Ukraine without Ukraine in the room; the US vice-president delivered what Guardian columnist Rafael Behr described as an “ominously unhinged” culture war attack speech on Europe, in Europe, before meeting a far-right German political party leader a week ahead of the German election. As columnist Christopher S Chivvis put it, “the future of modern democracy … is in play. A new world order is emerging.”

The morning after JD Vance’s speech in Munich, like many of our readers, I was reeling. But it also felt clearer than ever what the Guardian must do: lean in, meet the moment and not be paralysed or in denial. Our reporting will always be based in facts, so you can trust it. But facts alone are not enough: we will endeavour to call out the scale of what is happening and why, to get under the skin of it and how it affects ordinary people, not just the powerful.

That was evident in our reporting over the past few days. Senior international correspondent Julian Borger analysed the explosive impact of Zelenskyy saying the quiet part about Trump out loud, diplomatic editor Patrick Wintour brought insight from Munich as leaders tried to work out how to respond to the “cacophony” of Trump’s new world, while Europe correspondent Jon Henley looked at how the continent could unite following the realisation that it cannot rely on the US as an ally. David Smith in Washington spoke to the Reagan-era cold war warriors appalled by Trump’s shift towards Russia.

Our opinion section brought together a rich array of voices, including a panel featuring Nathalie Tocci, Yanis Varoufakis and Rokhaya Diallo, who tried to make sense of the US shift. Zoe Williams quoted the poet Michael Rosen as she reflected on Vance’s speech: did we really think that fascism would arrive in fancy dress? George Monbiot tried to answer a previously unthinkable question: how do we survive if Trump triggers a global systemic collapse? And Bernie Sanders wrote for us on his road trip around conservative areas of the US – the only places, he said, where Trumpism can be defeated.

With the US administration courting the likes of Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), and firewalls between the political mainstream and extreme figures breaking down across the continent, the far right is dangerously emboldened.

How that will impact Germany’s critical election tomorrow remains to be seen. Polls say the AfD is on course to double its vote share, but will the tumult across Europe have an impact? This immersive visual explainer by Alex Clark and Seán Clarke suggests the likely effect the rise of the far right could have on global trade and Ukraine’s future, and looks at why Germany’s elections are so important. Keep track of our Europe live blog for the action as it happens – and do sign up for our terrific This is Europe newsletter for more analysis once the result is in. There is a lot at stake.

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Ahead of Germany’s vote, Deborah Cole looked in depth at the rise of the AfD, as well as the position of the far-left party, successor to the East German communists, which appears to be gaining support from women and young voters. Kate Connolly and photographer Sean Smith took a train ride across Germany to gauge the mood ahead of polling day, finding voters who feared for their nation’s democracy and direction. For our Today in Focus podcast, Helen Pidd took a road trip through Germany’s industrial heartland to gauge just how strong support for the far right is.

A long-term project by Alex Clark to map out the population crisis in Europe provided a clear way for readers to see how anti-migrant, far-right policies could accelerate their country’s (and continent’s) economic decline. An accompanying piece by Ashifa Kassam was a useful case study, showing how Spain’s economy is outperforming major western countries, in large part through boosting migration.

Bethan McKernan reported from Jerusalem as the remains of an elderly man, a woman and two young children were returned to Israel in what onlookers described as one of the “hardest days” for Israelis since the 7 October attacks. Israel later said the woman’s body was that of an anonymous, unidentified person, and not a hostage. A week before that, Jonathan Freedland, on a trip to Tel Aviv, wrote that Benjamin Netanyahu was exploiting Israel’s rage. Meanwhile, Trump’s plan for Gaza has left Arab nations facing an impossible choice, wrote Nesrine Malik.

Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party is level with Labour and the Conservatives in some polls, in part bolstered by Trump’s victory. In this deeply reported piece, Ben Quinn and Rowena Mason got under the skin of the party, from its infighting and attempts to professionalise, to the role of Tucker Carlson’s nephew and a dog called Maverick.

We also spent time this week at the rightwing Alliance for Responsible Citizenship conference in London, where “reindustrialisation”, birthrates and a focus on so-called “Judeo-Christian values” dominated. Ben Quinn reported on a meeting that is “part political conference, part evangelical rally and … an increasingly influential gathering of libertarian and populist forces, promoting climate scepticism and social conservatism.” John Crace sketched the event, in a darkly funny piece.

While global politics is taking centre stage, the climate doesn’t notice: Ajit Niranjan reported that two-thirds of the Earth’s surface experienced record heat in 2024. This fact is even more shocking when you can see it visualised, thanks to our data and visuals team of Pablo Gutiérrez, Tural Ahmedzade, Ashley Kirk, and Niels de Hoog.

Powerful reporting this week included an Observer investigation by Siân Boyle that revealed that Google has cooperated with autocratic regimes around the world, including the Kremlin and the Chinese Communist party, to facilitate censorship requests; how an internal investigation at Vivienne Westwood upheld homophobic bullying allegations against its CEO, written by Rob Davies; how the company behind the proposed giant Rosebank oilfield in the North Sea has asked for special treatment on emissions rules, by Helena Horton; how the murder of Robbie Robson in 2022 was a shocking insight into life on an oil rig, by Will Coldwell; and how a rogue lettings agency destroyed countless homes by renting them out to cannabis farmers, by Sirin Kale.
Hannah Devlin and Sally Weale reported that more than 44,000 children in England were hospitalised with constipation last year, up 60% in a decade, a rise caused by poor diets and dehydration. Sally spoke to teachers bringing laxatives into school to help pupils suffering with the miserable condition.

Three months after Manchester United predicted an annual profit of up to £160m, the club is laying off staff and slashing costs. Finance expert Kieran Maguire tried to answer the conundrum of why United appear to be rich and poor at the same time.

I enjoyed Ella Archibald-Binge’s piece speaking to Australia’s freedom riders and their descendants 60 years on from the bus journey that changed the way the nation thought about race; Lisa Allardice’s rare interview with the much-loved novelist Anne Tyler, who shared the secret to a good marriage; Charlotte Edwardes’s interview with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie at her home in Baltimore, as she published her first novel in over a decade; Donna Lu on why we can’t remember our lives as babies; and our photographer Sarah Lee behind the scenes at the Baftas.

One more thing … Before attending the writer Charlotte Raven’s funeral last week, I read her memoir, Patient 1 – it’s a funny, sad, moving reflection on being diagnosed with Huntington’s disease and enrolling in a drugs trial.

Cook this | Rachel Roddy’s hazelnut and mushroom ragu

This deliciously comforting recipe aims to produce a deeply flavoured sauce and sumptuous condiment that is as satisfying as a conventional meat ragu.

Listen to this | Was it inevitable? A short history of Russia’s war on Ukraine – The Audio Long Read

In the week Donald Trump told reporters that Ukraine “should never have started” the war with Russia, we examine how exactly the conflict came about in this Audio Long Read episode from 2022 with Keith Gessen, read by Andrew McGregor.

Watch this | ‘Fix poverty, fix health’: A day in the life of a ‘failing’ NHS

A GP surgery in one of the most deprived areas in the north-east of England is struggling to provide care for its patients as the health system crumbles. In the depths of the winter flu season, Maeve Shearlaw and Adam Sich went to Bridges medical practice in Gateshead to shadow the lead GP, Paul Evans, as he worked all hours to keep his surgery afloat.

The Guardian’s crosswords and Wordiply are here to keep you entertained throughout the weekend.