International

Putin vows to back Lukashenko against ‘interference’

AFP

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday vowed to back Belarusian strongman Alexander Lukashenko against foreign “interference”, as the two signed a series of agreements on closer integration.

Speaking during a televised video meeting with Lukashenko, Putin hailed the bilateral ties between Russia and Belarus and promised Moscow’s continued backing for the increasingly isolated Lukashenko.

“We will together resist any attempts to interfere in the internal affairs of our sovereign states and Russia will of course continue to provide assistance to the brotherly Belarusian people — there is no doubt about that,” Putin said from the Crimean city of Sevastopol where he was marking a national holiday.

Putin and Lukashenko agreed in September to a series of 28 programmes aimed at deepening integration under a decades-old plan for a “union state” between Russia and Belarus.

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The agreements were signed on Thursday focus mainly on economic and regulatory issues, including common policies on taxation, banking, industry, agriculture and energy.

There was no mention of trickier issues surrounding political integration, like longstanding plans for a single parliament or currency.

Putin has become Lukashenko’s primary political backer as the longtime Belarusian leader faces international pressure following a brutal crackdown on the opposition.

Belarusian authorities arrested and jailed thousands of people after unprecedented anti-government protests erupted when Lukashenko claimed victory in an August 2020 election the opposition said was rigged.

Lukashenko on Thursday thanked Putin for his support, saying: “The unprecedented external pressure has become a serious test of strength for the relations between our countries. We can say with confidence that we have passed that test.”

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There were reports of tensions between the two leaders ahead of the meeting and Lukashenko joked before signing that some in Russia had asked “whether we will sign or not”.

Putin told Lukashenko that more needed to be done to create a single migration and visa space and appeared to express displeasure with Belarus’s management of its borders.

“The task of creating an atmosphere of stability and security on our external borders is of particular importance,” Putin said.

Thousands of migrants — mostly from Africa and the Middle East — have crossed or tried to cross from Belarus into the eastern European Union states of Latvia, Lithuania and Poland in recent months.

The EU accuses Lukashenko of encouraging the migrants to come to Belarus and deliberately sending them across in retaliation for EU sanctions.

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Putin, in power for more than 20 years, and Lukashenko, who has ruled for nearly 30 years, have had a volatile relationship.

The two have sought to present a united front against the West, but their countries have also seen a series of political and economic disputes.

International

Erin brings strong winds and storm surge despite weakening offshore

Hurricane Erin weakened to a Category 2 storm on Tuesday but continues to pose a threat to parts of the U.S. East Coast with potentially dangerous flooding, according to meteorologists.

Although the hurricane’s eye is expected to remain offshore, experts are concerned about Erin’s size, as strong winds extend hundreds of kilometers beyond the storm’s center.

In its 18:00 GMT bulletin, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) lifted tropical storm warnings for the Bahamasand Turks and Caicos Islands, but kept them in effect for parts of North Carolina.

Erin was located several hundred kilometers southeast of North Carolina and was moving northwestward.

“This means there is a risk of potentially life-threatening flooding of 60 to 120 centimeters above ground level,” said NHC Director Michael Brennan.

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He also warned of the possibility of destructive waves, combined with storm surge, that could cause severe damage to beaches and coastal areas, making roads impassable.

International

Three U.S. Warships deploy near Venezuela to combat drug trafficking

Three U.S. naval vessels are moving toward the coasts of Venezuela, according to international media reports on Tuesday, after White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt confirmed that President Donald Trump is ready to combat and curb international drug trafficking.

Reports indicate that the ships will reach Venezuelan waters within the next 36 hours as part of a recent U.S. deployment aimed at countering international narcotics operations.

The announcement coincides with Leavitt’s statement that Trump is prepared to “use the full extent of his power” to halt drug flows into the United States. The naval deployment involves approximately 4,000 military personnel.

“The President has been clear and consistent. He is ready to use every element of U.S. power to prevent drugs from flooding our country and to bring those responsible to justice. The Maduro regime is not the legitimate government of Venezuela—it is a narco-terror cartel,” the spokesperson said during a press conference.

International

Cuban authorities free salvadoran convicted in 1997 hotel bombing

Salvadoran national Otto René Rodríguez Llerena was released after serving a 30-year prison sentence for his involvement in a terrorist attack at a hotel in Cuba in 1997, the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported.

During his trial, Rodríguez Llerena admitted to placing an explosive device at the Meliá Cohiba Hotel under the orders of anti-Castro exile leaders. He was arrested the following year when he returned to Havana with another load of explosives that failed to detonate.

“The Cuban government reiterates its commitment to combating terrorism, respecting human rights, and the need for the international community to hold accountable those who promote such acts,” the statement read.

He was released on August 15 and is the second Salvadoran to complete his sentence. In December of last year, another Salvadoran, Ernesto Cruz León, was released after planting bombs at tourist centers, one of which killed an Italian tourist identified as Fabio Di Celmo.

A third Salvadoran, Francisco Chávez Abarca, also received a 30-year sentence from Cuban courts in 2010 after being extradited from Venezuela through Interpol for actions against Cuba.

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Rodríguez Llerena had requested conditional release in 2016, arguing that his actions had not caused any direct fatalities, but no further information was released about his situation until now.