International
Russia protests before the US ambassador for a Ukrainian attack on Crimea with ATACMS missiles
Russia protested on Monday before the U.S. ambassador, Lynn Trace, for the use of ATACMS missiles with cluster bombs in the Ukrainian attack perpetrated on Sunday against the Crimean port of Sevastopol that resulted in four civilians killed.
“The United States (…) bears the same responsibility as the Kiev regime for this evil act,” the Russian Foreign Ministry denounced in a statement.
According to Russian diplomacy, the United States “is waging a hybrid war against Russia and has become part of the conflict by supplying the Ukrainian Army with the most modern weapons, including ATACMS missiles with cluster bombs used against the population of Sevastopol.”
He also denounced that “the choice of objectives and the creation of flight missions (of missiles) is carried out by US military specialists.”
Foreign Affairs declared to the ambassador that “these actions of Washington, which are intended to encourage the pro-Nazi authorities of Ukraine to continue the war actions until the last Ukrainian, by allowing Russian territory to be attacked, will not go unpunished.”
“We will respond without fail,” Russian diplomacy warned.
This Sunday, Ukrainian forces launched five ATACMS missiles against Sevastopol, the base of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, four of which were shot down by Russian air defenses.
The fifth deviated from its course, according to Defense, and exploded on the coast of the peninsula, killing four civilians and injuring more than 150.
According to Telegram channels, a missile exploded on a beach where a large number of people rested on Sunday, taking advantage of the summer heat.
The Russian Ministry of Defense immediately blamed Washington for the attack for supplying Kiev with the ATACMS missiles launched by the Ukrainian Army and authorizing their use against Russian territory.
“The responsibility for this deliberate missile attack against the civilian population of Sevastopol lies above all with Washington, which supplied these weapons to Ukraine, and also the Kiev regime, from whose territory this attack was launched,” he said on Telegram.
The government of US President Joe Biden gave Ukraine permission at the end of May to attack targets in Russian territory using weapons provided by the United States, but only if they were military targets in the Russian border area near the area of the northeastern Kharkov region.
However, this authorization, as confirmed to EFE by a US official, does not extend to long-range missiles such as the Army Tactical Missile System known as ATACMS and used on Sunday in Sevastopol, according to Russian authorities.
The counselor of the Ukrainian presidential office Mikhail Podoliak said today, regarding the death this Sunday of four civilians in a Ukrainian attack on Crimea, that the peninsula is “a foreign territory (for the Russians) occupied by Russia in which there are hostilities and a large-scale war.”
“There are no no ‘beaches’, ‘tourist areas’ and other fictitious signs of ‘peaceful life’ in Crimea. Crimea is definitely a foreign territory occupied by Russia, where there are hostilities and a large-scale war. The same war that Russia unleashed with genocidal and invading purposes,” Podoliak wrote on his social network account X.
The counselor of the Ukrainian presidency added that “Crimea is also a large military camp and warehouse with hundreds of direct military targets that the Russians try to hide and cynically cover with their own civilians.”
International
Iranian leader warns foreign powers have “no place” in Strait of Hormuz
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, said Thursday that the Persian Gulf is entering a new era marked by a “bright” future without the presence of the United States in the region.
His remarks came during the commemoration of Persian Gulf Day, amid ongoing regional tensions following recent military confrontations involving Iran, the United States, and Israel.
“Today, two months after the largest military buildup and aggression by the bullies of the world in the region and the humiliating defeat of the United States, a new chapter is being written for the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz,” Khamenei stated.
The Iranian leader insisted that the future of the region would be free from American influence and focused instead on the internal development and prosperity of Gulf nations.
“By the power and strength of God, the bright future of the Persian Gulf region will be a future without the United States and dedicated to the progress, welfare, and prosperity of its nations,” he said.
Khamenei also questioned the effectiveness of U.S. military bases in the region, arguing that they do not provide security even for Washington’s allies.
“Foreigners who come from thousands of miles away and commit evil and malicious acts have no place there except at the bottom of its waters,” he declared.
In addition, the Iranian leader defended new measures being prepared by Tehran to regulate maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, including fees for vessels passing through the strategic waterway. According to Khamenei, the policies would generate economic benefits and greater stability for the region.
Regional tensions remain high following the conflict that erupted on February 28 between the United States and Israel against Iran, leading to strategic blockades in the Strait of Hormuz, a route through which nearly 20% of the world’s oil supply previously passed. The situation has disrupted maritime trade and contributed to rising global oil prices.
Central America
U.S. and Regional Allies Back Panama Amid Dispute With China
The United States, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Guyana, Paraguay and Trinidad and Tobago issued a joint statement in support of Panama’s sovereignty, arguing that China’s recent actions represent an attempt to politicize maritime trade and undermine the sovereignty of nations in the hemisphere.
“We are closely monitoring China’s selective economic pressure and recent actions affecting vessels flying the Panamanian flag,” the statement released Tuesday said. “Panama is a pillar of our maritime trading system and, as such, must remain free from undue external pressure.”
The statement comes amid growing tensions surrounding the Panama Canal and the operation of key ports linked to global trade.
At the end of January, Panama’s Supreme Court invalidated the legal framework supporting the 1997 concession that granted Panama Ports Company, a subsidiary of CK Hutchison, the right to operate the Balboa and Cristóbal terminals located on the Pacific and Atlantic entrances of the Panama Canal.
The ruling followed mounting pressure from the United States to curb Chinese influence around the strategic waterway, through which roughly 5% of global maritime trade passes.
CK Hutchison, which managed the ports for nearly three decades, rejected the court’s decision and accused Panamanian authorities of illegally confiscating its assets. The company has launched international arbitration proceedings against Panama, seeking more than $2 billion in damages.
Following the court ruling, reports emerged of increased detentions and inspections of Panamanian-flagged vessels in China, actions widely viewed as retaliatory measures.
On Wednesday, China’s Foreign Ministry dismissed the joint statement as “completely unfounded and misleading,” accusing the United States of politicizing port operations and warning that Beijing would take steps to protect its interests in Panama.
International
King Charles III Says U.S.-UK Alliance Is “Irreplaceable and Unbreakable”
King Charles III of the United Kingdom reaffirmed the strength of the British-American relationship on Tuesday during a speech before the United States Congress, describing the alliance between the two nations as “irreplaceable and unbreakable.”
The address, delivered at the Capitol, marked the first speech by a British monarch before Congress since Queen Elizabeth II in 1991 and comes at a time of political tensions between Donald Trump’s administration and the Labour government of Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
“As President Trump himself observed during his state visit to Britain last autumn, the bond of kinship and identity between the United States and the United Kingdom is invaluable and eternal. It is irreplaceable and unbreakable,” the king said.
While reflecting on the upcoming 250th anniversary of U.S. independence, which will be commemorated this year, Charles III stated that the partnership between the two countries “was born out of disagreement, but is no less strong because of it.”
The monarch emphasized the democratic values shared by both nations and noted that major global changes have occurred whenever the two allies found common ground.
“When we have found that way to agree, great changes have taken place not only for the benefit of our peoples, but for all peoples,” he said.
King Charles also quoted British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who recently described the relationship as “an indispensable alliance.”
Concluding his speech, the monarch described the shared history of the United States and the United Kingdom as “a story of reconciliation, renewal, and an extraordinary partnership.”
He added that Washington and London have forged “one of the most consequential alliances in human history.”
“I pray with all my heart that our alliance continues to defend our shared values, together with our partners in Europe, the Commonwealth, and around the world, and that we ignore calls urging us to become increasingly isolationist,” Charles III stated.
The king ended by urging both nations to “recommit to one another in selfless service to our peoples and to all peoples of the world.”
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