International
NATO celebrates its 75th anniversary with a summit that sets its sights in Ukraine
NATO finalizes the preparations for the summit that begins on Tuesday in Washington with a commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the Alliance, in which it will reaffirm its long-term support for Ukraine at a time when Russia has intensified its attacks against Ukrainian civilian targets.
“In Ukraine, Russia continues its brutal war. This Monday we have seen horrendous missile attacks against Ukrainian cities, killing innocent civilians, including children. I condemn these atrocious attacks,” said the Secretary General of the Alliance, Jens Stoltenberg, in a statement with the US Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin.
The Norwegian politician pronounced himself from the US capital about the latest Russian missile attacks against Ukraine, which affected a pediatric hospital and left at least 37 dead, including children.
He made it clear that Russia cannot expect NATO to abandon Ukraine but that “it will have to sit down and accept a solution in which Ukraine prevails as a sovereign and independent nation.”
Russia declared that it will continue with “maximum attention” the development of the summit.
“With the utmost attention,” the Kremlin spokesman, Dmitri Peskov, replied at a press conference to the question of how Russia will observe the NATO summit and added: “You know that it is an alliance that considers Russia an enemy, an adversary.
NATO, he said, “is an alliance that has openly declared the objective of asserting Russia a strategic defeat on the battlefield.”
The Prime Minister of Japan, Fumio Kishida, for his part, traveled to Washington to participate in the NATO summit, where greater cooperation between the Atlantic alliance and Tokyo will be discussed in the face of China’s military boom or the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The Japanese conservative leader hopes that the summit “the idea of an indivisible relationship between the Atlantic and the Indo-Pacific will be reaffirmed,” and ways will be addressed to “strengthen cooperation between Japan and NATO,” as the Executive’s spokesman, Yoshimasa Hayashi, said at a press conference today.
For his part, the Turkish president, the Islamist Recep Tayyip Erdogan, opined that NATO should not be part of the war caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The heads of state and government of the 32 allies will support a new comprehensive support package for Ukraine that, in the words of the US ambassador to NATO, Julianne Smith, “will help Ukraine modernize its forces, create a force for the future, work on aspects such as interoperability with the Alliance and continue to transform its Army.”
“We are building a bridge to bring Ukraine closer to NATO membership,” Smith said on the American public radio NPR.
An entry that the allies agree that it will happen when the country is ready, although at this summit they will continue to not specify a date for it.
The allies are expected to approve an aid package for Ukraine that includes a leading role of NATO in the management of international arms contributions for the invaded country, the training of its soldiers and a fund of about 40 billion euros to pay for the military equipment that Kiev needs to defend itself.
They will also address their most pressing needs on the battlefield, especially those related to anti-aircraft defenses and artillery ammunition.
The president of the United States. Joe Biden will host a ceremony on Tuesday night in the Andrew W auditorium. Mellon to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the North Atlantic Treaty, foundation of the Alliance, which was signed in that same place on April 4, 1949.
Biden will host this summit at a time of doubts about his ability due to his age to be the Democratic candidate in the November presidential elections after his weak performance in the recent debate with the Republican candidate, Donald Trump.
“We are not perceiving any signs about it in the previous conversations we have with them. Rather the opposite. They are enthusiastic about this summit, about the possibilities and actions that we will undertake together, specifically to help Ukraine,” said one of the spokesmen of the White House, John Kirby.
On Wednesday, the allied leaders will hold a first working session in which they hope to approve the summit declaration, focused on underpinning lasting support for Ukraine, strengthening the policy of deterrence and defense and deepening relations with Pacific partners in the face of the challenges posed by China.
On Thursday, a NATO-Ukraine Council will take place where the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenski, will participate, and a session with the partners of the Pacific (Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand) and the European Union.
NATO is convinced that its security “is not regional, but global,” as Stoltenberg said on Monday, that Iran, North Korea and China are “supporting and allowing Russia’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine.”
To comply with NATO’s 360-degree defense strategy, leaders plan to approve a new strategy to pay more attention to the challenges (migration waves, political instability), but also to opportunities from the countries of the Southern Neighbourhood of the Alliance, from the Middle East to the Gulf of Guinea.
In order to face these challenges, the allies will reaffirm their commitment to invest at least 2% of their GDP in military spending. Up to 23 allies already invest that figure, while ten years ago, when they set that goal, there were only three.
International
Heat wave puts more than 70 million Americans under alerts as temperatures near 46°C
More than 70 million people remained under heat alerts Monday as an intense heat wave continued across the southern United States, particularly Florida and states along the Mexican border, where temperatures and heat indexes could reach as high as 46 degrees Celsius, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
Several cities recorded or tied temperature records over the weekend and into Monday, including Miami and Fort Lauderdale in Florida; Laredo, Borger and Austin’s airport in Texas; Atlanta, Georgia; Raleigh and Charlotte, North Carolina; and Memphis, Tennessee.
The NWS warned that the heat wave will continue affecting the southern and southeastern United States, with maximum temperatures expected to remain near 38°C to 40°C for several days. The heat index, which combines temperature and humidity to estimate how hot conditions feel, could reach 46°C.
The extreme heat is also spreading into the Southwest, where temperatures began rising again between Monday and Tuesday. Forecast highs in the region range from about 38°C to 43°C.
Heat alerts remain in effect across Nevada, Arizona and California, including areas in southern Arizona and California near the Mexican border, as authorities warn of the risks posed by prolonged extreme temperatures.
The NWS urged residents to limit outdoor activity, stay hydrated, ensure access to air conditioning or cooling centers, and check on vulnerable friends, neighbors and family members.
The United States is experiencing a summer marked by above-average temperatures and repeated heat waves. One of the most intense episodes occurred during the July 4 weekend, when extreme heat was blamed for roughly 30 deaths.
July was the hottest month ever recorded in the United States since measurements began, with the average temperature across the contiguous country approaching 25°C, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
The combination of extreme heat and drought conditions has also fueled wildfires. Nearly 3 million hectares have burned across the country so far in 2026, making it the largest area affected by wildfires in a decade.
International
Trump warns Iran over nuclear ambitions as U.S.-Iran ceasefire deadline passes
U.S. President Donald Trump reiterated Monday that Iran must never be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon, as a 60-day deadline set under a memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran expired without an agreement to end the conflict in the Middle East.
“The number one goal is, and always will be, that Iran cannot have, in any way or under any circumstances, a nuclear weapon,” Trump wrote in a post on his Truth Social platform.
The memorandum, signed on June 17, called for an “immediate and permanent cessation of military operations on all fronts” as part of a broader negotiation process aimed at ending the conflict. However, the deadline expired Monday without a peace agreement, while both Washington and Tehran continued to maintain their respective positions.
The expiration is largely symbolic, as military clashes resumed during the 60-day period. The Strait of Hormuz also remains blocked, contributing to elevated global oil prices.
Trump escalated his rhetoric toward Tehran last Friday, saying he planned to declare the Strait of Hormuz U.S. territory after defeating Iran.
“After we finish defeating Iran, which is being very badly defeated, very soon I will essentially declare the Strait of Hormuz U.S. territory,” Trump said during a political rally in Long Island, New York. He also claimed that the United States currently controls the passage of vessels through the strategic waterway.
Meanwhile, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Washington is preparing additional economic measures against Iran that he described as unprecedented.
“Stay tuned for new announcements next week because we are going to implement measures unlike anything ever seen in the history of the economic isolation of a country,” Bessent said.
The Treasury secretary indicated that the measures would form part of a broader “double hit” strategy that could also involve maintaining the blockade of Iranian ports.
International
Brazil’s Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro kick off election campaigns amid focus on crime
Public security took center stage Sunday as Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Senator Flávio Bolsonaro formally launched their election campaigns, positioning themselves as the leading rivals ahead of the October presidential vote.
Lula, who leads most opinion polls, kicked off his campaign at the Vila Euclides stadium in São Bernardo do Campo, in São Paulo state, while Bolsonaro held his event in Rio de Janeiro, a political stronghold of his family.
During his speech, Lula announced plans to create a new Ministry of Public Security aimed at strengthening coordination between the federal government and Brazil’s states in the fight against crime.
The president pledged a tougher strategy to reclaim territories controlled or influenced by criminal groups. The proposed ministry would help “share responsibilities with the states” and confront those who seek to control favelas and impoverished neighborhoods, Lula told supporters.
The initiative places public security at the heart of Lula’s campaign as he seeks another term in office amid persistent concerns over crime and organized criminal activity in Brazil.
Lula also used his first campaign speech to reinforce his position as a leading figure of Brazil’s left and to criticize his political opponents on the right.
“I will not allow the right to take power,” Lula said, accusing his opponents of having previously mocked children who died because they lacked access to medicine.
“I don’t know what future these people imagine for the Brazilian people,” he added.
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