International
Biden announces 225 million for Ukraine in a meeting with Zelenski during the NATO summit
The President of the United States, Joe Biden, announced on Thursday a new military assistance package of 225 million dollars for Ukraine during a meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenski, as part of the NATO summit in Washington.
“Today I am proud to announce a new set of security systems for Ukraine,” Biden and Zelenski said to the media before the meeting.
The US president explained that this is the eighth package he has authorized since Congress approved in April an aid of 61 billion dollars, which came after months of debate over the blockade of the Republicans, which caused a shortage of weapons in Ukraine.
As the Pentagon later detailed in a statement, the new military aid package includes the Patriot anti-aircraft battery that Biden already announced he would send to Ukraine two days ago, during an event to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Atlantic Alliance.
The shipment also contains Stinger ground-to-air missiles and Javelin anti-tank missiles, both portable and widely used by Ukrainian troops, as well as different types of ammunition and equipment, among other weapons.
After Biden announced the new aid package, Zelenski expressed his gratitude, considering that it was “very strong news.”
“I am grateful to you, your team, your administration, of course, to Congress, both parties, both chambers and to all Americans for their vital and firm support for Ukraine and the Ukrainian people. Together, we are saving lives,” said Zelenski, dressed in his characteristic military olive green clothing.
The Ukrainian president took the opportunity to mention before the cameras on Monday’s attack perpetrated by Russia against the main children’s hospital in Kiev and other Ukrainian cities, which caused at least 41 civilian casualties in the deadliest air offensive in recent months.
In connection with this attack, he thanked the sending by the United States, Germany, the Netherlands, Romania and Italy of air defense systems, including the Patriot system, thus fulfilling one of Zelenski’s main requests.
In addition to anti-aircraft systems, the planned transfer of F-16 fighters for Ukraine is underway and will conclude this summer, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced yesterday.
At this NATO summit in Washington, which commemorates the 75th anniversary of the alliance, leaders have shown their unity in the long-term defense of Ukraine.
On Wednesday, on the first day, they already pledged to send at least another 40 billion euros (about 36,922 million dollars) of military support to Kiev next year and declared their integration into the organization “irreversible”, although they avoided setting a specific date and assured that it will happen when the right conditions are met.
Zelenski assured that his country’s accession to NATO is “very close,” after members of the Atlantic Alliance considered that the incorporation of Ukraine is irreversible.
“We are very close to our goal. The next step will be the invitation (to be part of NATO) and then membership,” Zelenski said at a press conference with NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, during the Alliance Summit in Washington.
The president of Ukraine admitted that his country will hardly be able to join NATO for the duration of the war with Russia, but showed confidence that the nation will “prevail” in the face of the Russian invasion.
The leaders of the Alliance showed on Wednesday their unity in the long-term defense of Ukraine, in which they pledged at least another 40 billion euros of military support for Kiev next year and said that their integration into the organization is “irreversible”.
Stoltenberg stated that “there is no doubt that Ukraine has the right to use the weapons it has received” to attack “legitimate targets,” and asked not to forget that Russia was the one who invaded Ukraine ignoring international law.
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.
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.
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.
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