International
Lavrov says that Russia is willing to work with Trump if there is “mutual respect”
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Wednesday that his country is willing to work with an eventual US government of Donald Trump as long as there is “an equitable and mutually respectful dialogue.”
Asked at a press conference at the UN about Trump’s possible victory in the November U.S. presidential election (which the polls consider certain), Lavrov replied that Russia is “ready to work with any leader the American people chooses,” but stressed that it must be on the basis of mutual respect.
He also recalled that during the previous Trump administration (2017-21) “there was a constant dialogue despite the very serious sanctions” that the United States imposed against Russia, and stressed that this dialogue “is useful in all cases,” but it has completely disappeared since the war in Ukraine began.
There were also questions about Donald Trump’s vice president candidate, J.D. Vance, who has been very critical of his country’s full support for Ukraine and has suggested that the US should neglect that conflict.
“He is in favor of peace, in favor of ending the assistance that is being provided, and we can only applaud him because it is exactly what we need: stop supplying weapons to Ukraine without stopping, and so the war will end and we can start looking for solutions,” Lavrov said.
About possible negotiations between Russia and Ukraine at the end of the war, the minister made it clear what the red lines are: all the territories that had unilateral referendums for their incorporation into Russia are now a “non-negotiable issue, there is no discussion about it.”
“Now they are part of the Federation and it is enshrined in our constitution, we cannot leave them alone,” he said, referring to the four regions – Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporiya and Kherson – that in 2022 voted for their annexation to Russia, although they were not internationally recognized votes.
But he regretted that every gasmp of negotiations to end the war in Ukraine is stumbled upon the refusal of what he called the West and the European Union, which he criticized for marginalizing those who, as is the case of Viktor Orban’s Hungarian government, advocate seeking a negotiated way out of the war right now.
In this regard, he completely ruled out the 10-point peace plan of the Ukrainian president, Volodimir Zelenski, which he described as “extremely arrogant,” and contrasted it with what he called “China’s plan,” which according to him was improved with certain proposals from Brazil and that could serve as a negotiating base.
In a press conference in which he reviewed international politics in its entirety – including his thesis that the third world must work together for a “de-dollarization,” or less dependence on the dollar – he also referred to the Palestinian conflict and criticized the numerous Security Council resolutions breached by Israel with the connivance of its main partner, the United States.
He referred to Iran’s role in the region and the statements of the new president-elect in that country, Masud Pezeshkian, who according to Lavrov has “a very responsible position (which indicates) that Iran is not interested in an escalation” in the region, and particularly in Lebanon through its ally, the Lebanese Shiite movement Hizbulah, embroked in fighting with Israel.
For Lavrov, “it is Israel that is interested in escalation, while Hezbollah is being very restrusive in its actions”; unfortunately, he continued, “the impression is that there is an attempt to provoke them (…) so that they reach a direct participation with their armed force in this conflict.”
He assured that his country is “doing everything possible to calm the tension” on that Lebanese front, and said he hoped that “the West will also do everything in its power to ensure that this provocative trend of Israel is forgotten.”
International
Trump signs order to end federal funding for NPR and PBS
U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday to halt federal funding for two public media outlets, PBS television and NPR radio, accusing them of being biased.
NPR and PBS are partially funded by American taxpayers but rely heavily on private donations.
Trump has long maintained a hostile relationship with most media outlets, which he has referred to as the “enemy of the people.”
An exception is the conservative Fox News channel, some of whose hosts have played important roles in the administration of the Republican magnate.
“National Public Radio (NPR) and Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) receive taxpayer funding through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB),” Trump said.
“Therefore, I direct the CPB board and all executive departments and agencies to cease federal funding for NPR and PBS,” he added.
The Republican leader argued that “neither of these entities provides a fair, accurate, or impartial portrayal of current events to the taxpayer citizens.”
At the end of March, Donald Trump called on Congress to end public funding for these two “horrible and completely biased networks.”
International
Man arrested after deliberately driving into seven children in Osaka
Japanese police arrested a man on Thursday after he rammed his car into a group of seven schoolchildren in an apparent deliberate attack in the city of Osaka.
The children, who were on their way home from school, sustained injuries and were taken to the hospital. All seven remained conscious, according to local authorities.
An Osaka police officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the suspect is a 28-year-old man from Tokyo. The officer shared statements the man made after his arrest: “I was fed up with everything, so I decided to kill people by driving into several elementary school children,” the suspect reportedly said.
The man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.
The injured children, aged between seven and eight, included a seven-year-old girl who suffered a fractured jaw. The six other children—all boys—suffered minor injuries such as bruises and scratches and were undergoing medical evaluation.
Witnesses described the car as “zigzagging” before hitting the children. One witness told Nippon TV that a girl was “covered in blood” and the others appeared to have scratches.
Another witness said the driver, who was wearing a face mask, looked to be in shock when school staff pulled him from the vehicle.
Violent crimes are rare in Japan, though serious incidents do occur from time to time. In 2008, Tomohiro Kato drove a two-ton truck into pedestrians in Tokyo’s Akihabara district, then fatally stabbed several victims. Seven people were killed in that attack.
Internacionales
Clashes erupt during may day protests across France amid calls for better wages
May Day protests in France were marked by a heavy police presence and clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement in several cities.
In Paris, Lyon, and Nantes, thousands took to the streets to demand better wages, fairer working conditions, and to voice their dissatisfaction with President Emmanuel Macron’s government.
While the majority of the demonstrations remained peaceful, isolated confrontations broke out in some areas. Protesters threw objects at the police, prompting the use of tear gas and resulting in several arrests.
Videos showing police crackdowns circulated widely on social media, drawing criticism from labor unions and human rights advocates, who denounced the authorities’ response to the protests.
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