International
Borrell calls for a meeting of ministers in Brussels and not in Budapest in protest of Orbán’s tour
The head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, decided on Monday to convene the EU foreign and defense ministers in Brussels in Brussels at the end of August, instead of the one planned in Budapest, to show the EU’s rejection of the tour of the Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán through Russia, China and the United States.
“We must send a signal, even if it is symbolic,” Borrell said at a press conference, about the boycott that some EU countries are willing to carry out against the rotating presidency of the European Union that Hungary holds this semester.
However, “I reject the word ‘boycott,” said the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, given that “the meeting will be held and Hungary will participate in it” will be held wherever it is held.
But he did consider that Orbán’s interviews with Russian President Vladimir Putin; Chinese President XI Jinping and former US President and re-election candidate Donald Trump should have “consequences,” so he considered it “appropriate” that the August meeting be held in Brussels and not in Budapest.
The EU foreign ministers, who today held their last meeting in the EU capital before the August break, discussed the possibility of meeting again in Ukraine at the end of August, instead of in Budapest, but Hungary opposed it, so the proposal did not go ahead, due to the lack of unity required.
The spokesman for the Hungarian Government, Zoltan Kovac, said that Hungary faces an “aggressive and warring hysteria for its ‘peace mission’” and called the discussion about whether to oppose the informal meeting in Budapest as “childish.”
Kovac pointed out that Hungary is “prepared” to hold the meeting in its country, “but it is also willing to attend if it is held in Brussels,” as he wrote in a message on his official account on social network X.
“There is no hysteria, we are just telling the truth,” said Borrell, who assured that “the only one who is in favor of the war is Putin, who wants the participation and surrender of Ukraine as preconditions for any conversation (of peace) and any ceasefire.”
The possibility of torpedoing the Hungarian presidency, however, does not convince the Twenty-seven equally, since the Spanish Foreign Minister, José Manuel Albares, said that “Spain does not support boycotts within the EU,” although he will see “meeting by meeting, according to the content of the agenda,” who sends to the meetings.
Also the Luxembourg Foreign Minister, Xavier Bettel, assured that it “does not make sense” to act in this way, that they have defended Poland, the Baltic countries, Sweden and Denmark.
Beyond this issue, Borrell defended the need for EU countries to support the reconstruction of Ukraine’s electricity grid, damaged by Russian bombings, given that “Putin wants to bring darkness and cold to Ukraine.”
In this sense, the European Investment Bank, whose president, the Spanish Nadia Calviño, attended the meeting with the ministers, today announced new loans worth 450 million euros for the reconstruction of hydroelectric plants and the electricity grid damaged by the Russian bombings.
Kovac also announced that Hungary and Slovakia conveyed their disagreement over Ukraine’s decision to partially ban the passage of Russian gas through their territory, which is affecting those EU countries.
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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