International

Ukraine’s security a priority as NATO discusses future of conflict with Russia

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte is holding an informal meeting on Wednesday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other European leaders to discuss the “next steps” in the conflict with Russia.

The meeting is expected to include several heads of government, such as Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, as well as senior officials from Denmark, the Netherlands, and Poland.

The United Kingdom will be represented by Foreign Secretary David Lammy, while the European Union will be represented by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa.

Speaking to the Italian parliament on Tuesday, Meloni stated that the meeting in Brussels was an “important opportunity to discuss the future of the conflict.”

On Wednesday, Rutte stated that the current priority was to provide Ukraine with weapons and resources to place the country in a stronger position.

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“If we now discuss among ourselves what a potential agreement might look like, we will be making it easier for Russia,” he said.

Meanwhile, Scholz stated that discussing the deployment of troops to monitor a ceasefire “makes no sense.”

On Wednesday, before the European Parliament, von der Leyen emphasized that reinforcing Ukraine’s capabilities was “not just a moral imperative, but also a strategic one.”

According to von der Leyen, “The world is watching. Our friends, and especially our adversaries, are closely observing how we sustain our support for Ukraine.”

For Ukraine, it is a race against time, as Trump insists on a peace agreement to end the war (which he promises to resolve in one day) and suggests the possibility of suspending military aid to Kiev.

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Ukrainian leaders, who had been adamantly opposed to the idea of peace negotiations with Russia, are now admitting the possibility, provided the country’s security is guaranteed.

International

Two killed in shooting at restaurant near Frankfurt Airport

Two people were shot dead early Tuesday at a restaurant in Raunheim, near Frankfurt Airport, according to local police.

Preliminary findings indicate that an armed individual entered the establishment at around 03:45 local time (02:45 GMT) and opened fire on the victims, who died at the scene from their injuries.

The suspect fled and remains at large, while the motive behind the shooting is still unclear, German media reported. Authorities have launched a large-scale search operation.

International

U.S. counterterrorism chief resigns over opposition to war in Iran

Joe Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, announced Tuesday that he has resigned from his post, citing his opposition to the ongoing war in Iran.

In a post on X, Kent said he could not, “in good conscience,” support the conflict, arguing that Iran did not pose an imminent threat to the United States. He also claimed that the war was driven by pressure from Israel and its lobbying influence in Washington.

In a resignation letter addressed to Donald Trump, Kent alleged that at the start of the current administration, senior Israeli officials and influential figures in U.S. media carried out a disinformation campaign that undermined the “America First” platform and fostered pro-war sentiment aimed at triggering a conflict with Iran.

Kent further stated that he could not support sending a new generation of Americans to “fight and die in a war that provides no benefit to the American people and does not justify the cost in American lives.”

Since the United States and Israel launched attacks against Iran on February 28, at least 13 U.S. service members have been killed, while 10 others have been seriously wounded and around 200 have sustained minor injuries, according to a report published by The Wall Street Journal.

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International

German president warns Iran war could spread and disrupt Strait of Hormuz

The president of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, warned Monday that the war involving Iran could expand and further disrupt shipping through the strategic Strait of Hormuz. He urged a swift end to hostilities between Iran, United States and Israel.

Speaking in Panama City during a joint appearance with Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino, Steinmeier said available information suggests Iran has significant capacity to disrupt maritime traffic through the key oil route.

“Iran has considerable potential to interfere with shipping through the Strait of Hormuz,” Steinmeier said through an interpreter. “We should therefore reach an end to the hostilities as soon as possible and call on all parties involved to make that happen.”

The remarks came during Steinmeier’s visit to Panama, the first by a German president to the Central American nation.

The German leader described the possibility of the conflict spreading as “very dangerous,” saying recent developments indicate that such a scenario cannot be ruled out.

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Over the weekend, U.S. President Donald Trump urged allied nations to help ensure safe passage for ships through the Strait of Hormuz after Iran moved to block the waterway in response to U.S. strikes. However, several allies—particularly in Europe—have shown little support for the proposal.

“Some are very enthusiastic, others are not, and some are countries we have helped for many years,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “We have protected them from terrible external threats, and they’re not that enthusiastic. And the level of enthusiasm is important to me.”

Meanwhile, Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s top diplomat, said the Strait of Hormuz falls “outside NATO’s scope” and stressed that “the war involving Iran is not Europe’s war.”