International

Zelenski asks to create a European Army so that the United States takes the continent seriously

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky asked on Saturday for the creation of European Armed Forces to defend the continent of Russia and force the United States to count on Europe when making its geopolitical decisions.

“The time has come to create the Armed Forces of Europe,” said the Ukrainian president at the Munich Security Conference, in which he focused his speech on asking European leaders to make the necessary decisions so that “the future of Europe depends only on Europeans.”

Zelenski also explained that US President Donald Trump did not mention on a single occasion the role of Europe in the negotiations between Ukraine and Russia that he promotes during the recent phone call, and said that Europe “must have a chair at the table” in which its future is decided.

“No decision on Ukraine without Ukraine; no decision on Europe without Europe,” said the leader of Kiev in line with what was expressed at the same Munich Conference by many European leaders concerned about the way in which the US has begun to maintain contacts with Russia and Ukraine without asking for the opinion or consulting the European Union (EU) and its member countries.

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The Ukrainian president urged European leaders to form their own unitary army so that the US does not see the continent simply “as a market”, but also “with an ally” that it is obliged to count on.

Zelenski explained, expressly addressing NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, present at the hearing, that the European Army he claims would not be a substitute for the Atlantic Alliance, but a way of equalizing the European contribution to that of the US, a demand that Trump has been making since his first mandate.

The Ukrainian head of state appealed to the unity of the EU to face all these challenges.

“If it’s not Brussels, it will be Moscow. It’s your decision,” he said.

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International

Florida judge sets 2027 trial in Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against BBC

A federal judge in Florida has scheduled February 2027 for the trial in the lawsuit filed by U.S. President Donald Trump against the BBC, in which he is seeking $10 billion in damages for defamation.

Trump accuses the British broadcaster of airing a misleading edit of a speech he delivered on January 6, 2021, which, he says, made it appear that he explicitly urged his supporters to attack the U.S. Capitol in Washington.

The president filed the suit in December in federal court in Florida, alleging defamation and violations of a law governing business practices when the program was broadcast ahead of the 2024 election.

Trump is seeking $5 billion in damages for each of the two claims.

Lawyers for the BBC unsuccessfully asked the court to dismiss the case, arguing that Trump had not suffered a “legally recognizable harm,” since the investigative program Panorama, which included the edited footage, aired outside the United States.

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International

Head-of-state diplomacy key to guiding China–U.S. ties, Beijing says

Head-of-state diplomacy plays an irreplaceable strategic guiding role in China–United States relations, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Thursday during a regular press briefing, when asked about high-level exchanges between the two sides.

Lin added that in a recent phone call, U.S. President Donald Trump once again expressed his intention to visit China in April, while Chinese President Xi Jinping reiterated his invitation.

Both sides remain in communication regarding the matter, the spokesperson said.

Lin noted that the essence of China–U.S. economic and trade ties lies in mutual benefit and win-win outcomes.

“Both parties should work together to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, injecting greater certainty and stability into China–U.S. economic and trade cooperation, as well as into the global economy,” he said.

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International

Trump administration to end special immigration operation in Minnesota

The administration of Donald Trump is bringing to a close its special operation targeting illegal immigration in the northern state of Minnesota, border czar Tom Homan announced Thursday, following weeks of unrest and the fatal shootings of two activists by federal agents.

Thousands of federal officers had been deployed to Minnesota in December to carry out large-scale raids against undocumented immigrants.

The operations triggered strong reactions from residents and advocacy groups, leading to daily confrontations and the deaths of two people who were shot by federal agents.

“I proposed, and President Trump agreed, that this special operation should end in Minnesota,” Homan said during a press conference in the state capital, Minneapolis.

“A significant drawdown began this week and will continue into next week,” he added.

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Homan indicated that similar enforcement efforts could be launched in other cities.

“Next week we will redeploy the agents currently here back to their home stations or to other parts of the country where they are needed. But we will continue to enforce immigration laws,” he said.