International

Macron brings together European leaders and NATO in response to Trump’s plan for Ukraine

French President Emmanuel Macron meets this Monday in Paris with the main European leaders, the European Commission (EC) and NATO in response to the plan of US President Donald Trump to corner Europeans in an eventual peace process in Ukraine.

“The goal is to determine what Europeans can do for ourselves, taking into account the moment we live in Ukraine as a result of President Trump’s initiatives,” said an Elysee source.

Described as “informal” by the French presidency, the emergency meeting will bring together, in addition to the French host, the Heads of State and Government of Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, Poland, Spain, the Netherlands and Denmark.

The President of the European Council, António Costa, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the Secretary General of NATO, Mark Rutte, will also participate.

According to the Elysée, this meeting has been convened in a restricted way, with only eight European countries, for “practical” reasons, but the idea is that everyone involved “can participate” in future meetings.

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The Paris event is held after the Munich Security Conference, in which Donald Trump’s government has confirmed its intention to leave Europeans aside in a possible peace process for Ukraine, three years after the Russian invasion.

Trump’s envoy for the war in Ukraine, General Keith Kellogg, argued for separating Europe from the negotiations, which would initially fall between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, who already had a first telephone conversation in the middle of this week.

This intention by Washington has made Europeans uncomfortable and worried, but also Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky himself, who would also be relegated to the background.

Among the participants of tomorrow’s meeting, Denmark is striking, which by GDP and population is not among the European powers.

However, Copenhagen is uneasy about Trump’s desire to take control of the island of Greenland, which is Danish territory.

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The assistance of the United Kingdom, which ceased to be a member of the EU five years ago, has also surprised.

However, under the government of Labor Prime Minister Keir Starmer, London has approached Brussels and has moved away from its historical ally, the United States, especially since Trump joined the White House on January 20.

In fact, Starmer said he was prepared to move British troops to Ukraine to contribute to security guarantees in the Eastern European country.

Sweden has expressed itself in the same vein. Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard did not rule out that her country could send a military peace contingent to Ukraine to contribute to security guarantees in that country.

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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.”