International
Trump says it is more difficult to deal with Ukraine than with Russia
The President of the United States, Donald Trump, declared this Friday that it is more difficult to deal with Ukraine than with Russia in negotiations to end the war.
The Republican made these statements in the White House after having threatened on social networks to impose new sanctions on Russia for its recent attacks on Ukraine.
“Frankly, it is increasingly difficult for me to deal with Ukraine,” said Trump, who said that he is doing “very well with Russia” despite recognizing that the Kremlin forces are “bombing Ukraine like crazy.”
“In terms of reaching a final agreement, it may be easier to deal with Russia, which is surprising,” he said.
Trump assured that Russian President Vladimir Putin is doing “what anyone would do in his position.”
He also assured that Putin wants peace and that during the negotiations “he will be more generous than he should be.”
These statements contrast with a message published hours earlier on its Truth Social network in which it threatened with “large-scale” sanctions against Russia for “crushing” Ukraine on the war front.
“Considering that Russia is crushing Ukraine on the war front right now, I am seriously evaluating imposing large-scale bank sanctions, sanctions and tariffs on Russia until a ceasefire and a peace agreement are reached,” Trump said in a message on Truth Social, his social network.
The US leader urged in his message both Kiev and Moscow to “sit at the negotiating table now, before it’s too late.”
Trump did not detail what measures he plans to impose against Moscow, given that since the beginning of the invasion, Washington has already applied massive sanctions and trade between the two countries is at a minimum, with just 3.5 billion dollars in 2024.
The United States, Kiev’s key ally since the beginning of the war, has changed its strategy with Trump’s arrival in power, suspending the sending of military equipment and the exchange of intelligence with Ukraine.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, White House National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff will travel next week to Saudi Arabia to meet with a Ukrainian delegation.
Waltz explained that this meeting will serve to “renew” the negotiations after the discussion in the Oval Office between Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, which thwarted the signing of a first agreement on mineral exploitation in Ukraine.
International
Mexican government prioritizes 191 communities after deadly floods
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed on Wednesday that the death toll from recent rains and floods across several central states has risen to 66, while the federal government has activated air bridges and prioritized assistance in 191 isolated communities.
“Unfortunately, 66 people have died, and 75 remain missing,” the president said during her morning press conference. She added that the official death toll will be updated later in a new report.
As of Tuesday, authorities had reported 64 fatalities. Sheinbaum also announced the creation of a public information center to centralize official data on the deceased, missing persons, damaged homes, and cut-off communities.
According to the president, the number of missing persons has decreased thanks to coordination with state authorities.
“Through calls to phone line 079, 103 people who had been reported missing have now been located,” she explained.
Priority Municipalities
The president noted that the federal government has classified 191 communities as ‘priority’, a designation based mainly on the percentage of homes affected.
International
New road and bridge explosions raise alarm amid indigenous protests in Ecuador
Ecuadorian authorities are investigating two explosions that occurred early Wednesday, one on a road in the southern part of the country and another under a bridge in Guayas province. These incidents follow the car bomb explosion in the coastal city of Guayaquil, also in Guayas, which occurred the day before and left one person dead and 30 injured.
Press reports indicate that one person was injured and several vehicles were damaged in the explosion on the Cuenca-Girón-Pasaje road in the south.
“Besides yesterday’s explosion in Guayaquil, we have received reports of explosives placed on bridges along the Guayaquil-Machala and Machala-Cuenca routes to disrupt traffic,” said Roberto Luque, Minister of Infrastructure and Transport (MIT).
On his X social media account, Luque reported that authorities have been deployed to the sites to assess the damage and determine the current condition of the structures.
“What they haven’t achieved with their call for a strike, some are trying to achieve through terrorism,” he stated, referring to the 24 days of protests organized by the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities (Conaie) against rising diesel prices and other demands.
The protests, called at a national level, have Imbabura province as their epicenter. Roadblocks have also been reported in the northern part of Pichincha province, whose capital is Quito, while activities in the rest of the country continue normally.
International
Armed forces target illegal mines in Northern Ecuador with bombing raids
Ecuador’s Armed Forces carried out an operation on Monday — including airstrikes — against illegal mining in the town of Buenos Aires, in the country’s north, Defense Minister Gian Carlo Loffredo reported.
The mountainous, gold-rich area has been a hotspot for illegal mining since 2017, located in the Andean province of Imbabura.
In 2019, former president Lenín Moreno deployed around 2,400 soldiers to the region in an attempt to curb the illegal activity. “The operation began with mortar fire, followed by gunfire and bombing runs by Supertucano aircraft,” Loffredo said in a video released by the Defense Ministry.
He added that the operation would continue on Tuesday with patrols across the area to locate possible members of “irregular armed groups that may have crossed from the Colombian border.”
The Armed Forces stated on X that the intervention focused on the “complete elimination of multiple illegal mining tunnels” in the areas known as Mina Nueva and Mina Vieja.
The operation coincided with the deployment of a military and police convoy into Imbabura, which has been the epicenter of protests against President Daniel Noboa since September 22, following his decision to scrap the diesel subsidy.
Mexican government prioritizes 191 communities after deadly floods
New road and bridge explosions raise alarm amid indigenous protests in Ecuador
Armed forces target illegal mines in Northern Ecuador with bombing raids
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
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