International

Putin and Witkoff address possible direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin and US emissary Steve Witkoff addressed today in the Kremlin possible direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine to achieve a peaceful settlement of the conflict.

“It was about, among other things, the possible resumption of direct negotiations between representatives of Russia and Ukraine,” said Yuri Ushakov, international adviser to the Kremlin, during a telephone press conference.

Ushakov stressed that the meeting, which lasted for three hours, served to “bring positions closer” between the Kremlin and the White House.

In addition, he stressed that, by virtue of what was agreed by both presidents, the Russian-American consultations will soon continue actively.

US President Donald Trump today defended Moscow’s position on the membership of the annexed Crimean peninsula to the Russian Federation, something that Ukraine considers inadmissible.

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In addition, he assured that Russia’s commitment to cease hostilities and give up taking more territories than it already controls in the neighboring country are sufficient concessions.

Putin was willing for the first time to resume direct contacts with Kiev this week by alluding to a possible 30-day truce in the attacks on civilian infrastructure, at the proposal of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

“This must all be studied thoroughly, even at a bilateral level,” he said at the time.

In this regard, Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov said that the main obstacle is the decree signed by Zelenski that prevents him from negotiating face to face with Putin.

Representatives of Russia and Ukraine held direct negotiations in Minsk just after the start of the Russian military intervention on February 24, 2022 and met again in March in Istanbul.

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Russia maintains that both parties had reached a principle of agreement, but the interference of the United Kingdom threw down the consensus, although experts claim that the Russian demands represented, in fact, the capitulation of Kiev.

Meanwhile, Russia continues its offensive against Ukraine and last night launched 103 drones on Ukrainian territory, of which 41 were attack and were shot down by Ukrainian air defenses and another 40 without explosive charge fell without causing damage, according to the report issued on Friday by the Ukrainian Air Force.

The attack caused damage in the regions of Kharkov and Sumi, in northeastern Ukraine, in Donetsk in the east of the country and in the Cherkasi and Dnipropetrovsk regions, in the center.

In the town of Pavlograd in the latter region, three people, including a child, died, according to regional authorities.

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International

IEA warns Middle East conflict could spark worst energy crisis in decades

The ongoing conflict in the Middle East could trigger the worst energy crisis in decades, warned Fatih Birol, head of the International Energy Agency (IEA), who described the situation as “very serious.”

Speaking at the National Press Club in Canberra, Birol compared the current scenario to the oil crises of the 1970s, noting that during those events the world lost around five million barrels of oil per day in each crisis.

“Today, we have lost 11 million barrels per day—more than the two major oil shocks combined,” he said.

The Turkish economist referred to the conflict that began on February 28, following attacks by the United States and Israel against Iran, which have significantly disrupted global energy markets and driven oil prices higher.

Birol warned that the global economy is facing a “very, very serious threat” and expressed hope that the crisis will be resolved soon.

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“No country will be immune to the effects of this crisis if it continues in this direction. Global efforts are urgently needed,” he emphasized.

International

Colombian Air Force Hercules plane crashes during takeoff with troops onboard

A Lockheed C-130 Hercules operated by the Colombian Air Force was involved in a “tragic accident” while taking off from Puerto Leguízamo, in the Putumayo department of southern Colombia, as it was transporting troops, Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez reported on Monday.

The minister stated on social media that the exact number of victims and the causes of the crash have not yet been determined. He also extended his condolences to the families affected and urged the public to avoid speculation until official information is confirmed.

“This is a deeply painful event for the country. Our prayers are with the victims and their families,” Sánchez said, adding that emergency protocols have been activated and an investigation is underway.

Meanwhile, President Gustavo Petro expressed hope that there would be no fatalities in what he described as a “horrific accident that should not have happened.”

Petro also highlighted ongoing efforts to modernize the country’s air fleet and reiterated the need to acquire new helicopters and transport aircraft to strengthen military mobility, particularly in remote regions.

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According to local media reports, approximately 110 soldiers were on board the aircraft. So far, at least 20 injured military personnel have been rescued.

International

Paris prosecutors alert U.S. over alleged deepfake strategy linked to Elon Musk

The Paris Prosecutor’s Office said on Saturday that it had alerted authorities in the United States over suspicions that tech entrepreneur Elon Musk may have encouraged the spread of sexualized deepfake content on the social platform X to artificially boost the company’s valuation.

According to prosecutors, the controversy surrounding explicit AI-generated videos—reportedly linked to Grok, the platform’s artificial intelligence system—may have been deliberately triggered to increase the market value of X and X AI.

The office added that the alleged strategy could be tied to the planned June 2026 public listing of a new entity formed through the merger of SpaceX and X AI.

French authorities said they contacted the U.S. Department of Justice as well as legal representatives at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) earlier this week to share their concerns.

Responding on X in French to a report about the case, Musk referred to French prosecutors using an offensive term.

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When contacted, X’s legal representative in France did not immediately comment.

Grok, the platform’s AI system, has its own account on X, allowing users to interact with it or request content generation. For a period, users were able to tag the bot in posts to generate or edit images, a feature that may have facilitated the spread of such material.