International

‘Stop this war’: Arnold Schwarzenegger to Putin

AFP

“Terminator” star Arnold Schwarzenegger appealed to Vladimir Putin on Thursday to end the “senseless” war in Ukraine and praised Russians protesting the conflict as his “new heroes.”

“Ukraine did not start this war,” the former California governor said in an emotional message to the people of Russia and Russian troops posted to his Twitter account.

“I’m speaking to you today because there are things going on in the world that are being kept from you, terrible things that you should know about,” he said in the powerful nine-minute video.

The Austrian-born former bodybuilding champion, whose film “Red Heat” was the first American movie filmed in Moscow’s Red Square, spoke of his affection for the Russian people and meeting his idol, Russian weightlifter Yuri Vlasov, when he was 14 years old.

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“The strength and the heart of the Russian people have always inspired me,” he said. “That is why I hope that you will let me tell you the truth about the war in Ukraine.”

“I know that your government has told you that this is a war to do ‘de-Nazify’ Ukraine,” he said. “This is not true. Those in power in the Kremlin started this war. This is not the Russian people’s war.”

Schwarzenegger said “the world has turned against Russia because of its actions in Ukraine — whole city blocks have been flattened by Russian artillery and bombs, including a children’s hospital and a maternity hospital.

“Because of its brutality, Russia is now isolated from the society of nations,” he said.

In an appeal to Russian troops, Schwarzenegger recalled the wounds suffered by his father while fighting for the Nazis in Russia during World War II.

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“He was broken physically and mentally and lived the rest of his life in pain,” he said. “To the Russian troops listening to this broadcast… I don’t want you to be broken like my father.

“This is not the war to defend Russia that your grandfathers or your great-grandfathers fought,” he said. “This is an illegal war. Your lives, your limbs, your futures have been sacrificed for a senseless war condemned by the entire world.”

Addressing Putin directly, Schwarzenegger said: “You started this war. You are leading this war. You can stop this war.”

He closed the message with praise for Russians risking arrest by protesting against the war.

“The world has seen your bravery,” he said. “You are my new heroes.”

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International

White House says Cuba policy unchanged despite sanctioned fuel shipment

The White House said Monday that it has not changed its policy toward Cuba, despite allowing a sanctioned Russian oil tanker to deliver fuel to the island on humanitarian grounds.

U.S. officials emphasized that the decision was made as an exception and does not signal a broader shift in policy.

The administration added that similar decisions would be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, depending on humanitarian considerations.

The clarification comes amid ongoing restrictions related to U.S. sanctions policy, which continue to limit trade and financial flows involving Cuba.

International

Spain to grant citizenship to Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo López

The Spanish government is expected to grant citizenship this Tuesday to Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo Lópezthrough an extraordinary procedure known as “carta de naturaleza.”

The decision will be approved by royal decree, an exceptional legal mechanism used in special cases that require expedited resolution due to specific circumstances.

López has been living in Madrid since 2020, after leaving Venezuela following a prolonged political and legal conflict with the government of Nicolás Maduro.

According to government sources, López currently does not have a valid Venezuelan passport and faces difficulties in having his nationality fully recognized in his home country.

As a result, he applied for Spanish citizenship via a fast-track process at the end of 2025, after previously attempting to obtain it through regular procedures.

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The Spanish government justified the move based on López’s international relevance and foreign policy considerations.

López is the leader of the Voluntad Popular party and co-founder of the World Liberty Congress, an initiative launched in 2022 alongside figures such as Garry Kasparov and Masih Alinejad.

International

ICE to remain at airports amid DHS shutdown, Homan says

The U.S. “border czar,” Tom Homan, said Sunday that agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will remain deployed at airports until operations return to “100% normal,” as the shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) continues.

“We will maintain ICE presence until airports feel they are fully back to normal operations,” Homan said during an interview on Face the Nation on CBS.

Homan justified the deployment on security grounds, noting that the measure was ordered by President Donald Trumpamid widespread absenteeism among agents of the Transportation Security Administration, who have gone without pay for over six weeks due to the DHS shutdown.

According to acting TSA administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill, at least 460 TSA agents have resigned during the shutdown, while daily absenteeism has averaged 11%, exceeding 50% at some airports.

Homan warned that if TSA staffing levels do not recover after the shutdown, ICE agents will continue filling the gap. “ICE is there to support our TSA brothers and sisters. We will remain as long as needed to ensure airport security,” he said.

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The DHS shutdown reached 44 days on Sunday, making it the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. The impasse stems from disagreements between Democrats and Republicans over ICE funding.

A recent bipartisan Senate proposal to fund DHS without including ICE failed after being blocked by House Republicans, who insist on full funding for the agency.

Amid the deadlock, Trump signed an executive order directing Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin to immediately pay TSA agents to address what he called an “emergency situation” and restore order at airports, with payments expected to begin Monday.