International
Russia accuses the United States of recruiting Mexican and Colombian prisoners to fight in Ukraine
Russia’s Foreign Espionage Service (SVR) accused private military companies in the United States of recruiting inmates from Mexico and Colombia in US prisons to send them to fight in the war in Ukraine.
“Private US military companies, under the direction of the Federal Drug Control Administration and the FBI, began recruiting representatives of Mexican and Colombian drug cartels who are serving sentences in U.S. prisons to participate in the Ukrainian conflict,” the SVR said in a statement.
According to the entity, “the United States is resorting to increasingly desperate methods in its attempts to change the situation on the Ukrainian front, by reinforcing the ranks of demobilized Ukrainian military with multinational scum with tendencies to armed violence.”
“Of course, the prospects of a new injection of ‘fortune soldiers’ chosen from serial killers, drug addicts and rapists (…) raise concern. However, the US plans to achieve a tactical advantage on the battlefield with this are destined for failure,” the SVR added.
He added that the first game of “these hitmen is scheduled to be transferred to the battlefield in the summer of this year.”
“The criminal gang will be made up of several hundred Mexicans and Colombians. In case they accept this ‘work’ they are promised total amnesty in the hope that they will never return” from Ukraine, the entity said.
The SVR warned that “if the pilot project (…) turns out, the recruitment program of killers will continue and will be expanded with the appeal of criminals from other countries with serious crime situations.”
However, he pointed out that this process is going through difficulties, since “negotiations with the narco-barons are difficult” and no criminal dares to cooperate with the US authorities without the approval of their bosses.
“The bosses of the gangs try to sell their henchmen as expensive as possible, putting compliance with American plans at risk,” the Russian espionage estimated.
The SVR pointed out that this shows that President Joe Biden’s Administration “admits in practice his impotence and shows us once again the inconsistency of the Kiev regime boosted by them.”
After the failure of the summer counteroffensive of 2023, Ukraine has had great difficulties with the call to ranks, which have been aggravated by the delays in the approval of a new mobilization law, which has been bogged down in the Supreme Rada for four months.
The president of Ukraine himself, Volodymyr Zelensky, called on Ukrainian deputies to put aside “populism” and approve the new mobilization law.
International
U.S. Senate Rejects Budget, Bringing Government Closer to Shutdown Amid DHS Dispute
The U.S. Senate voted on Thursday against a budget proposal in a move aimed at pressuring changes at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), following the killing of two civilians during a deployment of immigration agents in Minneapolis.
All Senate Democrats and seven Republican lawmakers voted against the bill, which requires 60 votes to advance, pushing the country closer to a partial government shutdown that would cut funding for several agencies, including the Pentagon and the Department of Health.
The rejection came as Senate leaders and the White House continue negotiations on a separate funding package for DHS that would allow reforms to the agency. Proposed measures include banning Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from wearing face coverings and requiring them to use body-worn cameras during operations.
The vote took place just hours after President Donald Trump said he was “close” to reaching an agreement with Democrats and did not believe the federal government would face another shutdown, following last year’s record stoppage.
“I don’t think the Democrats want a shutdown either, so we’ll work in a bipartisan way to avoid it. Hopefully, there will be no government shutdown. We’re working on that right now,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting at the White House.
International
Trump Says Putin Agreed to One-Week Halt in Attacks on Ukraine Amid Extreme Cold
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he secured a commitment from Russian President Vladimir Putinto halt attacks against Ukraine for one week, citing extreme weather conditions affecting the region.
“Because of the extreme cold (…) I personally asked Putin not to attack Kyiv or other cities and towns for a week. And he agreed. He was very pleasant,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting broadcast by the White House.
Trump acknowledged that several advisers had questioned the decision to make the call.
“A lot of people told me not to waste the call because they wouldn’t agree. And he accepted. And we’re very happy they did, because they don’t need missiles hitting their towns and cities,” the president said.
According to Trump, Ukrainian authorities reacted with surprise to the announcement but welcomed the possibility of a temporary ceasefire.
“It’s extraordinarily cold, record cold (…) They say they’ve never experienced cold like this,” he added.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later commented on the announcement, expressing hope that the agreement would be honored.
International
Storm Kristin Kills Five in Portugal, Leaves Nearly 500,000 Without Power
Storm Kristin, which battered Portugal with heavy rain and strong winds early Wednesday, has left at least five people dead, while nearly half a million residents remained without electricity as of Thursday, according to updated figures from authorities.
The revised death toll was confirmed to AFP by a spokesperson for the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANPEC). On Wednesday, the agency had reported four fatalities.
Meanwhile, E-Redes, the country’s electricity distribution network operator, said that around 450,000 customers were still without power, particularly in central Portugal.
Emergency services responded to approximately 1,500 incidents between midnight and 8:00 a.m. local time on Wednesday, as the storm caused widespread disruptions.
The Portuguese government described Kristin as an “extreme weather event” that inflicted significant damage across several regions of the country. At the height of the storm, as many as 850,000 households and institutions lost electricity during the early hours of Wednesday.
Several municipalities ordered the closure of schools, many of which remained shut on Thursday due to ongoing adverse conditions.
Ricardo Costa, regional deputy commander of the Leiria Fire Brigade, said residents continue to seek assistance as rainfall persists.
“Even though the rain is not extremely intense, it is causing extensive damage to homes,” he noted.
In Figueira da Foz, a coastal city in central Portugal, strong winds toppled a giant Ferris wheel, underscoring the severity of the storm.
U.S. Senate Rejects Budget, Bringing Government Closer to Shutdown Amid DHS Dispute
Trump Says Putin Agreed to One-Week Halt in Attacks on Ukraine Amid Extreme Cold
Storm Kristin Kills Five in Portugal, Leaves Nearly 500,000 Without Power
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
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