International
Stoltenberg asks the allies to prioritize the shipment of weapons to Ukraine over self-defense
The secretary general of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, on Wednesday asked the allied countries to give priority to the sending of weapons to Ukraine to defend themselves from Russia, in the face of the need to meet the reserve objectives of the Alliance for Self-Defense.
“If the allies face having to choose between meeting NATO’s capacity objectives and providing more help to Ukraine, my message is clear: send more to Ukraine,” Stoltenberg stressed during a press conference after meeting with the leaders of the Netherlands, Denmark and the Czech Republic.
Stoltenberg also confirmed that on Friday the meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council requested by the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, will take place, in which the president and the allied defense ministers will participate to “address the most urgent needs for support for Ukraine” and, in particular, for air defense and artillery ammunition.
The Norwegian politician made it clear that, as secretary general of NATO, it is “important that all allies achieve and meet the capacity objectives.”
“But I have realized that, at least in the short term, there can be a conflict between meeting all the objectives and supplying what Ukraine needs now, and that is why I have made it clear that if the only way to support Ukraine is to stay below NATO’s capacity objectives, that’s what needs to be done,” he stressed.
At the same time, he pointed out the importance of increasing production to replenish stocks in the Allied arsenals.
Stoltenberg met today with the prime ministers of the Czech Republic, Petr Fiala; of Denmark, Mette Frederiksen, and of the Netherlands, Mark Rutte, to talk about how to provide more air defense systems to Ukraine, “because the situation on the battlefield is still very difficult.”
He stressed that Denmark has announced a new and important aid package, the Netherlands has just confirmed another 4 billion euros in additional military aid for Kiev and the Czech Republic continues to lead an initiative that is collecting hundreds of millions of euros to send more artillery projectiles to Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Germany has indicated that it will send another Patriot air defense system to Ukraine, and there are “indications” that the United States Congress could address the expected multi-million-dollar aid package for Kiev in the coming days, Stoltenberg said.
On the air defenses that Ukraine needs, Rutte said that they must produce more themselves in the medium term, study what else they can supply from their own arsenals and buy what is “available around the world.”
Fiala highlighted that, through the Czech initiative to provide Ukraine with more large-caliber ammunition, about 200,000 projectiles have already been contracted and there are another 300,000 in process.
Frederiksen, for his part, said that all allies must “balance the needs we have as members of NATO and our own deterrence and defense, with all the things we want to do for Ukraine.”
International
Suspect Armed With Shotgun and Knives Detained at White House Correspondents Dinner
U.S. authorities confirmed Saturday that the suspect who stormed into the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner while President Donald Trump was attending acted alone, adding that there is no ongoing threat to the public following the incident, which left one Secret Service agent injured.
Acting Metropolitan Police Department chief Jeff Carroll said during a press conference that the suspect was carrying “a shotgun, a handgun, and multiple knives” when he attempted to pass through a Secret Service security checkpoint inside the hotel lobby at approximately 8:36 p.m. local time.
“At this point, everything indicates that this was a lone actor, a lone gunman,” Carroll stated, adding that investigators have found no preliminary evidence suggesting the involvement of additional suspects.
During the exchange of gunfire inside the hotel corridors, the suspect was not struck by bullets but was subdued by law enforcement officers and later transported to a hospital for medical evaluation.
A member of the United States Secret Service Uniformed Division was shot during the incident, though the bullet was stopped by the officer’s ballistic vest, preventing serious injuries. The agent was taken to a hospital and is reportedly “in good spirits,” according to Carroll.
The shooting prompted the immediate evacuation of President Trump, Melania Trump, and several senior officials attending the event after multiple gunshots were heard outside the hotel’s main ballroom.
International
U.S. allows Venezuela to fund Maduro and Cilia Flores’ legal defense
Until now, the U.S. administration had blocked the Venezuelan government from covering the legal fees of Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, who is also jailed and facing drug trafficking charges, due to international sanctions imposed on Venezuela.
The couple’s legal team had relied on that argument in an attempt to have the indictment dismissed, claiming that preventing a defendant from accessing counsel of their choice violates rights guaranteed under the Sixth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
However, the U.S. Treasury Department will now allow “defense attorneys to receive payments from the Government of Venezuela under certain conditions,” New York prosecutor Jay Clayton wrote in a letter dated Friday to Judge Alvin Hellerstein, who is overseeing the case.
According to the letter, the funds must have become available after March 5, 2026, and cannot come from Venezuelan oil sales regulated in the United States.
Since Maduro’s removal from power in early January, former Vice President Delcy Rodríguez has served as Venezuela’s interim leader.
The United States effectively controls Venezuelan crude exports, with revenues deposited into special accounts supervised by Washington.
Court documents filed on Friday show that the defense acknowledged the sanctions exemption and, for now, withdrew its motion seeking dismissal of the charges.
International
U.S. Sanctions Network Linked to Fentanyl Trafficking Across India, Guatemala and Mexico
The United States Department of State announced sanctions on Thursday against 23 individuals and companies allegedly linked to an international fentanyl production and smuggling network operating in India, Guatemala and Mexico.
According to the State Department, the network supplied precursor chemicals to the Sinaloa Cartel, which the United States has designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization.
Washington declared fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid, a weapon of mass destruction last year due to its role in the ongoing overdose crisis in the United States.
“By targeting the entire supply chain — from chemical suppliers in Asia to logistical intermediaries in Central America and cartel-linked networks in Mexico — the Trump Administration is dismantling networks that destabilize governance across our hemisphere and threaten U.S. security,” the State Department said.
In a separate statement, the Office of Foreign Assets Control detailed sanctions against three Indian chemical and pharmaceutical companies: Sutaria, Agrat and SR Chemicals, along with a sales executive accused of supplying precursor chemicals to contacts in Guatemala and Mexico.
In Guatemala, authorities sanctioned J and C Import and Central Logística de Servicios, as well as intermediary Jaime Augusto Barrientos.
The OFAC also designated several intermediaries and import companies operating in the Mexican state of Sinaloa.
As part of the investigation, U.S. authorities identified Ramiro Baltazar Félix as a member of Los Mayos, a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel, and Alejandro Reynoso, accused of operating clandestine drug laboratories in Guadalajara.
Suspect Armed With Shotgun and Knives Detained at White House Correspondents Dinner
U.S. allows Venezuela to fund Maduro and Cilia Flores’ legal defense
U.S. Sanctions Network Linked to Fentanyl Trafficking Across India, Guatemala and Mexico
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