International

Borrell: the EU will support Ukraine until Putin decides to stop the war

The High Representative for Foreign Affairs of the European Union (EU), Josep Borrell, said on Sunday that the Twenty-seven will support Ukraine “until (Vladimir) Putin decides to stop the war,” something that will not happen “soon,” but will probably have to wait for the elections in the United States to know the future of the conflict.

In a panel of the special meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF), which started today in Riyadh and lasts until tomorrow, Borrell reiterated the EU’s commitment to support Ukraine in the war against Russia regardless of the budgetary investment that this represents.

“We will continue to support the people in Ukraine (…) There are those who ask how much money we will spend on the war. We pledged to support Ukraine to resist until Putin decides to stop the war, but I don’t think it will happen soon,” said the top representative in EU Security Policy.

In his speech, Borrell recalled that “Putin began the war” and pointed out that the Russian president “will wait for the United States elections” to consider the future or the possibility of ending the conflict that began a little more than two years ago.

Regarding the length of the war between Russia and Ukraine in time, he showed his concern that something similar will happen in the Middle East and referred to the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, another example of “a war between two parties for the same territory where the only solution is to share.”

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And he asks “not to open Pandora’s box of new wars” in the face of the growth of international tensions resulting from the new world order.

Borrell summarized the changes that international relations have undergone in recent years, in which he went from talking about east-west and north-south blocks, to talking about “north, south, east and west.”

“There is no clear understanding of what the world is like today. Competition is fine, but the problem is not to compete, but confrontation and there is more confrontation because there are more poles and fewer rules. Power has been redistributed, there are more actors and fewer rules. That’s why there is disorder,” he explained to the audience.

According to Borrell, the main consequence of this new world order is a redistribution of powers that has changed the relationship of forces and many of it have been directed towards Asia, while the “north and west has decreased in importance” while countries such as Saudi Arabia and China grow.

In this sense, he pointed out that “war is not only with bombs, but with narratives” and stressed the importance of geography to establish relations and alliances, sometimes relationships of dependency that are used against the partners themselves.

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“Today we need more cooperation (…) We have to respect the existing rules and change those that do not adapt to today’s world. Many things work because there is a gap between what we have to do and what we do,” he added.

Borrell admitted that there is something true in the caricature they make of the European Union: dependence on Russian gas (which went from 45% to 10% since the outbreak of the war), on the security of NATO led by the United States and on trade with China.

But it was clear that that is going to change: “We have to adapt to the new world. Being more responsible with one’s own security and resources (…) New countries have shown an incredible capacity for technological innovation. More union in Europe to survive in a world of giants and take into account the priorities of others” for self-development.

International

Two killed in shooting at restaurant near Frankfurt Airport

Two people were shot dead early Tuesday at a restaurant in Raunheim, near Frankfurt Airport, according to local police.

Preliminary findings indicate that an armed individual entered the establishment at around 03:45 local time (02:45 GMT) and opened fire on the victims, who died at the scene from their injuries.

The suspect fled and remains at large, while the motive behind the shooting is still unclear, German media reported. Authorities have launched a large-scale search operation.

International

U.S. counterterrorism chief resigns over opposition to war in Iran

Joe Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, announced Tuesday that he has resigned from his post, citing his opposition to the ongoing war in Iran.

In a post on X, Kent said he could not, “in good conscience,” support the conflict, arguing that Iran did not pose an imminent threat to the United States. He also claimed that the war was driven by pressure from Israel and its lobbying influence in Washington.

In a resignation letter addressed to Donald Trump, Kent alleged that at the start of the current administration, senior Israeli officials and influential figures in U.S. media carried out a disinformation campaign that undermined the “America First” platform and fostered pro-war sentiment aimed at triggering a conflict with Iran.

Kent further stated that he could not support sending a new generation of Americans to “fight and die in a war that provides no benefit to the American people and does not justify the cost in American lives.”

Since the United States and Israel launched attacks against Iran on February 28, at least 13 U.S. service members have been killed, while 10 others have been seriously wounded and around 200 have sustained minor injuries, according to a report published by The Wall Street Journal.

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International

German president warns Iran war could spread and disrupt Strait of Hormuz

The president of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, warned Monday that the war involving Iran could expand and further disrupt shipping through the strategic Strait of Hormuz. He urged a swift end to hostilities between Iran, United States and Israel.

Speaking in Panama City during a joint appearance with Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino, Steinmeier said available information suggests Iran has significant capacity to disrupt maritime traffic through the key oil route.

“Iran has considerable potential to interfere with shipping through the Strait of Hormuz,” Steinmeier said through an interpreter. “We should therefore reach an end to the hostilities as soon as possible and call on all parties involved to make that happen.”

The remarks came during Steinmeier’s visit to Panama, the first by a German president to the Central American nation.

The German leader described the possibility of the conflict spreading as “very dangerous,” saying recent developments indicate that such a scenario cannot be ruled out.

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Over the weekend, U.S. President Donald Trump urged allied nations to help ensure safe passage for ships through the Strait of Hormuz after Iran moved to block the waterway in response to U.S. strikes. However, several allies—particularly in Europe—have shown little support for the proposal.

“Some are very enthusiastic, others are not, and some are countries we have helped for many years,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “We have protected them from terrible external threats, and they’re not that enthusiastic. And the level of enthusiasm is important to me.”

Meanwhile, Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s top diplomat, said the Strait of Hormuz falls “outside NATO’s scope” and stressed that “the war involving Iran is not Europe’s war.”