International
Putin considers a “snonise” a possible attack by Russia against NATO countries
Russian President Vladimir Putin called a possible Russian attack on NATO countries “nonseness” due to the great difference in their military potential.
“It’s nonsense (…) Have you seen the potential of Russia and NATO?” Putin said during an interview with the main international news agencies, including EFE, within the framework of the St. Petersburg Economic Forum.
Addressing the representatives of 16 international media, the head of the Kremlin asked not to create an image that Russia is the enemy.
“It has been invented that Russia wants to attack NATO. Who invented it? It’s nonsense, do you understand? A delirium,” he insisted, adding that Russia has no “imperial ambitions.”
According to Putin, such statements are made to “deceive the population” of Western countries and justify the sending of weapons to Ukraine.
The Russian leader’s interview with leaders of the world’s leading news agencies lasted for more than three hours, in which Putin answered more than 20 questions.
On the other hand, the Russian president warned that the tactical nuclear weapons in his country’s arsenal have 70-75 kilotons of power, more than three times those launched by the United States against Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945.
“The United States is the only country that used nuclear weapons. It was during World War II, in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, 20 kilotons. Our tactical nuclear weapons are 70-75 kilotons,” Putin said during the interview with heads of the main international news agencies, including EFE.
Therefore, he added: “We do not take the situation not only to its use, but even the threat of use” of nuclear weapons.
While he highlighted that it is the West that always brings this issue to light and then accuse Russia of “shaking the nuclear mallet,” he recalled what the Russian military doctrine says.
“For some reason the West believes that Russia will never use them. We have a nuclear doctrine. Look at what is written on it. If someone’s actions threaten our sovereignty and territorial integrity, we consider it possible to use all the means at our disposal,” he said.
Putin also stressed that in this matter you have to behave like professionals and not “lightly, superficially.”
“I hope that everyone in the world also takes that position,” he said.
Putin also assured the agencies that the fighting in Ukraine will cease in two or three months if the United States suspends the supply of weapons to Kiev.
“And these military actions will conclude in two or three months at most,” Putin said during an interview with the main international news agencies, including EFE, within the framework of the St. Petersburg Economic Forum.
The head of the Kremlin indicated that in a response letter to the President of the United States, Joe Biden, he wrote to him: “If you want the combat actions in Ukraine to end, stop supplying him with weapons.”
He assured that the West prevented the signing of a peace treaty between Russia and Ukraine a few months after the outset of the fighting and convinced the Ukrainian authorities to fight until a strategic defeat was done to Moscow.
The Russian president recalled that the then British Prime Minister, Boris Jonhson, traveled especially to Kiev for that purpose.
“And I’m sure, I have no doubt, that it had the support of the United States Administration,” he added.
According to Putin, the so-called Istanbul treaty to end the conflict had been agreed by the Ukrainian side, so only its signature was missing.
“The Ukrainian side and its official positions publicly declared that if they had signed this treaty, the war would have ended by the end of 2022. We didn’t say it, official charges in Kiev said it, publicly,” Putin emphasized.
International
Iranian leader warns foreign powers have “no place” in Strait of Hormuz
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, said Thursday that the Persian Gulf is entering a new era marked by a “bright” future without the presence of the United States in the region.
His remarks came during the commemoration of Persian Gulf Day, amid ongoing regional tensions following recent military confrontations involving Iran, the United States, and Israel.
“Today, two months after the largest military buildup and aggression by the bullies of the world in the region and the humiliating defeat of the United States, a new chapter is being written for the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz,” Khamenei stated.
The Iranian leader insisted that the future of the region would be free from American influence and focused instead on the internal development and prosperity of Gulf nations.
“By the power and strength of God, the bright future of the Persian Gulf region will be a future without the United States and dedicated to the progress, welfare, and prosperity of its nations,” he said.
Khamenei also questioned the effectiveness of U.S. military bases in the region, arguing that they do not provide security even for Washington’s allies.
“Foreigners who come from thousands of miles away and commit evil and malicious acts have no place there except at the bottom of its waters,” he declared.
In addition, the Iranian leader defended new measures being prepared by Tehran to regulate maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, including fees for vessels passing through the strategic waterway. According to Khamenei, the policies would generate economic benefits and greater stability for the region.
Regional tensions remain high following the conflict that erupted on February 28 between the United States and Israel against Iran, leading to strategic blockades in the Strait of Hormuz, a route through which nearly 20% of the world’s oil supply previously passed. The situation has disrupted maritime trade and contributed to rising global oil prices.
Central America
U.S. and Regional Allies Back Panama Amid Dispute With China
The United States, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Guyana, Paraguay and Trinidad and Tobago issued a joint statement in support of Panama’s sovereignty, arguing that China’s recent actions represent an attempt to politicize maritime trade and undermine the sovereignty of nations in the hemisphere.
“We are closely monitoring China’s selective economic pressure and recent actions affecting vessels flying the Panamanian flag,” the statement released Tuesday said. “Panama is a pillar of our maritime trading system and, as such, must remain free from undue external pressure.”
The statement comes amid growing tensions surrounding the Panama Canal and the operation of key ports linked to global trade.
At the end of January, Panama’s Supreme Court invalidated the legal framework supporting the 1997 concession that granted Panama Ports Company, a subsidiary of CK Hutchison, the right to operate the Balboa and Cristóbal terminals located on the Pacific and Atlantic entrances of the Panama Canal.
The ruling followed mounting pressure from the United States to curb Chinese influence around the strategic waterway, through which roughly 5% of global maritime trade passes.
CK Hutchison, which managed the ports for nearly three decades, rejected the court’s decision and accused Panamanian authorities of illegally confiscating its assets. The company has launched international arbitration proceedings against Panama, seeking more than $2 billion in damages.
Following the court ruling, reports emerged of increased detentions and inspections of Panamanian-flagged vessels in China, actions widely viewed as retaliatory measures.
On Wednesday, China’s Foreign Ministry dismissed the joint statement as “completely unfounded and misleading,” accusing the United States of politicizing port operations and warning that Beijing would take steps to protect its interests in Panama.
International
King Charles III Says U.S.-UK Alliance Is “Irreplaceable and Unbreakable”
King Charles III of the United Kingdom reaffirmed the strength of the British-American relationship on Tuesday during a speech before the United States Congress, describing the alliance between the two nations as “irreplaceable and unbreakable.”
The address, delivered at the Capitol, marked the first speech by a British monarch before Congress since Queen Elizabeth II in 1991 and comes at a time of political tensions between Donald Trump’s administration and the Labour government of Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
“As President Trump himself observed during his state visit to Britain last autumn, the bond of kinship and identity between the United States and the United Kingdom is invaluable and eternal. It is irreplaceable and unbreakable,” the king said.
While reflecting on the upcoming 250th anniversary of U.S. independence, which will be commemorated this year, Charles III stated that the partnership between the two countries “was born out of disagreement, but is no less strong because of it.”
The monarch emphasized the democratic values shared by both nations and noted that major global changes have occurred whenever the two allies found common ground.
“When we have found that way to agree, great changes have taken place not only for the benefit of our peoples, but for all peoples,” he said.
King Charles also quoted British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who recently described the relationship as “an indispensable alliance.”
Concluding his speech, the monarch described the shared history of the United States and the United Kingdom as “a story of reconciliation, renewal, and an extraordinary partnership.”
He added that Washington and London have forged “one of the most consequential alliances in human history.”
“I pray with all my heart that our alliance continues to defend our shared values, together with our partners in Europe, the Commonwealth, and around the world, and that we ignore calls urging us to become increasingly isolationist,” Charles III stated.
The king ended by urging both nations to “recommit to one another in selfless service to our peoples and to all peoples of the world.”
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