International

The US pauses the delivery of Patriot and NASAM missiles to other countries to send them to Ukraine

The United States announced on Thursday that it decided to paralyze the delivery of Patriot anti-missile systems to other countries so that that weaponry can go to Ukraine as quickly as possible.

“Many of our allies and partners have also taken historic steps, but obviously more is needed and it is needed now,” the spokesman of the White House National Security Council, John Kirby, said in a call with journalists.

Consequently, he added, the US Executive “has made the difficult but necessary decision to change the priorities of the short-term plan of deliveries of military sales to other countries so that they go to Ukraine instead.”

Ukraine will receive “in the coming weeks, before the end of the safe summer,” those systems that were originally going to go to other countries.

The Joe Biden Administration pointed out that they are talking to the affected nations, whose name was not specified, to evaluate the new delivery times. “We will do our best to minimize that delay as much as possible,” the spokesman said.

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Kirby did state that “this reprioritization will not affect Taiwan and what Taiwan continues to need and receive from the United States for its self-defense.”

The decision is made to help Ukraine cope with Russian airstrikes.

“In recent months, Russia has accelerated its missile attacks against cities and civilian infrastructure. They are trying to destroy Ukraine’s energy system. This is not a new tactic for them, but they have certainly applied much more energy and effort,” he said.

The Ukrainian Army, he added, “desperately needs additional air defense capabilities” and the United States takes its associations “very seriously,” “especially when a partner like Ukraine is at such a crossroads.”

Kirby pointed out that the response received from the nations affected by the change of military strategy in the short term has been generally positive.

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This same Thursday, Romania said that it will deliver a Patriot long-range ground-to-air missile system to Ukraine so that it can better defend itself from “the constant and massive attacks of Russia,” in the words of the presidency of the Balkan country.

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.”

International

Mexico security chief meets DEA director in Washington to boost anti-drug cooperation

Mexico’s Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection, Omar García Harfuch, met in Washington with the head of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Terrance Cole, to discuss cooperation in the fight against drug trafficking and illegal arms flows.

The Mexican official said Monday on social media that he attended the meeting in representation of the Mexican government’s Security Cabinet.

“In Washington, D.C., I represented the Security Cabinet to hold talks with DEA Director Terrance Cole on the importance of strengthening bilateral cooperation to combat drug trafficking, curb the flow of weapons into our country, and reduce violence in Mexico through significant arrests,” García Harfuch wrote.

He added that, following instructions from Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, the government will continue strengthening international cooperation on security matters.

For his part, Cole said the meeting focused on cross-border collaboration to tackle drug trafficking and to build safer communities on both sides of the border.

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The meeting comes as Mexico and the United States begin a new round of dialogue on economic and security issues.

Earlier Monday, President Claudia Sheinbaum said she will look for the “best moment” to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump, adding that maintaining a good relationship with Washington is a priority for her administration.

International

Venezuela’s foreign minister accuses UN rights chief of “immoral bias”

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil criticized the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, accusing him of having an “immoral bias” and acting as an “echo chamber for falsehoods” regarding the situation in Venezuela.

Gil’s remarks came after Türk stated that his office had not received an official list from Venezuelan authorities detailing the release of political prisoners, nor authorization to carry out visits related to the issue.

“The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights insists on a narrative biased against our country, repeating unfounded accusations while deliberately omitting the impact of unilateral coercive measures on the rights of the Venezuelan people,” Gil said in a message posted on his Telegram channel.

Without directly addressing the question of prisoner releases, the Venezuelan foreign minister also accused Türk of aligning with what he described as the “agenda of extremism in Venezuela.”

Gil added that, despite serious human rights violations occurring in other parts of the world, the UN official has chosen to maintain what he described as an “immoral bias” against Venezuela.

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The criticism is part of a broader dispute between the Venezuelan government and the UN human rights office over reports and investigations concerning the human rights situation in the country.