International
NATO is finalising more support for Ukraine at its summit as Russia intensifies its attacks
NATO is finalizing the preparations for the summit that will begin in Washington with a commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the Alliance, in which it will reaffirm its long-term support for Ukraine at a time when Russia has intensified its attacks against Ukrainian civilian targets.
“In Ukraine, Russia continues its brutal war. Just today we have seen horrendous missile attacks against Ukrainian cities, killing innocent civilians, including children. I condemn these atrocious attacks,” said the Secretary General of the Alliance, Jens Stoltenberg, in a statement with the US Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin.
The Norwegian politician spoke from the US capital about the latest Russian missile attacks against Ukraine, which affected a pediatric hospital and left at least 32 dead, including children.
He made it clear that Russia cannot expect NATO to abandon Ukraine but that “it will have to sit down and accept a solution in which Ukraine prevails as a sovereign and independent nation.”
In that line, the heads of state and government of the 32 allies will support a new comprehensive support package for Ukraine that, in the words of the US ambassador to NATO, Julianne Smith, “will help Ukraine to modernize its forces, create a force for the future, work on aspects such as interoperability with the Alliance and continue to transform its Army.”
“We are building a bridge to bring Ukraine closer to NATO membership,” Smith said on the American public radio NPR.
An entry that the allies agree that it will happen when the country is ready, although at this summit they will continue to not specify a date for it.
The allies are expected to approve an aid package for Ukraine that includes a leading role of NATO in the management of international arms contributions for the invaded country, the training of its soldiers and a fund of about 40 billion euros to pay for the military equipment that Kiev needs to defend itself.
They will also address their most pressing needs on the battlefield, especially those related to anti-aircraft defenses and artillery ammunition.
The president of the United States. Joe Biden will host a ceremony on Tuesday night in the Andrew W auditorium. Mellon to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the North Atlantic Treaty, foundation of the Alliance, which was signed in that same place on April 4, 1949.
Biden will host this summit at a time of doubts about his ability due to his age to be the Democratic candidate in the November presidential elections after his weak performance in the recent debate with the Republican candidate, Donald Trump.
The White House denied on Monday that there is concern among NATO countries about Biden’s political future.
“We are not perceiving any signs about it in the previous conversations we have with them. Rather the opposite. They are enthusiastic about this summit, about the possibilities and actions that we will undertake together, specifically to help Ukraine,” said one of the spokesmen of the White House, John Kirby.
On Wednesday, the allied leaders will hold a first working session in which they hope to approve the summit declaration, focused on underpinning lasting support for Ukraine, strengthening the policy of deterrence and defense and deepening relations with Pacific partners in the face of the challenges posed by China.
On Thursday, a NATO-Ukraine Council will take place where the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenski, will participate, and a session with the partners of the Pacific (Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand) and the European Union.
NATO is convinced that its security “is not regional, but global,” as Stoltenberg said on Monday, that Iran, North Korea and China are “supporting and allowing Russia’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine.”
To comply with NATO’s 360-degree defense strategy, leaders plan to approve a new strategy to pay more attention to the challenges (migration waves, political instability), but also to opportunities from the countries of the Southern Neighbourhood of the Alliance, from the Middle East to the Gulf of Guinea.
In order to face these challenges, the allies will reaffirm their commitment to invest at least 2% of their GDP in military spending. Up to 23 allies already invest that figure, while ten years ago, when they set that goal, there were only three.
International
Kristi Noem credits Trump for mass migrant deportations by mexican president
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem claimed that Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has deported “more than half a million” migrants due to pressure from former President Donald Trump.
During a cabinet meeting highlighting the “achievements” of Trump’s administration in its first 100 days, Noem asserted that under the Republican leader’s influence, “Mexico has finally come to the table” to negotiate on migration and fentanyl trafficking.
“The president of Mexico told me she has returned just over half a million people before they reached our border,” Noem stated, criticizing media reports that suggest the Biden administration deported more migrants than Trump’s.
“I wish those deportations were counted,” Noem added, “because those people never made it to our border—she sent them back because you made her.” She went on to thank Trump: “They never made it here because they got the message—because you were so aggressive.”
Noem has made controversial claims about Sheinbaum in the past, prompting the Mexican leader to refute them.
On April 1, Sheinbaum responded to one such statement by declaring, “The president answers to only one authority, and that is the people of Mexico,” after Noem said on Fox News that she gave Sheinbaum “a list of things Trump would like to see” and that Mexico’s actions would determine whether Trump granted tariff relief.
International
Vatican releases special “Sede Vacante” stamps ahead of papal transition
he Vatican’s post offices and select collector shops began selling special edition stamps this week to mark the period between the death of Pope Francis and the election of his successor.
Known as “Sede Vacante” stamps, they feature an image used on official Vatican documents during the interregnum between popes — two crossed keys without the papal tiara. These stamps went on sale Monday and will remain valid for postal use only until the new pontiff appears at the window overlooking St. Peter’s Square.
Until then, they can be used to send letters, postcards, and parcels. “Once the new pope is elected, the stamps lose their postal validity, but their collectible value rises,” said Francesco Santarossa, who runs a collectors’ shop across from St. Peter’s Square.
The Vatican has issued the stamps in four denominations: €1.25, €1.30, €2.45, and €3.20. Each is inscribed with “Città del Vaticano” and “Sede Vacante MMXXV” — Latin for “Vacant See 2025.”
International
Conclave to choose pope Francis’ successor could begin in early may
The conclave, which in the coming weeks must choose the successor to Pope Francis, will strictly follow a precise protocol refined over centuries.
The 135 cardinal electors, all under the age of 80, will cast their votes four times a day — except on the first day — until one candidate secures a two-thirds majority. The result will be announced to the world through the burning of the ballots with a chemical that produces the eagerly awaited white smoke, accompanied by the traditional cry of “Habemus Papam.”
The start date for the conclave could be announced today, as the cardinals are set to hold their fifth meeting since the pope’s passing. Luxembourg Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich suggested it could begin on May 5 or 6, following the traditional nine days of mourning. According to German Cardinal Reinhard Marx, the conclave could last only “a few days.”
Although the late Argentine pontiff appointed the majority of the cardinal electors, this does not necessarily ensure the selection of a like-minded successor. Francis’ leadership style differed significantly from that of his predecessor, Benedict XVI, a German theologian who was less fond of large public gatherings. It also marked a contrast with the popular Polish pope, John Paul II.
The Argentine Jesuit’s reformist papacy drew strong criticism from more conservative sectors of the Church, who are hoping for a doctrinally focused shift. His tenure was marked by efforts to combat clerical sexual abuse, elevate the role of women and laypeople, and advocate for the poor and migrants, among other causes.
Kristi Noem credits Trump for mass migrant deportations by mexican president
Vatican releases special “Sede Vacante” stamps ahead of papal transition
Conclave to choose pope Francis’ successor could begin in early may
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