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
Trump to build $200M ballroom at the White House by 2028
The U.S. government under President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that it will begin construction in September on a new 8,000-square-meter ballroom at the White House.
The announcement was made by Karoline Leavitt, the administration’s press secretary, during a briefing in which she explained that the expansion responds to the need for a larger venue to host “major events.”
“Other presidents have long wished for a space capable of accommodating large gatherings within the White House complex… President Trump has committed to solving this issue,” Leavitt told reporters.
The project is estimated to cost $200 million, fully funded through donations from Trump himself and other “patriots,” according to a government statement. Construction is scheduled to begin in September and is expected to be completed before Trump’s term ends in 2028.
The Clark Construction Group, a Virginia-based company known for projects such as the Capital One Arena and L’Enfant Plaza in Washington, D.C., has been selected to lead the project.
The new ballroom will be built on the East Wing of the White House, expanding the iconic residence with a space designed for state dinners, official ceremonies, and large-scale events.
International
Three salvadorans in Florida sentenced in $146 million construction tax fraud scheme
Three Salvadoran residents living in Orlando, Florida, were sentenced for conspiracy to commit tax fraud and wire fraud involving a scheme exceeding $146 million in the construction industry, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida. The sentence was handed down by federal judge Timothy J. Corrigan on Tuesday, July 29.
Eduardo Aníbal Escobar (45) was sentenced to 4 years and 9 months in prison, Carlos Alberto Rodríguez (36) to 3 years and 4 months, and Adelmy Tejada (57) to 18 months in prison, followed by 6 months of house arrest. All three pled guilty on April 3, 2025.
In addition to the prison terms, the court ordered restitution payments totaling $36,957,616 to the IRS for unpaid payroll taxes, and $397,895 to two insurers for workers’ compensation claims related to the scheme.
Escobar and Rodríguez are permanent legal residents originally from El Salvador, while Tejada is a naturalized U.S. citizen of Salvadoran origin.
International
Kremlin hails preparedness after Kamchatka quakes leave no casualties
The Kremlin expressed relief that the earthquakes that struck Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula today —the first being the strongest since 1952— resulted in no casualties, and emphasized that the region is well prepared to face such natural disasters.
“Thank God, there were no victims,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov during his daily press briefing.
The presidential representative stated that “all alert systems were activated in time, and evacuations were organized for residents in areas requiring it in response to tsunami threats.”
“Overall, the seismic resilience of the buildings proved effective (…) Therefore, we can say that the technological preparedness demonstrated a high level,” Peskov added.
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