International
Lavrov says that Russia is willing to work with Trump if there is “mutual respect”
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Wednesday that his country is willing to work with an eventual US government of Donald Trump as long as there is “an equitable and mutually respectful dialogue.”
Asked at a press conference at the UN about Trump’s possible victory in the November U.S. presidential election (which the polls consider certain), Lavrov replied that Russia is “ready to work with any leader the American people chooses,” but stressed that it must be on the basis of mutual respect.
He also recalled that during the previous Trump administration (2017-21) “there was a constant dialogue despite the very serious sanctions” that the United States imposed against Russia, and stressed that this dialogue “is useful in all cases,” but it has completely disappeared since the war in Ukraine began.
There were also questions about Donald Trump’s vice president candidate, J.D. Vance, who has been very critical of his country’s full support for Ukraine and has suggested that the US should neglect that conflict.
“He is in favor of peace, in favor of ending the assistance that is being provided, and we can only applaud him because it is exactly what we need: stop supplying weapons to Ukraine without stopping, and so the war will end and we can start looking for solutions,” Lavrov said.
About possible negotiations between Russia and Ukraine at the end of the war, the minister made it clear what the red lines are: all the territories that had unilateral referendums for their incorporation into Russia are now a “non-negotiable issue, there is no discussion about it.”
“Now they are part of the Federation and it is enshrined in our constitution, we cannot leave them alone,” he said, referring to the four regions – Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporiya and Kherson – that in 2022 voted for their annexation to Russia, although they were not internationally recognized votes.
But he regretted that every gasmp of negotiations to end the war in Ukraine is stumbled upon the refusal of what he called the West and the European Union, which he criticized for marginalizing those who, as is the case of Viktor Orban’s Hungarian government, advocate seeking a negotiated way out of the war right now.
In this regard, he completely ruled out the 10-point peace plan of the Ukrainian president, Volodimir Zelenski, which he described as “extremely arrogant,” and contrasted it with what he called “China’s plan,” which according to him was improved with certain proposals from Brazil and that could serve as a negotiating base.
In a press conference in which he reviewed international politics in its entirety – including his thesis that the third world must work together for a “de-dollarization,” or less dependence on the dollar – he also referred to the Palestinian conflict and criticized the numerous Security Council resolutions breached by Israel with the connivance of its main partner, the United States.
He referred to Iran’s role in the region and the statements of the new president-elect in that country, Masud Pezeshkian, who according to Lavrov has “a very responsible position (which indicates) that Iran is not interested in an escalation” in the region, and particularly in Lebanon through its ally, the Lebanese Shiite movement Hizbulah, embroked in fighting with Israel.
For Lavrov, “it is Israel that is interested in escalation, while Hezbollah is being very restrusive in its actions”; unfortunately, he continued, “the impression is that there is an attempt to provoke them (…) so that they reach a direct participation with their armed force in this conflict.”
He assured that his country is “doing everything possible to calm the tension” on that Lebanese front, and said he hoped that “the West will also do everything in its power to ensure that this provocative trend of Israel is forgotten.”
International
Mexican government prioritizes 191 communities after deadly floods
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed on Wednesday that the death toll from recent rains and floods across several central states has risen to 66, while the federal government has activated air bridges and prioritized assistance in 191 isolated communities.
“Unfortunately, 66 people have died, and 75 remain missing,” the president said during her morning press conference. She added that the official death toll will be updated later in a new report.
As of Tuesday, authorities had reported 64 fatalities. Sheinbaum also announced the creation of a public information center to centralize official data on the deceased, missing persons, damaged homes, and cut-off communities.
According to the president, the number of missing persons has decreased thanks to coordination with state authorities.
“Through calls to phone line 079, 103 people who had been reported missing have now been located,” she explained.
Priority Municipalities
The president noted that the federal government has classified 191 communities as ‘priority’, a designation based mainly on the percentage of homes affected.
International
New road and bridge explosions raise alarm amid indigenous protests in Ecuador
Ecuadorian authorities are investigating two explosions that occurred early Wednesday, one on a road in the southern part of the country and another under a bridge in Guayas province. These incidents follow the car bomb explosion in the coastal city of Guayaquil, also in Guayas, which occurred the day before and left one person dead and 30 injured.
Press reports indicate that one person was injured and several vehicles were damaged in the explosion on the Cuenca-Girón-Pasaje road in the south.
“Besides yesterday’s explosion in Guayaquil, we have received reports of explosives placed on bridges along the Guayaquil-Machala and Machala-Cuenca routes to disrupt traffic,” said Roberto Luque, Minister of Infrastructure and Transport (MIT).
On his X social media account, Luque reported that authorities have been deployed to the sites to assess the damage and determine the current condition of the structures.
“What they haven’t achieved with their call for a strike, some are trying to achieve through terrorism,” he stated, referring to the 24 days of protests organized by the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities (Conaie) against rising diesel prices and other demands.
The protests, called at a national level, have Imbabura province as their epicenter. Roadblocks have also been reported in the northern part of Pichincha province, whose capital is Quito, while activities in the rest of the country continue normally.
International
Armed forces target illegal mines in Northern Ecuador with bombing raids
Ecuador’s Armed Forces carried out an operation on Monday — including airstrikes — against illegal mining in the town of Buenos Aires, in the country’s north, Defense Minister Gian Carlo Loffredo reported.
The mountainous, gold-rich area has been a hotspot for illegal mining since 2017, located in the Andean province of Imbabura.
In 2019, former president Lenín Moreno deployed around 2,400 soldiers to the region in an attempt to curb the illegal activity. “The operation began with mortar fire, followed by gunfire and bombing runs by Supertucano aircraft,” Loffredo said in a video released by the Defense Ministry.
He added that the operation would continue on Tuesday with patrols across the area to locate possible members of “irregular armed groups that may have crossed from the Colombian border.”
The Armed Forces stated on X that the intervention focused on the “complete elimination of multiple illegal mining tunnels” in the areas known as Mina Nueva and Mina Vieja.
The operation coincided with the deployment of a military and police convoy into Imbabura, which has been the epicenter of protests against President Daniel Noboa since September 22, following his decision to scrap the diesel subsidy.
Mexican government prioritizes 191 communities after deadly floods
New road and bridge explosions raise alarm amid indigenous protests in Ecuador
Armed forces target illegal mines in Northern Ecuador with bombing raids
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
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