International
Putin: NATO will be at war with Russia if it authorizes the use of missiles against Ukraine
Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that if NATO authorizes Ukraine to use long-range missiles to hit targets on Russian territory, it will mean that it will be at war with Russia.
“If that decision is made, it will mean nothing other than the direct participation of NATO countries, the United States and European countries in the war in Ukraine (…), that will mean that NATO countries, the United States and European countries, are fighting against Russia,” Putin told public television after speaking at a cultural forum in St. Petersburg.
This decision will change “the very nature of the conflict”
Putin stressed that this decision will change “the very nature of the conflict,” alluding to the fat that it will no longer be reduced to a war between the Russian and Ukrainian armies.
“If that is the case (…), we will make the corresponding decisions based on the threats that create us,” he said.
Ukraine does not have technical capacity
He insisted that, in reality, NATO is not authorizing Kiev to use those long-range missiles, whether the ATCAMS or the Storm Shadow, since the Ukrainian army does not have the technical capacity to do so.
Putin stressed that, according to the opinion of Russian and Western experts, these missiles can only be launched against Russian territory with the help of intelligence data from US satellites or European Union countries, since Ukraine lacks them.
“And most importantly, in fact, flight missions can only be determined by the military of NATO countries,” he said.
Last May, the Kremlin leader already used the same argument against the use of Western weapons against targets on Russian territory.
Then, he warned European countries with “serious consequences,” alluding to the fact that, normally, “these are states with small, but densely populated territories.”
Lavrov: The West already gave permission “a long time ago”
In this regard, the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, assured today that the West has already given permission “a long time ago” to Ukraine to attack Russian territory with long-range missiles.
Lavrov described Wednesday’s visit to Kiev by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and UK Foreign Minister David Lammy, who would have addressed these issues with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as a “staging”.
“Every day the number of (Ukrainian) attacks against civilian targets and shootings against civilians increases drastically. (…) Western military specialists literally manually coordinate attacks with high-precision weapons,” he said.
Accuses NATO of providing Kiev with data
He also accused NATO of providing Kiev with data from its intelligence satellites, which are used to “hit targets within Russian territory,” which includes energy and industrial infrastructure, but also homes, schools and hospitals.
During their visit to Kiev, both Blinken and Lammy stressed that the authorization for the use of long-range missiles will be dealt with by their respective heads of state at the meeting that both will hold tomorrow, Friday, in Washington.
“It is (Russian President Vladimir) Putin who has escalated (the situation) this week with the shipment of ballistic missiles from Iran,” Lammy said.
International
ICE agent arrested in Texas over shooting of Venezuelan migrant in Minnesota
U.S. authorities arrested an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent on Friday in Texas after he was accused of shooting a Venezuelan migrant in Minnesota earlier this year and later providing false information about the incident.
The suspect, identified as Christian Castro, faces four counts of second-degree assault, along with an additional charge related to filing a false official report. He was taken into custody after investigators from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension located him, according to a statement from the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office.
The case stems from a January operation carried out by ICE during which Castro shot Julio César Sosa, a Venezuelan migrant, in the leg. Prosecutors allege that the agent later submitted a misleading account of the incident, claiming that Sosa and another migrant had attacked officers with a shovel and a broomstick.
However, investigators say that video evidence and further findings contradicted that version of events, leading to the dismissal of charges initially brought against the migrants by federal prosecutors.
ICE’s acting director, Todd Lyons, acknowledged in February that agents involved in the incident had given “false sworn testimony” about what occurred.
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty described Friday’s arrest as a “critical step forward” in the judicial process and reaffirmed that the investigation remains ongoing.
International
U.S. classifies CV and PCC as terrorist groups in major policy shift
The United States government announced on Thursday that it will add the Brazilian criminal organizations Comando Vermelho (CV) and Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) to its list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO), a designation set to take effect on June 5, 2026.
The State Department justified the decision by stating that both groups are among the most powerful criminal organizations in Brazil and accused them of coordinating violent attacks against police officers, public officials, and civilians.
The designation comes just days after Brazilian senator and presidential hopeful Flávio Bolsonaro directly asked U.S. President Donald Trump to classify these groups as “narco-terrorist” organizations during a visit to the White House.
Bolsonaro, who is running in Brazil’s upcoming presidential election in October, has made tougher action against organized crime and prison-based gangs a central part of his campaign platform.
He is part of a political dispute with current Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who has opposed the U.S. classification, warning it could open the door to potential foreign military intervention in Brazilian territory.
The Comando Vermelho and Primeiro Comando da Capital emerged in Brazilian prisons during the 1970s and have since expanded their influence, now controlling extensive criminal activities including drug trafficking, extortion, smuggling, and other illicit operations.
According to security experts and Brazilian authorities, both organizations have tens of thousands of members and support networks spread across multiple states in the country.
The U.S. measure aims to increase financial and operational pressure on these groups by restricting funding sources, limiting international mobility, and expanding cooperation in security enforcement efforts.
International
U.S.–Iran pre-agreement aims to de-escalate tensions and secure key trade route
The United States confirmed on Thursday that its negotiators have reached a preliminary agreement with Iran aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz and extending the current ceasefire, though the understanding still requires final approval from U.S. President Donald Trump.
U.S. government sources confirmed information first reported exclusively by Axios, stating that the deal now only awaits the president’s endorsement.
According to Axios, citing two senior U.S. officials, the draft agreement stipulates that navigation through the Strait of Hormuz—previously blocked by Iran in response to U.S. and Israeli military actions—would be “unrestricted.”
The agreement reportedly includes provisions under which Iran would not impose transit fees in the strategic waterway, a critical route for global oil shipments. In parallel, the United States would lift maritime restrictions on vessels entering and leaving Iranian ports.
The memorandum of understanding also contains a commitment from Iran not to develop nuclear weapons, a key red line for President Trump. However, discussions on limiting Iran’s uranium enrichment would be postponed to later negotiations.
These issues are expected to be addressed during a 60-day extension of the ceasefire, which has been in place since April.
In addition, the United States would consider easing sanctions on Iran and releasing frozen Iranian assets as part of the broader diplomatic framework.
Negotiations between Washington and Tehran have intensified over the past week with mediation from Pakistan, as both sides seek to formally end the conflict that began on February 28 involving the United States and Israel.
The White House has recently stated that a deal was “a matter of days away,” while Tehran has tempered expectations, suggesting that an agreement is not yet imminent.
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