International
Zelenski proposes a partial truce with Russia in the face of the coldness of the West to its ‘Victory Plan’
Faced with the general coldness towards his ‘Victory Plan’, which calls for urgent military aid to force Russia to negotiate a peace that does not involve the transfer of Ukrainian territories, President Volodymyr Zelensky has openly raised for the first time since the beginning of the war the possibility of negotiating with Russia a partial truce that would lower the intensity of the conflict.
“We don’t attack their energy infrastructure and they don’t attack ours. Could this bring this to an end to the hot phase of the war? I think so,” Zelenski said last week in a meeting with journalists.
According to Anglo-Saxon media published this week that cite sources familiar with the process, representatives of Ukraine and Russia would have already initiated contacts for this cessation of mutual attacks against energy-related targets that would give Kiev guarantees to face the winter without new bombing of its power plants and would put an end to the destruction with Ukrainian drones of Russian refineries.
These talks for a truce in this chapter would be the resumption of a process that would have already taken place this summer with the mediation of Qatar, which continues to facilitate contacts, and which derailed, as it was said at the time, due to the beginning in early August of the Ukrainian cross-border operation in the Russian oblast of Kursk, where Kiev controls part of the territory.
One of the points of the “Peace Formula”
Guaranteeing energy security is one of the ten points of the so-called Ukrainian Peace Formula, a document composed of ten proposals among which the demand that Russia withdraw from all the territories it occupies in Ukraine stands out.
The ‘Peace Formula’ was discussed at a first international summit held in June in Switzerland.
The issue of energy security (specifically nuclear) was, along with the requirement to allow freedom of navigation in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov to guarantee food exports, one of the three points included in the final communiqué, which was signed by about 80 countries and international organizations.
The third point endorsed by the signatories was the one that proposes the release of all prisoners of war on both sides and the return to Ukrainian territory of adults in Russian captivity and deported or displaced children.
No positive signals from its partners
The so-called Victory Plan presented by Kiev asks its allies to immediately provide the Ukrainian Army with sufficient military equipment and long-range weapons to stabilize the front and begin attacking Russian territory more systematically.
According to Kiev’s calculations, if its main partners materialize the plan, Russia would be forced to sit down to negotiate the ‘Peace Formula’ in a second international summit that Ukraine aspires to organize before the end of the year.
None of Ukraine’s allies capable of providing this level of military aid has shown signs of being interested in meeting these demands of Kiev, which for the moment has to make do with staying on the defensive at the front while opening up to a specific commitment that will not put an end to hostilities but would help both parties to cope with the wear and tear of two long years of war.
International
King Charles III Says U.S.-UK Alliance Is “Irreplaceable and Unbreakable”
King Charles III of the United Kingdom reaffirmed the strength of the British-American relationship on Tuesday during a speech before the United States Congress, describing the alliance between the two nations as “irreplaceable and unbreakable.”
The address, delivered at the Capitol, marked the first speech by a British monarch before Congress since Queen Elizabeth II in 1991 and comes at a time of political tensions between Donald Trump’s administration and the Labour government of Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
“As President Trump himself observed during his state visit to Britain last autumn, the bond of kinship and identity between the United States and the United Kingdom is invaluable and eternal. It is irreplaceable and unbreakable,” the king said.
While reflecting on the upcoming 250th anniversary of U.S. independence, which will be commemorated this year, Charles III stated that the partnership between the two countries “was born out of disagreement, but is no less strong because of it.”
The monarch emphasized the democratic values shared by both nations and noted that major global changes have occurred whenever the two allies found common ground.
“When we have found that way to agree, great changes have taken place not only for the benefit of our peoples, but for all peoples,” he said.
King Charles also quoted British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who recently described the relationship as “an indispensable alliance.”
Concluding his speech, the monarch described the shared history of the United States and the United Kingdom as “a story of reconciliation, renewal, and an extraordinary partnership.”
He added that Washington and London have forged “one of the most consequential alliances in human history.”
“I pray with all my heart that our alliance continues to defend our shared values, together with our partners in Europe, the Commonwealth, and around the world, and that we ignore calls urging us to become increasingly isolationist,” Charles III stated.
The king ended by urging both nations to “recommit to one another in selfless service to our peoples and to all peoples of the world.”
International
Trump Administration Considers Denying Green Cards Over Political Views
The administration of President Donald Trump is evaluating new immigration guidelines that could deny permanent residency to immigrants based on their political views, according to a report published by The New York Times.
The proposed measures, outlined in internal Department of Homeland Security documents, would instruct immigration officials to take applicants’ public expressions and ideological positions into account when reviewing green card applications.
According to the report, cases involving “possible anti-American and/or antisemitic conduct or ideologies” would need to be referred to higher authorities for additional review.
Even if applicants have not violated any laws, authorities could still reject residency requests if they determine that individuals have “endorsed, promoted, or supported anti-American views.”
Among the factors listed in the guidelines are participation in pro-Palestinian activities, actions considered antisemitic, and the burning of the U.S. flag.
The documents reportedly describe such actions as “heavily negative” factors in immigration evaluations, potentially blocking applicants from obtaining permanent residency and, eventually, U.S. citizenship.
The directives also place particular attention on demonstrations held on university campuses following the 2023 Hamas attacks against Israel.
However, flag burning has previously been recognized by the U.S. Supreme Court as a form of protected free speech under the Constitution.
The proposal has sparked criticism from immigrant advocacy organizations, including the New York Immigration Coalition.
Its president, Murad Awawdeh, warned that the policies could pose a threat to fundamental rights and freedoms.
International
Mexico Arrests CJNG Leader “El Jardinero” in Nayarit
Mexican authorities arrested Audias Flores, known as “El Jardinero,” on Monday during a naval operation in the western state of Nayarit, delivering another major blow to the Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG).
Flores was considered one of the top regional leaders within the cartel and had reportedly overseen criminal operations along Mexico’s Pacific coast. Security analysts viewed him as a potential successor to slain drug kingpin Nemesio Oseguera.
The arrest was carried out by Mexico’s Navy Special Forces in a planned operation, according to Security Minister Omar García Harfuch.
The United States Department of the Treasury had previously identified Flores as a “significant foreign narcotics trafficker,” while U.S. authorities offered a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to his capture and extradition.
A U.S. grand jury indicted Flores in 2021 on charges including conspiracy to distribute cocaine and heroin.
His capture comes months after the reported death of “El Mencho,” an operation that Mexican authorities considered a priority due to the cartel leader’s alleged involvement in a 2020 assassination attempt against García Harfuch.
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