International
Zelensky believes that “success is possible” in US-led peace negotiations
The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, believes that “success is possible” in the peace negotiations promoted by the United States after the meetings he has held on the margins of the Munich Security Conference with the team of US President Donald Trump.
“We have started working with President Trump’s team and we already feel that success is possible,” he wrote on his social networks from Munich, where last night he concluded two marathon days of interventions before European and American leaders and an intense agenda of meetings with different politicians and, above all, from the United States, such as the vice president, JD Vance, the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, and the envoy for the war in Ukraine, Keith Kellog.
Zelenski indicated that the United States is now seen in the world as a force that can not only stop the war, but also help ensure the reliability of peace after a ceasefire.
In Munich, Zelenski and JD Vance agreed to work for a lasting peace while the European leaders watched the meeting from the margins and with some concern how the Old Continent was excluded from the US plans, both at the negotiating table and from the previous consultations.
Kellog said the day before in a parallel event to the Security Conference that Europe will not be able to participate directly in peace negotiations, but it can propose ideas and suggestions.
Of course, Zelenski stressed that Europe must clearly have a voice, writing that “real peace is possible” even if there will be different attempts by Putin to “deceive everyone and prolong the war.”
“We must achieve it (peace): Ukraine, the United States and Europe. This is our common security,” he emphasized.
He also said that he expects a soon visit from Kellogg to Ukraine to continue studying the situation and find ways for President Trump to adopt “firm and truly pacifying decisions.”
The head of state of Ukraine explained that the two teams are working “with great detail and care on a special agreement” between Kiev and Washington “that will definitively strengthen the United States and Ukraine,” although he did not reveal what agreement it is.
The US Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent, delivered on the 12th in Kiev to Zelenski a draft of an agreement to guarantee the continuity of US aid to Kiev in exchange for access to critical rare earth minerals owned by Ukraine for an amount of 500 billion euros.
Zelenski, who also met with US senators and members of the North American country’s House of Representatives in Munich, explained last night that Kiev is not yet ready to sign this agreement.
“I have not allowed the ministers to sign the agreement because, in my opinion, it is not prepared to protect us, our interests,” he told the media in Munich, according to the Kyiv Independent newspaper.
International
Trump Orders Construction of New ‘Golden Fleet’ to Revitalize U.S. Naval Superiority
President Donald Trump issued an executive order this Monday for the immediate construction of two new warships that will bear his name. These vessels will be the pioneers of what he described as the “Golden Fleet,” a future generation of “Trump-class” battleships that he claimed would be “100 times more powerful” than those currently in service.
The announcement took place at his private residence in Mar-a-Lago, Florida. The President indicated that following the initial two ships, the administration aims to commission up to 25 additional vessels. He is scheduled to meet with Florida-based contractors next week to expedite production, criticizing existing defense firms for failing to deliver results efficiently.
This naval expansion is a cornerstone of Trump’s goal to revitalized the American shipbuilding industry and address the strategic gap between the U.S. and competitors like China.
The move comes amid heightened geopolitical tension. Just last week, Trump ordered the seizure of all sanctioned tankers involved with Venezuela’s “ghost fleet” to cripple the country’s crude oil industry. Since December 10, the U.S. military—deployed in the Caribbean under the guise of counter-narcotics operations—has already detained two tankers linked to Venezuelan oil transport.
International
U.S. Judge Blocks ICE from Re-detaining Salvadoran Erroneously Deported Under Trump Administration
A U.S. federal judge ruled this Monday, December 22, that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is prohibited from re-detaining Salvadoran national Kilmar Ábrego García, who was erroneously deported to El Salvador earlier this year during the administration of President Donald Trump.
During a hearing in Maryland, U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis ruled that Ábrego García must remain free on bail through the Christmas holidays, concluding that his initial detention lacked a legal basis. The ruling follows a request from his legal team for a temporary restraining order to prevent ICE from carrying out a new arrest.
Earlier this month, on December 11, Judge Xinis ordered his release from a Pennsylvania migrant detention center after determining that the government had detained him without a formal deportation order. In 2019, an immigration judge had already ruled that Ábrego could not be returned to El Salvador because his life was in danger.
Despite that protection, Ábrego García was deported in March 2025 following a raid by the Trump administration. Officials argued at the time that he was a gang member, and he was sent directly to the Center for the Confinement of Terrorism (CECOT) in El Salvador. In June, he was returned to the United States to face a new trial for alleged human smuggling—a charge he denies.
On Monday, Judge Xinis also temporarily invalidated a new deportation order issued by an immigration judge following Ábrego’s recent release, granting him legal protection through the coming weeks. His trial is scheduled to begin in Tennessee in January 2026.
International
Fire at substation triggers major blackout in San Francisco
The U.S. city of San Francisco was plunged into darkness Saturday night after a power outage left about 130,000 customers without electricity, although the utility company said service was restored to most users within hours.
Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) said in a statement posted on X that nearly 90,000 homes had their power restored by 9:00 p.m. local time (05:00 GMT on Sunday), while the remaining 40,000 customers were expected to have service restored overnight.
Large areas of the city, a major technology hub with a population of around 800,000, were affected by the blackout, which disrupted public transportation and left traffic lights out of service during the busy weekend before Christmas, a crucial period for retail businesses.
“I know it’s been a difficult day,” San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie said in a video posted on social media from the city’s emergency operations center. “There has been progress, but for those still without power, we want to make sure they are safe and checking in on their neighbors,” he added.
Lurie said police officers and firefighters advised residents to stay home as much as possible. He also noted that officers and traffic inspectors were deployed to manage intersections where traffic lights were not functioning.
The mayor confirmed that the outage was caused by a fire at an electrical substation. Parts of the city were also covered in fog, further complicating conditions during the incident.
As a result of the blackout, many businesses were forced to close despite it being the weekend before Christmas. The sudden drop in shopper traffic ahead of the holiday is “devastating” for retailers, the manager of home goods store Black & Gold told the San Francisco Chronicle.
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