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.

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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.

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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

Mexico and Guatemala Agree on Five-Point Binational Plan for 2027

Mexico and Guatemala agreed Tuesday on a 2027 Binational Plan built around five areas of cooperation, along with a schedule of meetings and initiatives aimed at making progress by the end of 2026 on security, border infrastructure, human mobility, development and technical and social cooperation.

The agreement was announced by the foreign ministers of both countries following a meeting in Mexico City.

Mexican Foreign Minister Roberto Velasco said the plan will establish the “direction and priorities” of bilateral relations for next year. His Guatemalan counterpart, Carlos Ramiro Martínez, said the meeting allowed both governments to make decisions, schedule activities and revitalize bilateral cooperation mechanisms.

Security and border infrastructure

In the area of security, the two governments have nearly completed negotiations on a new memorandum of understanding for the Mexico-Guatemala High-Level Security Group (Ganseg), which was reactivated in 2025.

The countries expect to sign the agreement in the coming months to strengthen coordination and their ability to respond to shared security threats.

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Regarding their nearly 1,000-kilometer shared border, Mexico and Guatemala agreed to advance infrastructure improvements at border crossings and continue work on a joint cargo clearance program between Ciudad Hidalgo and Tecún Umán, two border areas separated by the Suchiate River.

The measures are intended to facilitate bilateral trade while making cross-border exchanges safer and more efficient.

The two governments will also continue defining a route toward a railway connection between their countries through Line K of Mexico’s Interoceanic Corridor of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec (CIIT), with the aim of strengthening economic and community ties.

Migration and development

On human mobility, Mexico and Guatemala will maintain coordination to ensure safe, orderly and dignified returns, while strengthening protection for people in transit.

The bilateral agenda also includes a second phase of the Sembrando Vida program in Guatemala, which is expected to benefit 10,000 people across 15 departments.

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Both countries will also advance initiatives under Juntos para el Bienestar, as well as six technical, scientific and energy cooperation projects approved by the Joint Commission.

The agreements seek to strengthen bilateral ties and establish concrete priorities for cooperation between Mexico and Guatemala during 2027.

International

France to Expel Two Iranian Diplomats Over Alleged Attack on French Officials

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot announced Tuesday, August 18, 2026, that France will expel two Iranian diplomats in response to what Paris described as an attack on two French representatives in Iran last month.

“Two French diplomats were scandalously and deliberately assaulted on July 19. I had announced that this intolerable act would have consequences. It has now happened. Two Iranian diplomats in France will be expelled in the coming days,” Barrot said in a message posted on X.

The two Iranian diplomats have been declared persona non grata and will be required to leave France within the coming days, according to the French foreign minister.

About a month ago, Barrot said that two members of the French diplomatic staff had been detained by Iranian security forces for several hours. One of them was also subjected to harassment, he said.

The French government described the incident as an “extremely serious act of intimidation” that violated diplomatic immunity.

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The two French embassy staff members were working on programs supporting Iranian civil society, particularly initiatives involving artists and researchers.

Iran has denied France’s allegations regarding the incident. The diplomatic dispute comes amid already strained relations between Paris and Tehran.

International

Heat wave puts more than 70 million Americans under alerts as temperatures near 46°C

36 deaths reported due to heat wave in Nuevo Leon, Mexico

More than 70 million people remained under heat alerts Monday as an intense heat wave continued across the southern United States, particularly Florida and states along the Mexican border, where temperatures and heat indexes could reach as high as 46 degrees Celsius, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).

Several cities recorded or tied temperature records over the weekend and into Monday, including Miami and Fort Lauderdale in Florida; Laredo, Borger and Austin’s airport in Texas; Atlanta, Georgia; Raleigh and Charlotte, North Carolina; and Memphis, Tennessee.

The NWS warned that the heat wave will continue affecting the southern and southeastern United States, with maximum temperatures expected to remain near 38°C to 40°C for several days. The heat index, which combines temperature and humidity to estimate how hot conditions feel, could reach 46°C.

The extreme heat is also spreading into the Southwest, where temperatures began rising again between Monday and Tuesday. Forecast highs in the region range from about 38°C to 43°C.

Heat alerts remain in effect across Nevada, Arizona and California, including areas in southern Arizona and California near the Mexican border, as authorities warn of the risks posed by prolonged extreme temperatures.

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The NWS urged residents to limit outdoor activity, stay hydrated, ensure access to air conditioning or cooling centers, and check on vulnerable friends, neighbors and family members.

The United States is experiencing a summer marked by above-average temperatures and repeated heat waves. One of the most intense episodes occurred during the July 4 weekend, when extreme heat was blamed for roughly 30 deaths.

July was the hottest month ever recorded in the United States since measurements began, with the average temperature across the contiguous country approaching 25°C, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

The combination of extreme heat and drought conditions has also fueled wildfires. Nearly 3 million hectares have burned across the country so far in 2026, making it the largest area affected by wildfires in a decade.