International

The United States, Russia and Ukraine send delegations to Saudi Arabia in the face of a possible negotiation to end the war

The United States, Russia and Ukraine sent delegations to Saudi Arabia at a time of growing speculation about the possible negotiations between Washington and Moscow to end the war in Ukraine.

The US special envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, confirmed on Sunday that an American delegation will travel to the kingdom in the next few hours to meet with Russian officials within the framework of contacts aimed at finding a way out of the conflict.

At the same time, a Ukrainian delegation will also be present in the country, although it is not clear whether it will participate in the talks.

In an interview this Sunday with the Fox network, Witkoff revealed that the US delegation will be composed of himself and the White House National Security Advisor, Mike Waltz, and explained that they plan to travel tonight.

“We’ll leave tonight. I will travel with the National Security advisor and we will hold meetings on behalf of the president. We hope to achieve significant progress in relation to Russia and Ukraine,” he said.

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Witkoff also said that he “belied” that Ukraine would be part of the negotiations with the Russian delegation. “I don’t think it’s about excluding anyone,” he said.

According to local media, the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, who was in Israel today and tomorrow will arrive in Saudi Arabia as part of his first tour in the Middle East as head of US diplomacy, will also be part of the US delegation.

When the leaders of Russia and the United States spoke on the phone on February 12, Trump announced that he had reached an agreement with Putin to start “negotiations immediately” with the aim of ending the war in Ukraine and appointed Rubio, Waltz, Witkoff and the director of the CIA, John Ratcliffe, as the negotiating team.

Subsequently, Trump announced his intention to hold a summit with Putin in Saudi Arabia, although there is still no date for the meeting.

The Kremlin has not officially announced who will be part of the Russian delegation in the first high-level meeting between the two countries since the beginning of the war in February 2022.

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However, according to CNN, which cites sources familiar with the matter, the delegation could include senior political, intelligence and economic officials, including Kirill Dmitriev, who played a key role in the recent prisoner exchange between the two countries.

While the US delegation is heading to Saudi Arabia, the Ukrainian delegation has already arrived in the kingdom, according to Ukrainian Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, who is also Deputy Prime Minister, announced on Facebook.

Svyrydenko explained that the objective of the trip is to strengthen economic ties with Saudi Arabia and prepare a possible trip for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, although he did not specify whether the delegation will participate in the negotiations between Washington and Moscow.

In an interview broadcast this Sunday by NBC, Zelenski insisted that “no world leader” can reach an agreement on Ukraine without his participation. Asked if Putin is capable of negotiating in good faith, he replied: “He is a liar. He doesn’t want peace.”

According to an advisor close to Zelenski quoted by NBC, until Saturday night Ukraine had not been invited to the talks between the US and Russia and reiterated that Kiev considers it essential that there is a “joint position” between its country, Washington and Europe before any negotiation with Putin.

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The eventual meeting between the US and Russia to end the war has generated concern both in the Ukrainian Government, which has warned that it will not accept any agreement without its consent, and in Europe, where this Monday the leaders of the EU, the United Kingdom, the European Commission and NATO will hold a meeting to define their strategy.

International

Two killed in shooting at restaurant near Frankfurt Airport

Two people were shot dead early Tuesday at a restaurant in Raunheim, near Frankfurt Airport, according to local police.

Preliminary findings indicate that an armed individual entered the establishment at around 03:45 local time (02:45 GMT) and opened fire on the victims, who died at the scene from their injuries.

The suspect fled and remains at large, while the motive behind the shooting is still unclear, German media reported. Authorities have launched a large-scale search operation.

International

U.S. counterterrorism chief resigns over opposition to war in Iran

Joe Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, announced Tuesday that he has resigned from his post, citing his opposition to the ongoing war in Iran.

In a post on X, Kent said he could not, “in good conscience,” support the conflict, arguing that Iran did not pose an imminent threat to the United States. He also claimed that the war was driven by pressure from Israel and its lobbying influence in Washington.

In a resignation letter addressed to Donald Trump, Kent alleged that at the start of the current administration, senior Israeli officials and influential figures in U.S. media carried out a disinformation campaign that undermined the “America First” platform and fostered pro-war sentiment aimed at triggering a conflict with Iran.

Kent further stated that he could not support sending a new generation of Americans to “fight and die in a war that provides no benefit to the American people and does not justify the cost in American lives.”

Since the United States and Israel launched attacks against Iran on February 28, at least 13 U.S. service members have been killed, while 10 others have been seriously wounded and around 200 have sustained minor injuries, according to a report published by The Wall Street Journal.

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International

German president warns Iran war could spread and disrupt Strait of Hormuz

The president of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, warned Monday that the war involving Iran could expand and further disrupt shipping through the strategic Strait of Hormuz. He urged a swift end to hostilities between Iran, United States and Israel.

Speaking in Panama City during a joint appearance with Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino, Steinmeier said available information suggests Iran has significant capacity to disrupt maritime traffic through the key oil route.

“Iran has considerable potential to interfere with shipping through the Strait of Hormuz,” Steinmeier said through an interpreter. “We should therefore reach an end to the hostilities as soon as possible and call on all parties involved to make that happen.”

The remarks came during Steinmeier’s visit to Panama, the first by a German president to the Central American nation.

The German leader described the possibility of the conflict spreading as “very dangerous,” saying recent developments indicate that such a scenario cannot be ruled out.

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Over the weekend, U.S. President Donald Trump urged allied nations to help ensure safe passage for ships through the Strait of Hormuz after Iran moved to block the waterway in response to U.S. strikes. However, several allies—particularly in Europe—have shown little support for the proposal.

“Some are very enthusiastic, others are not, and some are countries we have helped for many years,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “We have protected them from terrible external threats, and they’re not that enthusiastic. And the level of enthusiasm is important to me.”

Meanwhile, Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s top diplomat, said the Strait of Hormuz falls “outside NATO’s scope” and stressed that “the war involving Iran is not Europe’s war.”