International
Stoltenberg assures that NATO countries are willing to give more Patriots to Ukraine
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Thursday that the allies are willing to strengthen Ukraine’s air defenses, especially Patriot anti-missile batteries, after the specific request made today by the Ukrainian Foreign Minister, Dmitro Kuleba.
“The allies understand the urgency of accelerating when it comes to air defense, so they will now look in their inventories or if there is a way they can provide more systems, in particular Patriots,” Stoltenberg said at a press conference at the end of a two-day meeting of the Alliance’s Foreign Affairs heads.
At the same time, he said that it is necessary to make sure that the air defense systems that are already deployed in Ukraine “have the ammunition and spare parts to work as they should.”
“In part it is a question of battery systems, but it depends a lot on the delivery of the interceptors of the systems that are already there,” he explained.
Stoltenberg assured that several allies promised that they will make “a new effort to find what they can, see what else they can provide.”
The 32 allied ministers participated today in a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council after attending a ceremony to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Atlantic Alliance.
“I don’t want to water the anniversary party, but my main message today will be Patriots, because saving Ukrainian lives, saving the Ukrainian economy, saving Ukrainian cities, depends on the capacity of the Patriots and other air defense systems,” Kuleba told the press upon his arrival at the meeting.
“The situation on the battlefield is still serious. Ukraine needs more air defenses, more ammunition and more help,” Stoltenberg stressed.
The Allied Secretary General listed that, in recent days, Germany has announced about 600 million euros for the Czech initiative to acquire artillery ammunition, the United Kingdom has announced the shipment of 10,000 drones to Kiev, France will give more missiles and armored vehicles and Finland will provide a new aid package worth 188 million euros.
“But we have to do even more. And we need to establish our support on an even firmer and more lasting basis,” he said.
Therefore, yesterday, Wednesday, the allied ministers agreed to move forward in the planning of a greater role of NATO in the coordination of aid and security training for Ukraine, a work that will continue in the coming weeks.
Stoltenberg indicated that the allies must move forward on these two aspects: the mobilization of urgent aid in the coming days and weeks and the establishment of “a more predictable framework for long-term support” that “does not depend on voluntary ‘ad hoc’ announcements, but on more predictable commitments.”
In this way, the allies have entrusted the supreme commander of the Alliance for Europe (SACEUR), American General Christopher G. Cavoli, start the planning of that framework, which “could be underpinned by financial commitments.”
Stoltenberg has proposed to create a fund of 100 billion euros for five years for Ukraine so that the support has a long-term journey, at a time when it is possible to return in November to the White House of Republican Donald Trump, who has already said that he would cut off attendance to Kiev.
“Russia is mobilizing more troops, but it is also willing to sacrifice men and material for marginal profits. This is serious, and that is exactly why it is urgent to mobilize more support for Ukraine,” argued the Norwegian politician.
He warned that there are fundamentally two possible scenarios: that the allies are able to mobilize more support and that Ukraine can recover more territory, or “that we are not able to do so.”
“And then there is a real risk that Russia will capture even more territory and that we will find ourselves in an even more dangerous position,” he said.
In his opinion, if NATO allies comply, he was convinced that Ukraine will be able to make new advances, and therefore “we must thoroughly seek and provide more military support” and put in place “stronger and more solid structures in the long term.”
Stoltenberg also insisted again that they have “no plan to have combat troops within Ukraine, there has been no request for it.”
The fact that the allies are providing him with weapons to defend himself “does not make us part of the conflict,” he said.
Central America
U.S. extradites Iranian man over alleged sanctions evasion scheme
The United States has extradited from Panama an Iranian national accused of evading economic sanctions against Iran by illegally exporting U.S. technology. He is scheduled to appear this Monday before a court in Seattle.
Reza Dindar, 44, was extradited on April 17 after being detained in Panama since July 2025 on charges related to export control violations between 2011 and 2012, allegedly carried out through companies based in China.
The defendant appeared before a U.S. district court in Seattle, where he faces charges of violating sanctions imposed by the United States on Iran in 1995 during the administration of Bill Clinton. These sanctions prohibit the unauthorized export, re-export, or supply—directly or indirectly—of U.S. goods, technology, or services to Iran or its government.
According to the indictment, between 2010 and 2014, Dindar led the company New Port Sourcing Solutions in Xi’an, China, which allegedly concealed the procurement of U.S. products for shipment to clients in Iran.
International
Elon Musk skips French court appearance over X investigation
Billionaire Elon Musk did not appear this Monday before French authorities, who had summoned him for a voluntary statement as part of an investigation into his social media platform X, prosecutors told AFP.
The platform has been under investigation since early 2025 following complaints from lawmakers alleging bias in its algorithms, which may have altered its functioning and interfered in politics in France.
The probe has since expanded to include other alleged offenses, such as complicity in the distribution of child sexual abuse material, as well as the role of Grok in spreading denialist content and sexually explicit fake images.
In early February, investigators raided X’s offices in Paris. The company has denied any wrongdoing, describing the searches as “political” and “abusive.”
At that time, the Paris prosecutor’s office summoned Musk and former CEO Linda Yaccarino to provide voluntary testimony as those responsible for the platform during the period under investigation.
Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau also stated that X employees were called to testify as witnesses between April 20 and April 24.
International
Four injured in shooting at Teotihuacán archaeological site in Mexico
Four more people were injured by gunfire during the ആക്രമ attack at Teotihuacán, one of the most emblematic archaeological complexes in Mexico, authorities confirmed.
The Secretary of Security of the State of Mexico, Cristóbal Castañeda, reported that the victims include two Colombian nationals, one Russian, and one Canadian. Additionally, two other individuals were injured due to falls, according to a statement from local authorities.
President Claudia Sheinbaum expressed concern over the incident, stating on social media that “what happened today in Teotihuacán deeply pains us.”
Federal authorities recovered a firearm, a knife, and ammunition at the scene, which remains under the protection of state police and the Guardia Nacional, according to the federal Security Cabinet.
Located about 50 kilometers from Mexico City, Teotihuacán is a major tourist destination frequently visited by both domestic and international travelers.
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