Zelensky: “Ukraine cannot guarantee the safety of world leaders in Moscow on May 9”

Speaking at a university event in Mexico City today, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum revealed she recently spoke by phone with U.S. President Donald J. Trump, who suggested deploying the U.S. Army to Mexico to help combat drug trafficking. Sheinbaum said she firmly rejected the proposal, stating, “No, President Trump — our territory is sacred, our sovereignty is sacred. Sovereignty is not for sale; it is cherished and defended.”

A senior Pakistani diplomat has issued a stark warning, stating that Islamabad is ready to deploy nuclear weapons if a conflict with India erupts. “Pakistan will utilize the full spectrum of its capabilities, including both conventional and nuclear forces,” said the country’s ambassador to Russia.

A large fire, resulting from a possible explosion, has reportedly broken out tonight at the Montazer Ghaem Thermal Power Plant located near Karaj in the Alborz Mountains of Northern Iran, coinciding with a 4.0-magnitude earthquake earlier in the area to the west of Tehran.

Bloomberg reports that during negotiations with Witkoff, Putin insisted on full control over the Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions, dismissing any proposal for partial control. Witkoff instead suggested a ceasefire along the existing front line, resulting in a stalemate. Further progress is now seen as likely only through direct talks between Putin and Trump.

Earlier today, the Israeli Air Force released footage of several airstrikes carried out yesterday targeting military installations in southwestern Syria, including anti-aircraft systems and surface-to-air missile sites.

Russian state media is reporting that both Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico and Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić have both fallen “suddenly ill” and will not longer be able to attend the Moscow Victory Day Parade on May 9th; with Vučić said to have suffered a serious illness during his visit this week to the United States, requiring him to return to Belgrade.

According to Castellum, Russia currently faces 24,311 sanctions—nearly five times more than Iran’s approximately 5,000. The United States tops the list with 7,384 sanctions (30.4%), followed by Canada with 3,639 (15%), Switzerland with 3,266 (13.4%), and France with 2,423 (10%).

Police in Stuttgart, Germany now report that eight people were injured after an SUV drove into a crowd earlier today. Three of the victims are in serious condition, and one required resuscitation at the scene. In a follow-up statement, authorities said there is “currently no indication of an attack or intentional act.” They added that the situation remains under investigation, and any new developments will be shared as they emerge.

United Kingdom 🇬🇧: LOCAL ELECTIONS The vote count is still underway — conducted manually — but the results released so far point to the right-wing Reform UK as the big winner of the British local elections. Here’s the current number of councilors elected by party (with change compared to the previous election): ⚪️ Reform UK: 213 🔵 Conservative Party: 76 (-172) 🟠 Liberal Democrats: 50 (+25) 🔴 Labour Party: 22 (-54) 🟡 Independents: 19 (-17) 🟢 Green Party: 10 (+5)