Russia ready to send more experts to Venezuela; NATO plans drills with Ukraine in Black Sea

Russia ready to send more military experts to Venezuela

Russian military personnel in Venezuela.

Russia's state news agency RIA on June 7 quoted a source from the country's Foreign Ministry as saying that Russia is ready to send more military experts to Venezuela if necessary. Meanwhile, TASS - another Russian news agency - also reported that Russia does not rule out the possibility of increasing the number of military personnel in Venezuela.

Previously, Russia maintained that its military forces were in Venezuela to help the Latin American country maintain combat readiness and use weapons in the best possible way, and that the Russian military was legally allowed to be present in Venezuela under an agreement signed between the two countries in 2001. Speaking in St Petersburg, Russian President Vladimir Putin also warned that US military intervention in Venezuela would be a "disaster" and that this was something that even US allies would not support. According to the Russian leader, Russian experts were in Venezuela to work with Russian weapons under an agreement agreed between the two sides.

Iran refuses to extend nuclear talks

Iranian technicians work at a uranium enrichment plant in Isfahan. Photo: AFP/VNA

Iran on June 7 rejected France's call to extend international talks on Tehran's nuclear and military programs, stressing that it would only discuss the 2015 nuclear deal it reached with world powers.

The move came a day after French President Emmanuel Macron said Paris and Washington both wanted to prevent Tehran from obtaining nuclear weapons and that new talks should focus on curbing its ballistic missile program and other issues. However, Iran's Foreign Ministry said it would not hold any discussions beyond the framework of the nuclear deal between Iran and the P5+1 group, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which US President Donald Trump abandoned last year.

NATO plans exercises with Ukraine in the Black Sea

French warship M653 Capricorne arrives at the Ukrainian port of Odessa to participate in a joint naval exercise on March 23. Photo: VNA

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg met with new Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Brussels, Belgium. A joint statement by the two leaders posted on NATO's website said the organization plans to conduct military exercises in the Black Sea with Ukraine in July. Mr. Stoltenberg also stressed that NATO will continue to provide political and practical support to Ukraine, including joint military exercises.

For his part, President Volodymyr Zelensky affirmed that the plan to join NATO is a priority in Ukraine's foreign policy. However, in an interview after meeting with the NATO Secretary General, Mr. Zelensky said that Ukraine will only join NATO after conducting a referendum, which is expected to be held when the people are ready.

British Prime Minister Theresa May officially resigns

As announced two weeks ago, British Prime Minister Theresa May officially resigned as leader of the Conservative Party on June 7. Her departure paved the way for the race to find a replacement for her and the Conservative Party leadership position officially entered a fierce competition phase in the context of the Brexit process being at a standstill.

Mrs. May officially resigned as leader of the Conservative Party through a private letter sent to the entire party today, but did not hold a press conference or any event to mark this day. According to the British Prime Minister's Office, although she resigned, Mrs. May will still be the British Prime Minister until the Conservative Party chooses a new leader, most likely next July. During her temporary term as Prime Minister, waiting for her successor to take over, Prime Minister May will only focus on handling domestic issues. Mrs. May will not be involved in issues related to Brexit.

After Google, it's Facebook's turn to 'stop playing' with Huawei

Illustration photo: Reuters

Facebook has stopped licensing Huawei to pre-install its apps on Huawei phones, another US tech giant has stopped working with the Chinese company. According to Reuters, this could be called the latest fatal blow to Huawei as the world's second-largest smartphone maker continues to struggle to overcome the challenges it has faced since the US government banned the company from buying US components and software.

Facebook confirmed to Reuters that existing Huawei phone users will continue to be able to use and update their apps. However, upcoming Huawei phones will no longer have popular and commonly pre-installed apps such as Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram.