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European Leaders Meet in Paris as U.S. Pushes Ahead With Ukraine Plan
The leaders of many of Europe’s biggest countries came to Paris on Monday in an effort to forge a strategy for their own security, as President Trump’s envoys prepared for talks with Russia over ending the war in Ukraine without them.
The meeting in Paris was pulled together hastily after the first visit to Europe last week by Vice President JD Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, which left European leaders alarmed by both the tone and message of the new Trump administration and what it might hold for the continent.
European leaders were shocked by the hostility of Vance’s scathing speech in Munich criticizing Europe’s exclusion of far-right groups from power, and the sudden American plans to begin peace talks with Russia in Saudi Arabia, starting on Tuesday, without the presence of Ukrainian or European leaders.
Trump’s phone call last week to President Vladimir Putin of Russia broke ranks with most European allies who have tried to isolate the man who ordered the invasion of sovereign Ukraine three years ago next week.
The meetings with the new U.S. officials sparked fear that the United States wants to pull thousands of troops out of Europe, as Hegseth suggested in Brussels last week, but on a timetable that would leave Europe vulnerable to an aggressive Russia, and that Trump will cut a deal with Putin over the heads of Ukrainians and Europeans.
The meeting, called by President Emmanuel Macron of France at the Élysée Palace, was an initial effort to discuss a more coordinated and collective response to the Trump administration. Macron and Trump held a 20-minute phone call before the meeting began, the French said.
At the meeting, the European leaders discussed what they are willing to commit to secure any peace deal over the war in Ukraine in the short term, and in the long term, how to secure the continent as it faces an expansionist Russia and the predicted withdrawal of the assurance of American support.
They discussed issues including military spending and how to guarantee Ukraine’s security once some sort of permanent cease-fire or peace deal is reached, including the possibility of troop commitments in Ukraine.
Trump officials have said that they expect the Europeans to be responsible for the main financial and military support for Ukraine in the future, but there is enormous vagueness around the whole issue. Europeans want to be at the negotiating table, if one is ever created.
The Paris meeting comes the same day that Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The State Department said he would be joined by Mike Waltz, the national security adviser, and Steve Witkoff, Trump’s Middle East envoy.
They are supposed to discuss with Russian officials the future of the Russia-Ukraine war, but even those talks are more about how to set up future peace talks rather than about the substance of them.
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine was in the United Arab Emirates on Monday for a track of negotiations with Russia that is separate from the Trump administration’s effort, focusing on prisoner exchanges and returning Ukrainian children from Russia.
He reiterated that Ukraine would accept no terms negotiated between Russia and the Trump administration without Ukrainian participation, and confirmed that Ukrainian representatives would not be at the talks in Saudi Arabia.
READ MORE HERE: European Leaders Meet to Discuss Ukraine War as Trump Officials Prepare For Russia Peace Talks - The New York Times
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Mobile council to consider approval of lodging tax increase on Tuesday
After holding over a potential increase to the Port City’s lodging tax for two weeks — and following the announcement bids to construct the new Civic Center will come in under budget — Mobile City Council members will vote on whether or not to approve the change at Tuesday’s meeting.
READ MORE HERE: Mobile council to consider approval of lodging tax increase on Tuesday | News | lagniappemobile.com
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US special forces landing in Mexico to train marine infantry
EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) – A Mexican Senate commission has approved the entry of members of the U.S. Army’s 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) into the country starting this week.
The Americans will come fully armed as part of a mission to train the Mexican Navy’s marine infantry on conventional and non-conventional types of combat.
The training began Monday and will run through March 30 at the Luis Carpizo naval facility in the state of Campeche, according to Sen. Alejandro Moreno Cardenas, president of the Mexican Senate’s Naval Ministry Commission.
The Americans arrived in a C-130 airplane in Campeche two days prior to the start of the training, Moreno said.
The 7th Special Forces Group, whose motto is De Opresso Liber! (Free the oppressed!), has participated in peacekeeping operations in Panama, Peru and Ecuador, and has been deployed to Afghanistan. Also known as Green Berets, they participated in operation Just Cause, which resulted in the January 1990 capture of Panamanian dictator Gen. Manuel Noriega, wanted in the U.S. on drug charges.
Sheinbaum and President Donald Trump earlier this month reached a deal to postpone crushing 25% tariffs on Mexican exports to the United States in exchange for Mexico stepping up its fight against the drug cartels flooding America with the deadly illicit drug fentanyl.
In return, the U.S. is supposed to step up its interdiction of firearms being illegally crossed into Mexico.
Mexico in the past has let in American military advisers into its territory, but always on training missions, U.S. security experts say.
Mexican news media earlier this month reported the presence of an alleged American spy plane off the coasts of Baja California and possibly Sinaloa. The Mexican government denied any unauthorized air incursions.
Mexico has traditionally been very guarded when it comes to letting in American troops – ever since the U.S. took half of its territory in 1848, political experts say. That is unlikely to change even with the threat of tariffs if Mexico doesn’t continue to slow the flow of migrants or fentanyl to the U.S.
The truce on the Mexican tariffs ends in March.
READ THE REST OF THE STORY: US special forces landing in Mexico to train marine infantry

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