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NATO Will Not Allow Russia to Blackmail the Alliance, Says Germany

German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht (Reuters)
German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht (Reuters)
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NATO Will Not Allow Russia to Blackmail the Alliance, Says Germany

German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht (Reuters)
German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht (Reuters)

NATO will not allow Moscow to blackmail the alliance and will not accept a Russian veto against an enlargement, German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht said on Friday.

"Russia does not have a veto in issues concerning the alliance and cannot blackmail us. These red lines must be clear in all pending talks," she told parliament, Reuters reported.

"But between these red lines and a military conflict, there is a lot of scope that we must make use of", Lambrecht said, adding she would meet NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg in Berlin next week.

In another development, Ukrainian military intelligence said on Friday that Russian special services were preparing what it called "provocations" against Russian servicemen located in Moldova's breakaway region of Transdniestria in order to accuse Ukraine.

It said in a statement that the provocations may be against Russian armed forces' artillery depots.

Ukraine was hit on Friday by a massive cyberattack warning its citizens to "be afraid and expect the worst." Russia, which has massed more than 100,000 troops on its neighbor's frontier, meanwhile released TV pictures of more forces deploying in a drill.

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World

Rights Group Says Gaza Flotilla Activists Facing Abuse in Israel Jail

Brazilian activist Thiago Avila gestures upon his arrival at a court in Ashkelon on May 3, 2026.(Photo by Ilia YEFIMOVICH / AFP)
Brazilian activist Thiago Avila gestures upon his arrival at a court in Ashkelon on May 3, 2026.(Photo by Ilia YEFIMOVICH / AFP)
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Rights Group Says Gaza Flotilla Activists Facing Abuse in Israel Jail

Brazilian activist Thiago Avila gestures upon his arrival at a court in Ashkelon on May 3, 2026.(Photo by Ilia YEFIMOVICH / AFP)
Brazilian activist Thiago Avila gestures upon his arrival at a court in Ashkelon on May 3, 2026.(Photo by Ilia YEFIMOVICH / AFP)

Two foreign activists from a Gaza-bound flotilla who have been detained in Israeli prison are facing psychological abuse, death threats and poor detention conditions, a rights group representing them said Monday.

"Thiago Avila (one of the activists) reported being subjected to repeated interrogations lasting up to eight hours. Interrogators have explicitly threatened him, stating he would either be 'killed' or 'spend 100 years in jail'," rights group Adalah, whose attorneys visited both activists in their detention Monday, said in statement.

Adalah added that a court would decide Tuesday whether to further extend Spanish national Saif Abu Keshek and Brazilian Avila's detention.

World

US Denies Iran Struck a Military Vessel during New Effort to Reopen Strait of Hormuz

Vessels in the Strait of Hormuz near Bandar Abbas, Iran, May 4, 2026. Amirhosein Khorgooi/ISNA/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS
Vessels in the Strait of Hormuz near Bandar Abbas, Iran, May 4, 2026. Amirhosein Khorgooi/ISNA/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS
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US Denies Iran Struck a Military Vessel during New Effort to Reopen Strait of Hormuz

Vessels in the Strait of Hormuz near Bandar Abbas, Iran, May 4, 2026. Amirhosein Khorgooi/ISNA/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS
Vessels in the Strait of Hormuz near Bandar Abbas, Iran, May 4, 2026. Amirhosein Khorgooi/ISNA/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS

The US military on Monday denied claims that Iran struck a Navy vessel as US forces now offer to guide commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz, where hundreds have been stuck since the Iran war began. Tehran over the past two months has attacked some vessels and blocked others that don’t receive its authorization.

The US military’s Central Command also said two American-flagged merchant ships have “successfully transited through the Strait of Hormuz" and that that Navy guided-missile destroyers in the Arabian Gulf are helping to restore commercial shipping traffic.

The statement on X said the destroyers transited the Strait of Hormuz “in support of Project Freedom” and that the merchant ships are "safely headed on their journey." It did not say when the Navy ships arrived or when the merchant vessels departed.

Meanwhile, Iranian news agencies had earlier claimed that Iran struck a US vessel near an Iranian port southeast of the strait, accusing it of “violating maritime security and navigation norms.” The reports said the vessel was forced to turn back.

Also, Iran's state television reported that the Iranian navy fired cruise missiles, rockets and combat drones near US destroyers crossing the Strait of Hormuz on Monday,

It said the navy had identified US destroyers in the Strait of Hormuz and fired multiple warning shots, adding, "following the Zionist American destroyers' disregard for the initial warning, the Navy issued a warning shot by firing cruise missiles, rockets, and combat drones around the aggressor enemy vessels".

World

Top EU, US Trade Officials to Meet in Paris after Trump Threat

FILE PHOTO: US President Donald Trump takes questions from media at a press briefing at the White House - April 25, 2026. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: US President Donald Trump takes questions from media at a press briefing at the White House - April 25, 2026. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File Photo
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Top EU, US Trade Officials to Meet in Paris after Trump Threat

FILE PHOTO: US President Donald Trump takes questions from media at a press briefing at the White House - April 25, 2026. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: US President Donald Trump takes questions from media at a press briefing at the White House - April 25, 2026. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File Photo

The European Union's trade chief Maros Sefcovic will hold talks with his US counterpart on Tuesday in Paris, an EU spokesman said, following President Donald Trump's latest tariffs threat.

Trump said Friday that he will hike US levies on EU cars and trucks from this week to 25 percent, accusing the bloc of not complying with a tariff agreement reached last summer.

US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told CNBC on Monday that EU officials have not adjusted their tariffs or rules yet despite the pact: "They've moved a tariff bill along in the European Parliament. It's been very slow."

He noted the move also had some amendments that would "limit the deal".

"After discussing this with our European colleagues over many, many months, the president decided that if the Europeans aren't implementing the deal right now, then we don't have to implement all of it either at this time," Greer added.

The EU dismissed the claim and insisted it remained committed to the deal.

"Since day one, we are implementing the joint statement, and we're fully committed to delivering on our shared commitments," EU spokesman Thomas Regnier said.

Sefcovic will meet Greer on the margins of a G7 ministerial meeting in Paris on Tuesday, the spokesman added, as he noted talks between the two sides continued at different levels.

The trade deal struck last summer lowered the US tariff on EU autos to 15 percent, which is below the 25-percent duty that Trump imposed on vehicles from many other trading partners.

The European Parliament has given its conditional approval to the EU-US trade pact, but under EU procedures, before the deal is implemented by the bloc, a final version still needs to be negotiated with member states.

Regnier said the EU kept Washington "fully informed throughout the process" and sought to "reassure the other side of the Atlantic, work is ongoing. Progress is being made".

While the EU has warned it is keeping its options open, Regnier refused to speculate on how the EU would act if the tariffs kick in.

"We will not escalate any threats. We focus on the implementation phase," he said.