УКРОПИ

Rearming Europe? EU tested to turn talk into action

European Union leaders will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday in Brussels to discuss boosting defense spending for Ukraine, as well as Europe’s own security in the face of Russia. The meeting comes amid fears that the United States’ longtime support to Europe may end. But does the EU have the leadership, means and public support to go it alone? Lisa Bryant reports from Paris.
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Pope resting after acute breathing crises forced him to resume noninvasive ventilation 

Rome — Pope Francis rested early Tuesday after he suffered further setbacks in his fight against double pneumonia: two new acute respiratory crises that required him to resume using noninvasive mechanical ventilation to breathe. 

In its early Tuesday update, the Vatican said: “The pope slept through the night, now rest continues.” 

Francis suffered the two crises Monday. Doctors extracted “copious” amounts of mucus that had accumulated in his lungs, the Vatican said in a late update. They performed two bronchoscopies, in which a camera-tipped tube was sent into his airways with a sucker at the tip to suction out fluid. 

The 88-year-old pope, who has chronic lung disease and had part of one lung removed as a young man, was put back on noninvasive mechanical ventilation: a mask that covers his nose and mouth and pumps oxygen into the lungs. 

Francis remained alert, oriented and cooperated with medical personnel, the Vatican said. The prognosis remained guarded, meaning he was not out of danger. Doctors didn’t say if he remained in stable condition, though they referred to the crises in the past tense, suggesting they were over. 

The crises were a new setback in what has become a more than two-week battle by the frail pope to overcome a complex respiratory infection. 

The Vatican said the mucus that had accumulated in Francis’ lungs was his body’s reaction to the original pneumonia infection and not a new infection, given laboratory tests don’t indicate any new bacteria. 

Dr. John Coleman, a pulmonary critical care doctor at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago, said the episodes were more concerning than the last one on Friday, in which Francis had a coughing fit, inhaled some vomit that needed to be extracted and then was put on the noninvasive mechanical ventilation for a day and then didn’t need it anymore. 

The use of bronchoscopies reflects a worrying level of mucus and phlegm in the lungs, Coleman said. “The fact that they had to go in there and remove it manually is concerning, because it means that he is not clearing the secretions on his own,” he said. 

“He’s taking little steps forward and then steps back,” said Coleman, who is not involved in Francis’ care. 

Francis, who is not physically active, uses a wheelchair and is overweight, had been undergoing respiratory physiotherapy to try to improve his lung function. But the accumulation of the secretions in his lungs was a sign that he doesn’t have the muscle tone to cough vigorously enough to expel the fluid. 

Doctors often use noninvasive ventilation to stave off an intubation, or the use of invasive mechanical ventilation. Francis has not been intubated during this hospitalization. It’s not clear if he has provided any advance directives about the limits of his care if he declines or loses consciousness. 

Catholic teaching holds that life must be defended from conception until natural death. It insists that chronically ill patients, including those in vegetative states, must receive “ordinary” care such as hydration and nutrition, but “extraordinary” or disproportionate care can be suspended if it is no longer beneficial or is only prolonging a precarious and painful life. 

Francis articulated that in a 2017 speech to a meeting of the Vatican’s bioethics think tank, the Pontifical Academy for Life. He said there was “no obligation to have recourse in all circumstances to every possible remedy.” He added: “It thus makes possible a decision that is morally qualified as withdrawal of ‘overzealous treatment.’” 

Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, who heads the academy which helps articulate the Catholic Church’s position on end-of-life care, said Francis is like any other Catholic and would follow church teaching, if it came to that. 

“Today the pope is giving us an extraordinary teaching on fragility,” he told reporters Monday. “Today the pope, not through words but with his body, is reminding all of us, we elderly people to begin with, that we are all fragile and therefore we need to take care of each other.” 

Francis’ hospitalization, which hits 18 nights Tuesday, is by no means reaching the papal record that was set during St. John Paul II’s numerous lengthy hospitalizations over a quarter century. The longest single hospitalization occurred in 1981, when John Paul spent 55 days in Gemelli for a minor operation and then to be treated for a serious infection that followed.
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6.8 million Ukrainian refugees remain globally; fewer than half plan to return

As Ukraine’s war enters its fourth year, 6.8 million Ukrainians remain refugees. Researchers say fewer than half plan to return when the war ends. From Kyiv, Lesia Bakalets reports on what can be done to encourage more of them to return to their homeland.
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King Charles meets with Trudeau amid Trump’s annexation comments

London — Britain’s King Charles III welcomed Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday as the monarch faces criticism in Canada over being silent about U.S. President Donald Trump’s repeated suggestion that the U.S. annex its northern neighbor. 

While royal officials did not provide details about the private talks at the monarch’s royal residence Sandringham, the king and Trudeau were expected to discuss Trump’s comments that Canada should become the 51st state. 

Charles is the head of state in Canada, a member of the Commonwealth group of many former British colonies and territories. Trudeau said Sunday, “nothing seems more important to Canadians right now than standing up for our sovereignty and our independence as a nation.” 

Britain’s monarchs must remain politically neutral, but the Canada issue shows how delicate that balancing act can be.  

“The Government of Canada should ask the Head of State to underscore Canadian sovereignty,” former Alberta Premier Jason Kenney posted on X. 

Trudeau flew to London to join an emergency defense summit on Ukraine over the weekend, where British Prime Minister Keir Starmer outlined plans to end the war in Ukraine and rallied European counterparts to throw their weight behind the country as U.S. backing of Ukraine appeared in jeopardy. 

The king’s meeting with the Canadian leader came after Charles met Sunday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to show solidarity with Ukraine after Trump lashed out at Zelenskyy in a heated exchange in the Oval Office. 

Starmer told lawmakers Monday he held talks with Trudeau over the weekend and was “able to assure him of our strong support for Canada.” 

Meanwhile, Charles has invited Trump to come for a state visit. Starmer delivered that invitation to Trump in Washington last week, noting it was an “unprecedented” honor since Trump already had been given the royal treatment by Queen Elizabeth II during his first term. 

Starmer insisted to lawmakers Monday that the U.S. and Britain have “the closest of relationships,” and that it would be “a huge mistake at a time like this to suggest that any weakening of that link is the way forward for security and defense in Europe.” 
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Pope Francis’ prognosis is ‘guarded’ after suffering new breathing crises

The Vatican said Monday that Pope Francis suffered two new episodes of “acute respiratory insufficiency,” with a prognosis that “remains guarded.”

The pope’s condition is the result of “a significant accumulation of endobronchial mucus and consequent bronchospasm,” the Vatican said in a statement.

The Vatican said Francis, 88, underwent two bronchoscopies to remove the mucus and later resumed the use of noninvasive mechanical ventilation. He remains “alert, oriented and cooperative at all times,” the Vatican added.

The leader of the Roman Catholic Church was admitted to Gemelli Hospital in Rome on Feb. 14 with a case of bronchitis that soon worsened to double pneumonia. This hospital stay is the longest during his time as pope. He is prone to lung infections, having had part of a lung removed when he was a young man.

Some of the faithful who have journeyed to Rome to see the Vatican and possibly the pope have altered their plans and are now saying prayers for Francis outside the hospital for his full recovery.

The pope’s illness has also prompted Catholics to gather in Vatican City, his native Argentina and other areas of the world to hold prayer vigils.

Francis became pope in 2013 when his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, resigned.

Some information for this report came from Reuters.

 
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Myanmar’s head of military government travels to ally Russia for talks with Putin

BANGKOK — The head of Myanmar’s military government arrived in Russia on Monday on an official visit to a major ally of the Southeast Asian nation that has been shunned by much of the West for overthrowing a democratically elected government and subsequent brutal repression. 

Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, who landed in Moscow on Monday and was greeted by a military orchestra on the tarmac, will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The general is accompanied by fellow members of the ruling military council and Cabinet, as well as military officials, state television MRTV reported. 

The report said Min Aung Hlaing will also meet with other top Russian officials and discuss bilateral ties, economic affairs and security with the aim to strengthen strategic cooperation. 

Russia, along with China, is a major supporter and arms supplier of Myanmar’s military government. Russian-made fighter jets are used in attacks on territory under the control of ethnic minority groups, many of which are allies with pro-democracy resistance forces. 

Russia defends Myanmar’s military government in international forums, and the ruling generals generally support Moscow’s foreign policy agenda. 

Western nations have ostracized Myanmar’s ruling military and imposed economic and political sanctions against them because of their takeover and violent repression of opposition, which has led to the deaths of thousands of civilians and given rise to an armed conflict widely seen as a civil war. 

The trip is Min Aung Hlaing’s fourth to Russia since his army seized power in February 2021 from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. His one known previous meeting with Putin was on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum held in the eastern Russian city of Vladivostok in September 2022. 

Russia and Myanmar have also held joint military drills and signed a pact on developing nuclear power. Myanmar’s military government is planning to allow general laborers to go to Russia for work.
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French company announces new US factory for night vision goggles component

A French company that makes a key component in night vision systems used by some NATO countries announced Monday it is building a new factory in the United States amid a push for NATO members to increase their defense spending.

Exosens said the new factory in the northeastern state of Massachusetts is expected to begin operations in 2027, and is part of a $21 million overall investment that also includes expanded operations in Europe.

“The return of high-density combat has underscored the critical importance of night operation abilities as a key tactical advantage,” the company said in a statement.

Last week, Exosens announced a contract with a maker of night vision goggles in NATO member Finland.

Some information for this story was provided by Reuters
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Francis off mechanical ventilation entirely, signaling he’s overcome risks from respiratory crisis

Rome — Pope Francis remained in stable condition and didn’t need any mechanical ventilation Sunday, the Vatican said. It was a sign that he had overcome the possible complications from a respiratory crisis Friday and that his breathing function overall was improving as he recovers from pneumonia.

The 88-year-old pope did continue to receive high flow supplemental oxygen after Friday’s coughing episode, which sparked fears of a new lung infection. Doctors in their late Sunday update said Francis remained stable but again referred to the complexity of his overall condition and kept his prognosis at guarded, meaning he wasn’t out of danger.

Francis, who has been in the hospital since Feb. 14, rested, prayed in his private chapel and participated in Mass after a morning visit from the Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and his chief of staff, Archbishop Edgar Pena Parra. The content of their talks wasn’t known, but even when at the Vatican, Francis meets at least weekly with them.

He again skipped his weekly noon blessing to avoid even a brief public appearance from the hospital. Instead, the Vatican distributed a message written by the pope from Gemelli Hospital in which he thanked his doctors for their care and well-wishers for their prayers, and prayed again for peace in Ukraine and elsewhere.

“From here, war appears even more absurd,” Francis said in the message, which he drafted in recent days. Francis said he was living his hospitalization as an experience of profound solidarity with people who are sick and suffering everywhere.

“I feel in my heart the ‘blessing’ that is hidden within frailty, because it is precisely in these moments that we learn even more to trust in the Lord,” Francis said in the text. “At the same time, I thank God for giving me the opportunity to share in body and spirit the condition of so many sick and suffering people.”

Signs point to a recovery

Many signs indicated he was improving, especially after a respiratory crisis on Friday afternoon that resulted in him inhaling vomit during a coughing fit and raising the possibility of new infection. Doctors aspirated the vomit and put him on noninvasive mechanical ventilation, a mask that pumps oxygen into the lungs.

He used the ventilation on Saturday, alternating it with just supplemental oxygen, and by Sunday no longer needed it.

Doctors also reported he had no fever or raised white blood cell levels, which would have indicated his body was fighting a new infection. The doctors had said they needed 24 to 48 hours after Friday’s coughing episode to determine if there were any negative impacts on Francis’ overall condition. The passage of time and positive reports Sunday suggested he had overcome the episode successfully.

The pope, who had part of one lung removed as a young man, has lung disease and was admitted to Gemelli on Feb. 14 after a bout of bronchitis worsened and turned into a complex pneumonia in both lungs.

Prayers continued to pour in

Francis’ hospitalization has come as the Vatican is marking its Holy Year, drawing pilgrims to Rome from all over. Many have added a pilgrimage destination to their itineraries so they can pray for Francis at the Gemelli hospital, which is around a 20-minute drive from the Vatican, longer in rush hour or on public transport.

The Rev. Riccardo Fumagalli had accompanied a group of young people from Milan to Rome for the Jubilee and would have attended Francis’ Angelus prayer in St. Peter’s Square on Sunday if he had delivered it as usual. Instead, they went to Gemelli.

“It seemed good to us to come here to express our closeness, especially of these teenagers, to be close to the Holy Father to pray for him, to pray for this moment of illness,” he said.

Cancer patient Antonino Cacace was also arriving Sunday at Gemelli from Milan for his own treatment, saying he has to undergo surgery in the coming days and was counting on Francis’ prayers.

“I am glad the pope is giving me help,” he said. “I am on the ninth (floor) and he is on the 10th (floor). I hope to meet him and see him,” he said.
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Lithuanian rower plucked from path of tropical cyclone off Australia

Sydney — A Lithuanian rower was rescued from storm-tossed seas off Australia on Monday after paddling into a tropical cyclone while trying to cross the Pacific Ocean alone.  

An Australian navy vessel plucked long-distance rower Aurimas Mockus from the Coral Sea, where Tropical Cyclone Alfred on Monday was whipping up 100-kilometer (60-mile) per hour winds and seven-meter (20-foot) swells.

Mockus first activated his emergency beacon Friday evening, enduring three nights at sea as the looming cyclone hampered rescue efforts.  

Vice Admiral Justin Jones said Mockus — who has used the attempt to drum up support for Ukraine’s war effort — was safely on board and undergoing medical checks.  

“The ship is on its way back to Australian shores,” said the Australian Maritime Safety Authority in a statement.  

Aerial photos taken before the rescue showed his modified rowboat bobbing on white-capped waves in a turbulent, dark ocean.  

Mockus fell just short of his goal to row 12,000 kilometers (7,500 miles) across the Pacific Ocean from the United States to Australia.  

He started the grueling journey in September 2024, according to his website.  

Tropical Cyclone Alfred is forecast to bring damaging waves and strong winds as it moves toward Australia’s eastern coast later this week, the government weather bureau said.
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European leaders meet with Ukraine’s Zelenskyy to discuss Russia’s war

European leaders met in London Sunday to discuss the Ukraine-Russia war. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy received a warm welcome after being asked to leave the White House following a heated exchange with President Donald Trump Friday. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi has more.
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