🇪🇨❌🇲🇽❗️ — The Conservative Government of Ecuador of Rafael Noboa declared the Mexican Ambassador in Quito, Raquel Serur Smeke, persona Non Grata, the Ecuadorian Foreign Ministry reported in a statement.

🇺🇸🇺🇦 US House’s Ukraine War Aid Vote Is Likely Weeks or More Away

A US House vote on Ukraine aid isn’t likely until at least mid-April and possibly later with Speaker Mike Johnson still searching for ways to soften opposition from Republican hardliners, multiple party leadership officials said.

Johnson raised expectations for quick action in a Fox News interview Sunday saying the House would move forward with Ukraine assistance “right away” when lawmakers return next week from their two-week Easter break.

Johnson’s team hasn’t shared any detailed plan on the aid package with Republican lawmakers and appears not to have settled on what concessions he would insist on from the Biden administration, making it difficult for him to muster support in time for a vote next week, the party officials said.

In the Fox News interview, the speaker indicated he would attach new conditions to the aid. Those conditions might include converting assistance into a loan Ukraine would eventually be obligated to repay, seizing Russian assets as an offset and overturning a Biden administration freeze on new licenses to export liquefied natural gas, Johnson said.

The Biden administration in a statement Tuesday dismissed a deal for Ukraine aid contingent on lifting the LNG export license freeze.

🔗 https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-04-03/us-house-s-ukraine-war-aid-vote-is-likely-weeks-or-more-away

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🇬🇧🇮🇱 British prime-minister, Rishi Sunak, is being pressured even by fellow Torries to halt arms sales to Israel following the deaths of three British citizens in Gaza.

Sunak played for time on Wednesday night, telling the Sun that Britain will follow its “very careful export licensing regime,” as he declined to rule out ceasing arms sales in the wake of the “awful tragedy” that killed British military veterans John Chapman, James Henderson and James Kirby alongside colleagues from World Central Kitchen. But pressure to act is increasing from multiple fronts.

That’s the assessment of the food aid charity’s founder, José Andrés, who gave a red-hot interview to Reuters accusing Israeli forces of targeting the aid workers “systematically, car by car.” The celebrity chef said the IDF knew of his staff’s movements because they had clear communication with the charity. Israel insists the strike was a “grave mistake.” Nir Barkat, a member of Israel’s war cabinet, has told BBC News that Andrés’ comments were “nonsense.”

Is the U.K. itself now breaking the law? Because more than 600 lawyers, legal academics and retired senior judges — including former U.K. Supreme Court President Brenda Hale and ex-justices Jonathan Sumption and Nicholas Wilson — reckon it could be. They’ve signed a 17-page letter to the PM saying the U.K. is legally bound to act over the “catastrophic” situation in Gaza because the International Court of Justice ruled there’s a plausible risk of genocide being committed against Palestinians.

There’s more: They also argue ministers are falling “significantly short” of their obligations under international law over the sale of weapons to Israel and the suspension of aid to UNRWA, the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, following Israeli claims of the agency’s links with Hamas. The Guardian splashes the story across its front page, while the i goes big on Gaza’s descent into further humanitarian crisis as aid groups suspend their operations in the strip after their colleagues’ deaths.

Though the Conservatives are far from united behind the position, there’s been a steady trickle of Tory MPs urging Sunak to halt arming Israel, including former minister Alan Duncan, David Jones, Flick Drummond and Paul Bristow, as well as Conservative peer Hugo Swire. With Cameron’s own former national security adviser Peter Ricketts also having backed the calls, it’s striking just how many of these figures are close to the former PM — who is himself seen in Westminster as having pushed No. 10 for a firmer stance against Israel’s actions.

🔗 https://www.politico.eu/newsletter/london-playbook/cameron-centre-stage-as-sunaks-israel-dilemma-deepens/

🇩🇰 Denmark fires defense chief after warship malfunctions in Red Sea Houthi battle

Flemming Lentfer failed to inform defense minister of incident in which a frigate’s defense and ammunition systems failed while engaging the Iran-backed militants, according to reports.

On March 9, the frigate’s air defense systems failed while engaging militants, OLFI reported, citing a leaked document written by the ship’s commanding officer. The document also mentioned a problem with the warship’s ammunition system that caused half of its rounds to detonate before they hit their target.

"Our clear understanding is that the issue has been known for years without the necessary sense of urgency to resolve the problem," the frigate's commanding officer reportedly wrote.

The warship eventually fended off the attack by the Iran-backed Houthis, shooting down four drones over the Red Sea.

Poulsen said he was unaware of the frigate's faults until media reports emerged about the incident,

🔗 https://www.politico.eu/article/danish-defense-chief-dismissed-after-warship-malfunctions-in-red-sea-battle/

🇹🇷🪖⚠️ — Following Poland, Turkey has formally withdrawn from the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe

➡️ Last November 2023, 🌐 NATO has suspended operations for the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe in response to Russia pulling out of the agreement