Ashley Biden's Charity Failed To Disclose $500,000 in Donations to IRS, Complaint Alleges

‘What other contributions is she hiding?’ watchdog asks

Andrew Kerr April 22, 2025

Ashley Biden's charity has a $500,000 discrepancy in its books, a watchdog alleged in a complaint filed with the IRS on Monday.

During the height of her father’s presidency in2023, Ashley Biden launched a walk-in trauma recovery center in Philadelphia equipped with infrared saunas to help women overcome mental health challenges. Known as the Women’s Wellness Spa(ce), the former first daughter’s charity supposedly got off the ground with at least $500,000 in seed funding in 2023.Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’sArchewell Foundation and the Silicon Valley Community Foundationeach reported in their tax forms granting $250,000to Ashley Biden’s charitable venture in 2023, figures that should have been reflected in the Women’s Wellness Spa(ce)’s Form 990 tax filing.

But the Women’s Wellness Spa(ce)told a much different story to the IRS, reporting in its 2023 tax filing that it received just $170,296 from all sources that year==, and that it didn’t receive any contributions from a single source greater than $5,000, seemingly contradicting the financial reporting of its two largest benefactors. Ashley Biden signed the document as the charity’s president under penalty of perjury.

To Paul Kamenar, an attorney with the National Legal and Policy Centerwatchdog group, the documents show that Ashley Biden’s charity clearlyviolated IRS rules by failing to disclose $500,000 in contributionsit received in 2023. Kamenar filed a complaint on behalf of the watchdog group on Monday demanding the IRS audit the Women’s Wellness Spa(ce) to discover if it failed to report any other grants in 2023 and possibly impose sanctions upon the former first daughter for violating the agency’s financial disclosure rules.

"Ashley Biden’s failure to disclose to the IRS receiving $500,000 in grants in 2023raises the question of what other contributions is she hiding," Kamenar told the Washington Free Beacon.

Tax malfeasance is somewhat of an endemic problem among former president Joe Biden’s children. Ashley Biden’s brother,Hunter Biden, unlawfully claimed tens of thousands of dollars in paymentsto prostitutes and sex clubs as legitimatebusiness expensesduring the 2010s. Hunter Biden in Septemberfaced up to 17 years in prisonafter pleading guilty to failing to payat least $1.4 million in taxesbetween 2016 and 2019, but those charges were wiped clean from his record after hisfather granted him a blanket pardonfor any crimes he may have committed since 2014.

Joe Biden also issued blanket pardons for all family members , but =Ashley Biden was one of the few members of Joe Biden’s immediate family who didn’t receive a pardon from the former president.=

An accountant for Ashley Biden’s charity, Greg Mangasarian, told the Free Beacon that the Archewell Foundation and Silicon Valley Community Foundation pledged their respective $250,000 grants in 2023 but didn’t distribute the bulk of the funds until 2024. "The Women’s Wellness Space received $150,000 in 2023 and will report the balance in 2024," Mangasarian said.

Be that as it may, Kamenar said, the Women’s Wellness Spa(ce) uses theaccrual method of accounting, which means it's required to disclose grants when they’re committed, not when they’re received. The watchdog said Ashley Biden could possibly have to pay a fine if the IRS confirms his assessment that she made errors in her charity’s 2023 tax return.

Markle, a close confidant of Joe Biden’s sister, Valerie Biden Owens, was a vocal supporter of the former president during his successful election andhas long been rumored to be eyeing a future career in politics, the New York Post reported. Kamenar said her $250,000 contribution to Ashley Biden’s charity in 2023, when Biden was committed to running for a second term, could have been intended to indirectly curry favor with the then-president.

Kamenar isn’t the only watchdog raising questions about Markle’s contribution to Ashley Biden’s charity. The Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom at the Heritage Foundationin February called for "significant scrutiny" of the donationand whether Markle and Prince Harry gave the funds to find a way into Joe Biden’s inner circle, the Daily Mail reported.

Kamenar’s complaint Monday builds upon another IRS complaint he filed against Ashley Biden’s charity in March allegingshe vastly overreported the amount of time she spent working for Women’s Wellness Spa(ce)and failed to disclose all the members of its board of directors in its 2023 tax return.

https://freebeacon.com/democrats/ashley-bidens-charity-failed-to-disclose-500000-in-donations-to-irs-complaint-alleges/

Amid Nuclear Negotiations, Iran Quietly Builds Security Perimeter Around Suspected New Uranium Enrichment Site: Watchdog Report

'This development underscores why Iran cannot retain uranium enrichment,' expert says1/2

Adam Kredo April 23, 2025

Iran is quietly building a security perimeter around what is believed to be a new uranium enrichment site, fortifying the mountain base surrounding the facility to protect from a potential attack, according to a new investigation by a nuclear watchdog group.

Satellite imagery analyzed by the Institute for Science and International Security, a nonproliferation research organization, indicates that Iran is constructing yet another centrifuge assembly plant close to its Natanz nuclear facility, which is buried deep within Tehran’s mountainous terrain to safeguard it from a military strike. Western intelligence suggests the site has both the floor space and depth to house a secret enrichment facility capable of producing fuel for a nuclear bomb, according to experts who reviewed the latest findings.

The new security perimeter is being erected around Iran’s Mt. Kolang Gaz La, which is located just south of the Natanz enrichment facility long suspected of housing key portions of Tehran’s atomic weapons program. According to the institute’s findings (published publicly on Wednesday),"the multi-peaked mountain contains a new, large, deeply buried tunnel complex and a separate, smaller one dating to 2007"—neither of which have been publicly acknowledged by Tehran or inspected by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

The discovery underscores the complexity of fresh U.S. efforts to roll back Tehran’s nuclear program through diplomatic talks. Amid the negotiations, supporters of the Trump administration’s "maximum pressure" sanctions campaignhave raised concerns over a series of mixed messages regarding Iran's future ability to enrich uranium under a prospective deal. Even with a deal, it is possible for Iran to continue conducting this work in secret at undeclared sites, like the one discovered near Natanz.

"This development underscores why Iran cannot retain uranium enrichment, centrifuges, or associated infrastructure under any new Iran nuclear deal, and why the IAEA needs anywhere, anytime access to ensure the end of Tehran's nuclear weapons program," said Andrea Stricker, a veteran nonproliferation expert and research fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies think tank."If Iran won't agree to such terms, Washington and Jerusalem need to be prepared to remove the threat militarily."

Iran’s effort to secretly build out and fortify the enrichment site suggests it is concerned about potential military action from the United States and Israel. President Donald Trump reportedly waived a strike on Tehran’s nuclear facilities as negotiations continue. Israel, however, is still mulling an attack, according to the Times of Israel.

The new site reviewed by the institute appears to bedug even deeper than Iran’s Fordow fuel enrichment plant, another key nuclear facility located anywhere from 60 to 90 meters below ground. The location near Mt. Kolang Gaz La could reach 100 meters or more, limiting the effectiveness of bunker buster bombs designed to penetrate subterranean outposts.

The rush to build a security zone around the area suggests Tehran is worried about an Israeli ground assault—similar to the one commandos carried outin January at an Iran-controlled missile plant in Syria.

"Iran is erecting security fences, likely to limit the ability of a U.S. or Israeli commando unit to go in, access, and destroy the facility," according to Stricker. "An operation of this kind would not be surprising given the depth of the facility and Israel's previous success in deploying a commando team to destroy the Masyaf missile facility in Syria."

https://freebeacon.com/national-security/amid-nuclear-negotiations-iran-quietly-builds-security-perimeter-around-suspected-new-uranium-enrichment-site-watchdog-report/

>>22947325

2/2

David Albright, the Institute for Science and International Security president and co-author of its latest investigation, told the Washington Free Beacon thatthe two underground sites in question "would be vulnerable to a ground incursion, with attackers able to hide on the mountain. So, a perimeter fence provides some additional protection against a ground attack."

The new tunnel complex near Natanz appears to be larger and more sophisticated than a similar site first revealed by the institute in 2022. It contains two sets of tunnel entrances, likely leading to the highest peak on Mt. Kolang Gaz La. And when it is fully finished, "which may occur this year or next,this complex will hold an advanced centrifuge assembly facility that replaces an above ground one at the main Natanz sitethat was destroyed by an explosion in the summer of 2020."

By analyzing the floor space provided by the mountain’s peak, the institute determined the new site "may also house additional sensitive capabilities;most worrisome, a small undeclared gas centrifuge facility."

Iran has already deployed around 6,000 advanced nuclear centrifugesat its Fordow and Natanz plants over the past several years,all of them inaccessible to IAEA inspectorswho are legally required to perform oversight. Iran, the institute believes, "appears capable of secretly deploying a few thousand advanced centrifuges in the new tunnel complex."

While it remains unclear if the new location is fully online, "the construction of a security perimeter around the mountain implies that operation is expected relatively soon."

Iran agreed on Tuesday to hold talks with the IAEA about restoring surveillance cameras at several nuclear sites,though this would not include undeclared locations like the one being built near Natanz.

"Considering Iran’s record of building many clandestine nuclear facilities, getting greater clarity at what Iran intends to do at the underground sites under the peaks of Mt. Kolang Gaz La should be a priority for the IAEA and all concerned countries," the institute said in its report. "If Iran is building an enrichment plant and did not declare it to the IAEA when it authorized construction, this would be a serious safeguards violation."

https://freebeacon.com/national-security/amid-nuclear-negotiations-iran-quietly-builds-security-perimeter-around-suspected-new-uranium-enrichment-site-watchdog-report/

=='Waste That S—t': In Interview With Free Beacon, Fetterman Tells Trump To Dump Iran Talks and Destroy Tehran's Nuclear Facilities=

'You're never going to be able to negotiate with that kind of regime,' Dem senator says

Jon Levine1/2

Sen. John Fetterman (D., Pa.) says the Trump administration should drop nuclear negotiations with Iran and finish off the country's nuclear facilities with a military strike.

"Waste that s—t," the Pennsylvania Democrat told the Washington Free Beacon in an interview on Wednesday."You're never going to be able to negotiate with that kind of regime that has been destabilizing the region for decades already, and now we have an incredible window, I believe, to do that, to strike and destroy Iran's nuclear facilities."

Fetterman dismissed the foreign policy experts who warn that striking Iran would lead to the outbreak of a regional war. "And remember, all of these so-called experts were all wrong," he said. "You know, they've been saying for years and years Hezbollah was the ultimate badass that kept Israel in check, and we can't move on anything beyond that."

As it turned out, Fetterman said, the Iranian proxy group "couldn't fight for s—t. And Hamas, literally, are just a bunch of tunnel rats with junkie rockets in the back of a Toyota truck. And now the Houthis have been effectively neutered as well. So what's left? You have Iran, and they have a nuclear facility, and it's clearly only for weapons."

Fetterman's remarks come as the Trump administration barrels forward with negotiations over Iran's nuclear program that have so far been defined by mixed messages. Going into the talks, the administration said any deal would require Tehran to dismantle its nuclear program. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff later suggested a deal could allow Iran to enrich uranium up to a certain level. Then he walked back that walk-back, saying Iran must agree to "stop and eliminate its nuclear enrichment" to ink a deal.

A deal that allows Iran to enrich uranium would resemble former president Barack Obama’s Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, which President Donald Trump pulled out of during his first term, describing the deal as "one of the worst and most one-sided transactions the United States has ever entered into."

The punishing sanctions imposed by the first Trump administration brought Iran to the brink of bankruptcy, and Trump announced a return to his "maximum pressure" campaign when he returned to office this year.The Iranian regime tried to have Trump assassinated before the 2024 presidential election.

In recent months, however, the administration has looked for an off-ramp in the form of a new Iran deal—and has been in talks with the Islamic regime for weeks.

"Years ago, I completely understood why Trump withdrew from the Obama deal.Today, I can't understand why Trump would negotiate with this diseased regime. The negotiations should be comprised of 30,000-pound bombs and the IDF," Fetterman said.

https://freebeacon.com/national-security/waste-that-s-t-in-interview-with-free-beacon-fetterman-tells-trump-to-dump-iran-talks-and-destroy-tehrans-nuclear-facilities/

>>22947524

2/2

Witkoff, the longtime Trump confidant who is new to international diplomacy, has led the negotiations but has raised eyebrows for some high-profile missteps. In addition to the enrichment mix-up, Witkoff said in March that Hamas "duped"him during ceasefire negotiations.

Fetterman called the negotiating team "unimpressive and utterly bewildering."

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has defended the outreach, arguing that "the Iranians have shown a willingness to talk. We’re going to talk to them. If there is a chance of peace, we’re going to give peace and a peaceful resolution to this challenge every opportunity to succeed."

On Witkoff's enrichment flub, Rubio noted that "Steve subsequently followed up by clarifying that what he meant is that that would be the limit of what they would be allowed to import for their domestic program, and they do that now."Under such a setup, Iran could import enriched uranium for a civil nuclear program but could not enrich its own.

Israel has been lobbying Trump to partner on a strike against Iran's nuclear facilities, the New York Times reported last week.

Taking a more muscular approach to Iran has prompted criticism from the isolationist wings of Trump's movement, like Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens, who have warned it could lead to open war with Iran.

"It's not going to turn into World War III," Fetterman said, dismissing the worries. "It's the acknowledgment that we'll never have a better opportunity."

(Thank God Fetterman just has opinions and no power to act them out. Why is he being listened to? He stands with Israel because they pay him like almost all other Congress Members.)

https://freebeacon.com/national-security/waste-that-s-t-in-interview-with-free-beacon-fetterman-tells-trump-to-dump-iran-talks-and-destroy-tehrans-nuclear-facilities/

Trump To Welcome Hamas, Harvard Donor Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani to White House

Qatari PM's visit comes one day after Harvard sued Trump admin over funding freeze

Alana Goodman April 22, 2025

President Donald Trump is reportedly meeting on Tuesday with Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, a man who,as Qatar's prime minister, is a major financial backer of both Hamas and Harvard University.

Al Thani, who also serves as Qatar's foreign minister and is a member of the ruling family that also includes Qatar's emir, arrived in the United States this week for meetings with senior federal officials. They include Trump himself, according to reports.

The meeting comes one day after Harvard sued the Trump administration for freezing more than $2 billion in grants and contracts to the Ivy League university.It also comes as Qatari officials attempt to revive a Hamas ceasefire deal. Al Thani, in his role as Qatar's second most powerful official, is a top ally of both parties.

Qatar has given Harvard $3.8 million since 2020, federal records show. It is also one of Hamas's primary funders and sheltered the terrorist group's leaders in the wake of Oct. 7.The gulf state has a major lobbying presence in Washington, D.C., and has spent billions trying to influence U.S. policyover the past two decades.

The Trump administration has mulled sanctions against some Qatari nationals as part of an effort to crack down on pro-Hamas campus groups, the Washington Free Beacon reported last month.

At the same time, some administration officials and members of Trump’s inner circle have also signaled their support for Qatar. Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff recently called Qatar an "ally of the United States" and said it has "moderated quite a bit."

Trump ally Bernard Kerik, the former New York Police Department commissioner, registered as a foreign agent of Qatar earlier this month, according to lobbying disclosure records.

https://freebeacon.com/latest-news/trump-to-welcome-hamas-harvard-donor-mohammed-bin-abdulrahman-al-thani-to-white-house/

24 Apr, 2025 09:53

US won’t guarantee European security alone – Hegseth

Other NATO members must contribute more to deal with the threats they supposedly face, the Pentagon chief has said

European NATO members must overcome their dependence on the US for security and increase their own military spending, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has said.

The US is prioritizing the protection of its own borders “after decades of securing other people’s borders in far-off places,” Hegseth stated on Wednesday. This shift in focus from the Pentagon comes alongside an “increased allied burden-sharing” in strategic regions, he added, as he summarized his first 100 days in office in a speech at the Army War College in Pennsylvania.

“We have obtained commitments from Poland – one of many model allies – the Baltics, to spend 5% of their GDP on defense,” Hegseth reported. He emphasized that NATO’s longstanding spending target of 2% “is not enough, considering the threats you face.”

The time of the United States… being the sole guarantor of European security has passed.It’s long overdue Europe has to step up, fund its military, and lead. NATO needs to step up.

Hegseth also statedthat shifting the responsibility for military assistance to Ukraine onto European countries is part of the Pentagon’s realignment.

The EU plans to borrow hundreds of billions of euros to spend on militarization, asserting the need to deter Russia. Moscow denies any aggressive intentions toward NATO members.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, in a recent interview with French magazine Le Point, remarked thatEurope has shot itself in the foot by following directives from former US President Joe Bidento support Ukraine “for as long as it takes” and to punish Russia with sanctions. It is now facing the repercussions of those decisions, Peskov believes.

“Europe cannot exist and be competitive without two key elements: affordable security and inexpensive energy,” he argued. “Europe used to enjoy security from the US at a low cost. And it received cheap energy from Russia.”

Peskov suggested that having lost both of these advantages,European nations are now facing deindustrialization and other economic challengeswhile stubbornly pursuing a failed policy, even as the administration of US President Donald Trump seeks to mediate a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine.

The Trump administration has also clashed with various European nations over issues such as perceived unfair trade practices and Denmark’s management of Greenland, which the US has expressed interest in taking control of.

https://www.rt.com/news/616188-hegseth-europe-security-us/

Trump fires back against Zelenskyy for 'harmful' comments as US tries to broker peace

Minister of Finance of Norway Jens Stoltenberg joins 'Fox & Friends' to discuss the status of peace talks for the war in Ukraine and the status of the country's tariff negotiations with the Trump administration.

(Kilmeade is a major Russia hater and Stoltenberg is a propagandist. They are trying to change Trump’s mind and plan for Russia to be more Ukraine friendly. While Europe refuses to increase their portion for NATO.)

4:34

https://youtu.be/CqBJMumdLRg

>>22947666

Stoltenberg just lied, he said that Ukraine gave up their nuclear weapons in 1994, those were always Russia’s Nuclear Weapons.

24 Apr, 2025 08:04

Rubio and Witkoff slam Politico over ‘fake crap’ and ‘fiction’

Both US officials have commented on a piece claiming Washington plans to lift Russia sanctions as part of a potential Ukraine peace deal

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, have accused Politico of publishing “fiction” and “fake crap,” over a report by the media outlet on a potential Ukraine peace deal.

In an article on Wednesday, Politico claimed that Washington is considering lifting sanctions on Russia’s Nord Stream pipeline and “other Russian assets in Europe” as part of its peace efforts.Citing “five people familiar with the discussions,” Politico said Witkoff was the “main proponent” of the plan, allegedly due to a developing “friendship” with Russian President Vladimir Putinin his role as Trump’s envoy. The piece also claimed Rubio opposed the idea and quoted analysts warning it could hurt US LNG exports by reopening the EU market to Russian gas. (Witkoff getting the Russia Hoax treatment)

Rubio was quick to respond, writing on X that the “piece of fiction” was “unequivocally false.”Witkoff responded with sharper language, calling the article “fake crap.”

Rubio and Witkoff are among the key figures in US-Russia discussions aimed at ending the Ukraine conflict.

While the US-proposed peace framework has not been made public, reports suggest it could involve recognizing Crimea as Russian territory. Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky recently dismissed any such proposals as “unconstitutional,”prompting Trump to accuse him of jeopardizing the peace process with “inflammatory statements” and warning that he could “lose the whole country” if he does not compromise.

US Vice President J.D. Vance echoed the sentiment, warning on Wednesday that Washington might “walk away” from talks unless Kiev and Moscow reach a deal soon, and stating that “both will have to give up some of the territory they currently own.”

Russia has repeatedly said that the status of Crimea and the four other former Ukrainian regions that joined Russia after referendums is not up for negotiation.Moscow insists recognition of the “reality on the ground” is vital for lasting peace.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov cautioned this week against relying on media reports regarding US-Russia talks, warning that “a lot of fakes are being published now, including by respected publications.” He advised the public to trust official sources instead.

(This is how you know Politico, NYTs, WAPO and others are not getting leaks from inside the Admin, they make up info, to just program people.)

https://www.rt.com/news/616182-rubio-witkoff-politico-fake-crap/

24 Apr, 2025 10:08

Moscow discloses details of massive precision strike on Ukraine

The attack targeted military-related industries, as well as facilities producing rocket fuel and gunpowder, the Defense Ministry has said

The Russian military carried out a “massive”overnight strike on targets across Ukraineaimed at crippling Kiev’s military effort and defense industrial base, the Russian Defense Ministry has said.

In a statement on Thursday, the ministry said Russian forces launched attacks using high-precision, long-range sea- and land-based weapons, as well as drones. The attack targeted Ukraine’s aviation, missile, and space industries, as well as facilities that produce heavy equipment, armor, rocket fuel, and gunpowder.

“The goal of the strike has been accomplished. All targets have been hit,” the Defense Ministry stated.

Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky claimed that the barrage involved around 70 missiles and nearly 150 strike drones. He added that nine people were killed in Kiev, with over 80 injured across the country.

Ukrainian officials reported earlier in the day that the attack spanned across several regions, with the capital bearing the brunt. The State Emergency Service of Ukraine said there were several fires in Kiev, with garages, an administrative building, and non-residential structures sustaining damage.

The attack also damaged manufacturing and industrial enterprises in Pavlograd, Dnepropetrovsk Region and Kharkov, local officials said, without providing details. Ukraine’s national railway operator, Ukrzaliznytsia, reported damage to tracks and administrative buildings in Kiev and Kharkov regions.

Russia maintains that its military operations only target facilities linked to Ukraine’s defense sector and do not aim at civilian infrastructure.

https://www.rt.com/russia/616195-russia-details-massive-strike-ukraine/

24 Apr, 2025 12:23

Western Europe ignored Putin’s warnings – Kremlin

Western interference in Ukraine forced Russia to act, Dmitry Peskov has stated

European leaders who chose to ignore Russia’s security concerns must share the blame for the deterioration of relations with Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said.

In an interview with French media outlet Le Point magazine published on Wednesday, Peskov condemned the West for disregarding President Vladimir Putin’s warnings that it was jeopardizing Russian national security.

In 2020, Putin denounced Western nations for “doing nothing” to deliver on the promise not to expand NATO in Europe and for dismantling multiple security agreements designed to build trust.

Russians “are certainly not aggressive,” he assured, advocating for a mutual friendship with the West.

Ukraine, where Western officials supported an armed coup in 2014 and encouraged the new government to pursue NATO membership, emerged as the focus of tension with Russia.

”If you aim to guarantee Ukraine’s security by drawing it into NATO, you are violating Russia’s security,” Peskov explained. Western leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, chose not to heed Putin’s calls, he added.

”Neither Macron nor other European leaders wanted to listen to Putin when he told them that Russia had been cornered,” Peskov remarked. “Today, we talk about peace with the Americans, yet the Europeans are demanding war.”

Putin and US President Donald Trump recognize the absurdity of a lack of dialogue among major powers, Peskov said.Mending the rift “is very difficult,” he added.

Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky is obstructing the Trump administration’s attempt to mediate a truce between Moscow and Kiev, according to the White House.Trump branded Kiev’s media strategies as “very harmful” to the peace process, stating on social media on Wednesday that Zelensky risks “losing the whole country.”

Zelensky “does not control all of his divisions,”Peskov told Le Point. He highlighted units with radical nationalist personnel who pose a significant obstacle to establishing a ceasefire, citing Russia’s recent experiences.

Last month, at Trump’s suggestion, Putin announced a 30-day moratorium on strikes against energy infrastructure, while during the Easter weekend he ordered a complete halt to hostilities. Ukraine violated the initial agreement on multiple occasions, according to Moscow, while last week’s truce was only partiallysuccessful.

https://www.rt.com/russia/616197-peskov-putin-warnings-west/

24 Apr, 2025 07:50

Russian military correspondent dies after Ukrainian HIMARS attack

Nikita Goldin has succumbed to his injuries a month after a rocket strike that killed three other journalists

A Russian military correspondent who sustained serious injuries in a Ukrainian attack a month ago has died in the hospital. Nikita Goldin was injured in an incident that claimed the lives of two of his colleagues and their driver.

Goldin, who worked for the Defense Ministry TV channel Zvezda,suffered critical head injuries when a group of journalists traveling by carin the Lugansk People’s Republicwas struck by a US-supplied HIMARS rocket system. On Thursday, Zvezda announced his death at a Moscow hospital.

Izvestia reporter Aleksandr Fedorchak, Zvezda cameraman Andrey Panov, and their driver, Aleksandr Sirkeli also died in the attack. TASS reporter Mikhail Skuratov was injured by shrapnel while covering events in Kursk Region in a separate assault that day.

Born in Pskov, Goldin was a promising taekwondo fighter before embarking on a military career. He started working for Zvezda in 2024.

Commenting last month on attacks against Russian reporters, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova described them as evidence of the “terrorist, savage nature” of the Ukrainian government.

“The series of brutal reprisals against Russian journalists by Ukrainian neo-Nazis is yet another proof of their readiness to commit any crimes against the civilian population without hesitation,including media workers, who are protected under international humanitarian law,” she stated.

Russian officials have accused international organizations purporting to protect journalists’ rights of ignoring the deaths of Russian media professionals in the Ukraine conflict, claiming it is for political reasons. According to Zakharova,Kiev enjoys impunity because these organizations “deliberately ignore its crimes.”

https://www.rt.com/russia/616183-zvezda-journalist-dies-attack/

The UN has not reported or noted the number of Russian journalists killed, intentionally, while they report annually how many journalists from every country are killed on their assignments. They did report them before the Ukraine Operation. Basically they make Russian journalists “not worthy of recognition”.

24 Apr, 2025 13:56

Kremlin explains why Putin respects Trump

The US president is not only “a powerful political leader” but also a “strong man,” spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said

Russian President Vladimir Putin respects his US counterpart Donald Trump because he sees him as a strong personality who is nonetheless open to productive dialogue, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said.

In an interview with the French magazine Le Point on Wednesday, Peskov stressed that=while Putin and Trump have similar positionson some matters, differences on many others remain,as “each defends his country's interests above all else.” Still, he noted that both leaders understand the importance of diplomacy.

“What unites them is that they both understand the absurdity of refusing dialogue.What unites them is their willingness to resolve the most difficult issues through discussion. Exactly what was missing with the previous Biden administration,” Peskov said.

Reflecting on Trump as a person, who weathered numerous scandals during his first term, including two impeachments, the spokesman noted that he managed to come back from them “because he is a powerful political leader, but also because he has a very strong personality.”

When asked if this is why Putin respects Trump, Peskov responded, “Certainly, yes. Putin, being a strong man himself, appreciates strong men.”

In recent weeks, the Trump administration has been engaged in efforts to restore bilateral ties with Russia and resolve the Ukraine conflict, with both sides praising the diplomacy as productive. On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that America now has a “better” understanding what the Russian position is on the crisis. Moscow’s key conditions for ending the conflict are Ukraine’s neutrality, demilitarization, and recognition of the new territorial reality on the ground.

On the same day, Trump noted that he had expected to have an easier time dealing with Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky than with Putin, adding that “I think we have a deal with Russia. We have to get a deal with Zelensky.”The US leader also indicated plans to meet with Putin shortly after his upcoming trip to the Middle East in mid-May.

https://www.rt.com/russia/616216-kremlin-explains-why-putin-respects-trump/

24 Apr, 2025 14:43

Russian spy chief hints at meeting with CIA boss

Sergey Naryshkin has said he held a phone call with John Ratcliffe and announced the possibility of a future face-to-face

Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) chief Sergey Naryshkin has said he may soon meet in person with CIA Director John Ratcliffe followingwhat he described as a “very constructive” phone call.

The two intelligence heads held their first phone discussion in March. Naryshkin disclosed at the timethat both sides agreed to maintain regular contact to help reduce tensions in relations. He highlighted the importance of continuing dialogue even amid strained political conditions.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Naryshkin confirmed that he had spoken with his US counterpart again and hinted at the possibility of a direct meeting. “We had a phone conversation with a colleague, the director of the Central Intelligence Agency. It was a very constructive conversation.Therefore, I do not rule out that a meeting may take place within some time,” he was quoted as saying by TASS.

Naryshkin has repeatedly signaled his openness to maintaining communication with US intelligence officials, both before and after Donald Trump’s return to the presidency.

Since returning to the White House, Trump has reversed a number of US foreign policy positions and moved to re-establish channels of communication with Moscow, which were largely frozen during the administration of former US President Joe Biden. Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have since held several phone discussions, with particular focus on bilateral relations and the Ukraine conflict.

The US president’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, has traveled to Moscow several times over the past few months to meet with Putin and other senior Russian officials.

Trump suggested on Thursday that he expects to meet with Putin in person shortly after a trip to the Middle East next month.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has confirmed that a meeting between the two heads of state is being prepared.He expressed hope that it will be “productive” given that both Trump and Putin “want results.”

“What unites them is that they both understand the absurdity of refusing dialogue. They are united by their willingness to resolve the most difficult issues through discussion. This is what the previous Biden administration lacked,”Peskov told the French magazine Le Point.

(I’m sure this pisses off the EU and the little brat Zelensky. Good!)

https://www.rt.com/russia/616221-russia-svr-cia-meeting/