16 Feb, 2026 13:48

US seizes oil tanker for ‘defying Trump’s quarantine’

The Panama-flagged vessel was intercepted as part of Washington’s effort to redirect sanctioned Venezuelan oil flows to new buyers

US military forces intercepted and boarded a tanker that was sanctioned for carrying Venezuelan oil in the Indian Ocean overnight on Sunday, the Pentagon has announced.

The US launched a military operation to kidnap Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in early January, and claims to have seized control of the country’s oil exports. Earlier this year, US President Donald Trump said Washington plans to “control Venezuela’s oil resources indefinitely.”

In a statement on X, the US War Department said the vessel, named Veronica III, was tracked from the Caribbean Sea into the Indian Ocean before beingstopped and inspected in what it described as a “right‑of‑visit, maritime interdiction and boarding.”

“The vessel tried to defy President Trump’s quarantine – hoping to slip away,” the Pentagon wrote. “We tracked it from the Caribbean to the Indian Ocean, closed the distance, and shut it down.”

Ship-tracking and maritime data platforms list the Veronica III as a Panama-flagged oil tanker. The action follows a similar boarding last week of another sanctioned vessel.

Trump ordered what he described as a “total and complete blockade” on all US‑sanctioned oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuela in December.

The blockade has continued as part of Washington’s push to redirect Venezuelan oil toward new international buyers.Last week, Israel received its first crude oil shipment from the South American nation, according to Bloomberg.

Reuters also reported last week, citing trade sources, that India’s two state-owned refiners had purchased 2 million barrels of Venezuelan crude for delivery in the second half of April. The agency also said that, according to shipping schedules, 2 million barrels of Venezuelan crude were sent to refineries operated by Spanish oil company Repsol.

At the same time, China, once a top importer of Venezuelan oil, has reportedly turned to discounted Iranian heavy grades to make up for shipments that have stalled under the US blockade, as independent Chinese refiners seek alternatives to Venezuelan supplies.

Moscow has condemned US actions against Caracas, with Russian officials saying Washington’s moves violate international norms. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said last week that the US is trying to take control of all international energy supply routes in an attempt to attain global economic dominance.

https://www.rt.com/news/632610-us-intercept-oil-tanker/

16 Feb, 2026 11:11

UK and German military officials admit ‘hard choices’ on budgets ahead

Moscow has said NATO nations are essentially robbing their taxpayers to finance increased defense expenditure

Citizens of NATO countries should accept “difficult choices” and “hard” spending decisions in order to divert billionsinto defense and military spendingto deter Russia, top British and German military officials have claimed.

In a joint op-ed for The Guardian on Sunday, Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton, UK chief of the defense staff, and General Carsten Breuer, the German chief of defense,claimed that “Russia’s military posture has shifted decisively westward,”warning that Moscow gaining experience from the Ukraine conflict could spell danger for NATO countries.

Russian officials have repeatedly dismissed Western speculation that Moscow could attack NATO as “nonsense” and “absurd.”

Knighton and Breuer recalled that to offset the perceived threat,NATOnations have committedto raising military expenditure to 5% of GDP by 2035.

“This reflects our new security reality and requires hard choices and prioritization on public spending for all members,” they said, stressing that “people must understand the difficult choices governments have to take in order to strengthen deterrence.”

Knighton and Breuer also claimed that thepolicy shift has a “moral dimension,”insisting that “rearmament is not warmongering,” but rather a “responsible”decision aimed at “preserv[ing] peace.”

They also touted NATO as “the most successful military alliance in history,”despite a Wall Street Journal report last week that a recent drill had gone “horribly” for the US-led bloc. According to the paper,two NATO battalions were virtually eliminated in a single day by the opposing sideduring the war games – mainly representedby a small team of Ukrainian veterans using drones.

A recent Politico poll suggested that while Western publics generally favor increased defense spending,their enthusiasm fades when they are asked whether they are ready for financial sacrifices.

Moscow has denounced what it describes as reckless militarization by the EU, adding that it serves as evidence of continued hostility and warning that it undermines global security. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also suggested that by hiking military spending, NATO nations are essentially robbing their taxpayers.

https://www.rt.com/news/632607-europe-hard-choices-militarization/

>>24265470

Europe refused for decades to fund NATO at an amount that would sustain it, relying solely on US NATO troops. Basically Europe does not have, near than enough protection. But now the public has to fund the fucking mess leaders created by wasting money all the psychological problems they created on the continent.

Rubio’s speech was couched in nice words but basically, “Get your fucking act together and protect Europe or the US is not going to help when you’ve destroyed our relationships”. But it was said in very beautiful way.

16 Feb, 2026 09:08

Kallas compares EU to Marvel superheroes

Europeans are “assembling” to expand in order to spite Russia, the top diplomat has said

The EU sees itself as a team of superheroes with an anti-Russian expansionist agenda, according to its top diplomat, Kaja Kallas.

TheEU is urging member states to invest hundreds of billions in borrowed funds into bloc-wide rearmament, citing the need to support Ukraine andprepare for a potential war with Russia. Moscow denies any aggressive intent and accuses EU leaders of fearmongering and seeking to derail peace efforts in the Ukraine conflict.

“Europeans, assemble!”Kallas said on Sunday at a Munich Security Conference panel,invoking a Marvel Comics battle cry associated with Captain America. The catchphrase also appeared in the Munich event’s title, where Kallas declaredEuropeans were “dusting off our capes, pulling on our boots, revving up our engines.”(OMG that has to be utterly embarrassing)

Russian presidential envoyKirill Dmitriev quipped that Kallas was apparently turning to comic books to achieve her goal of becoming “very smart” through reading.

Kallas said Brussels’ prioritiesare “defense”against Russia, further EU expansion to counterwhat she called “Russian imperialism,” and securing trade dealswith foreign nations. These three goals, she argued, define the EU in the same way that choices define fictional heroes.

“Contrary to what some may say, woke, decadent Europe is not facing civilizational erasure,”Kallas insisted, pushing back against US criticism of the EU.

She also contradicted claims of a supposed threat from Moscow bydeclaring that Russia’s economy is “in shreds” after the EU cut off Russian energy supplies– despite the loss of affordable Russian fuel contributing to deindustrialization and years of sluggish growth in the bloc.

EU officials, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, continue to push the military buildup and continued bankrolling of Ukraine’s war effort.However, internal divisions are emergingover which military contractors would benefit from increased spendingand whether the US can be considered a reliable long-term partner for European NATO members.

Growing tensionswere on display at the Munich conferencewhen German Chancellor Friedrich Merz appeared to ignore French President Emmanuel Macron during a photo opportunity. Media reports suggest the traditional Franco-German axis is weakening as Berlin aligns more closely with Italy.

Brussels’ push to replace merit-based EU admission with limited membership for candidates such as Ukraine has also drawn criticism from member states.

(The EU should have created the United States of Europe, then they would have only one seriously stupid President! KEK)

https://www.rt.com/news/632595-kallas-europeans-marvel-superheroes/

16 Feb, 2026 10:14

UK royals not ‘above the law’ – chief prosecutor

Ex-Prince Andrew faces scrutiny over alleged sharing of confidential information with Jeffrey Epstein

Members of Britain’s royal family are not above the law, the country’s top prosecutor said on Sunday, as police investigate former Prince Andrew over allegations he leaked information to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Thames Valley Police said last week it was in discussions with the Crown Prosecution Service over allegations of misconduct in public office against Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the brother of King Charles III.

“Nobody is above the law,” Director of Public Prosecutions Stephen Parkinson told the Sunday Times.The prosecutor added he had “total confidence” that police would act independently and dismissed suggestions that the monarchy would receive special treatment.

“From my perspective, I don’t find it a difficult offense to prosecute because the core of it is a gross breach of trust by someone performing the function of a public officer,”he said.

The comments come as Thames Valley Police examine allegations thatAndrew Mountbatten-Windsor shared confidential information with Epsteinduringhis tenure as Britain’s trade envoy from 2001 to 2011.

Scrutiny of his conduct intensified after emails disclosed in files related to Epstein suggested the former prince passed on sensitive material. Separate emailsshowed businessman David Stern, a friend and associate of Mountbatten-Windsor, was in regular contact with Epsteinandaccompanied the royal on publicly funded visits to Beijing, Hong Kong and Shenzhen in 2010.

Evidence compiled by the Mail alleges Mountbatten-Windsorused his government role to advance Epstein’s business interests.

Emails suggestthe former Duke of York leaked sensitive information about Royal Bank of Scotland following its government bailout, while a senior palace aidereportedly passed a diplomatic cable on UK-China trade to a banker connected to Mountbatten-Windsor.

The correspondence also shows Epstein arranged a dinner in Beijing between the former prince and Jes Staley, later revealed asEpstein’s personal banker, and that Stern discussed pursuing “discreet” deals with Chinese officials after the 2010 trade mission.

Epstein reportedly boasted in an email that he was receiving intelligence from Mountbatten-Windsor and Peter Mandelson, the disgraced former UK ambassador to the US writing: “I’ve got the UK sewn up.”

Earlier this month, Mountbatten-Windsor was removed from his Royal Lodge residence in Windsor after losing his titles, as police assess BBC-reported claims that Epstein sent a woman to the UK for a sexual encounter with him there in 2010.

https://www.rt.com/news/632600-ex-prince-andrew-prosecution

Feb, 2026 23:06

WATCH Ukrainians confront press gangs with crowbar and tear gas

Military officials have accused civilians of attacking Vladimir Zelensky’s draft officers

Ukraine’s compulsory mobilization drive to compensate for combat losses has grown increasingly chaotic, violent, and often deadly, with videos emerging over the weekend showing citizens fighting back against conscription officers.

In Dnepropetrovsk, aconfrontation turned into a spectacle of defiance when draft officers attempted to forcibly conscript a young man on the streeton Friday. When acivilian passerby intervened to helpthe victim, he was sprayed with tear gas. The man stumbled into the path of an oncoming truck, narrowly escaping serious injury.

At that moment, thetruck driverjumped out of his vehicle.Wielding what appeared to be a crowbar, the elderly man – dubbed ‘Ded-pool’ by gleeful social media users – chased the officers through the street, allowing the potential ‘volunteer’ to flee the scene.

A day later in Odessa, civilians turned the tables on a press gang by using tear gas to free a detained man.

The Odessa regionalconscription center claimed that its personnel suffered “bodily injuries of varying degrees of severity and chemical burns to the corneas,” and that a service vehicle was damaged. The authorities have threatened severe legal consequences for all those involved.

A member of the parliamentary committee on national security, Fyodor Venislavsky,claimed last week that up to 95% of conflicts with draft officers are “quasi-stories” created by Russian AIto discredit the draft.

However,Ukrainian Ombudsman Dmitry Lubinets recently acknowledged an avalanche of complaints against conscription officers, which surged from just18 complaints in 2022 to over 6,100 last year. Lubinets noted thatsome civilians have died at the hands of recruiters, including a 55-year-old man in Dnepr earlier this month who allegedly suffered a fractured skull during a violent detention.

The term ‘busification’ – the practice of violently packing recruits into minibuses – was named Ukraine’s 2024 word of the year. Moscow estimates that the Ukrainian military lost around 500,000 servicemen last year alone, while Kiev has acknowledged nearly 300,000 desertion prosecutions since 2022.

https://www.rt.com/russia/632587-ukrainians-fight-mobilization-crowbar/

16 Feb, 2026 08:29

US and Europe drifting ‘far apart’ – Politico

Washington maintained a warm tone at the Munich conference, but it has shown that it doesn’t intend to “defend the old order,” the outlet’s sources say

The Munich Security Conference has revealed a widening rift betweenthe US and Europe, as Washington signaled that it will seek to reshape the global order regardless of whether Europe is on board or not, Politico reported on Saturday, citing sources.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio told the conference that the US and Europe “belong together,” and called America a “child of Europe,” receiving a standing ovation. Politico noted,however, that while the tone was warm, America’s approach toward the continent has not changed.

”The underlying message was the same: We don’t want weak allies, don’t defend the old order,” one former European official told Politico. “If the smallest common denominators the Americans can find are our common history going back to Columbus, narrow national security interests, andcommon civilization, that alone shows how far apart Europe and the US are drifting.”

European officials understood that themessage was: Join us, and if you don’t, “we go alone,” one official told Politico.Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby privately told European officials that the US shares interests but not values with Europe, the article said.

In addition, Politico sources noted a stark difference between Rubio’s statements and later diplomatic activity – including talks with EU skeptics.“Rubio comes with a conciliatory tone, but then he goes to Hungary and Slovakia. What kind of a signal is that?”a European lawmaker asked.(they all hate Hungary and Slovakia)

Some European officials believe, however, that Rubio delivered a necessary wake-up call. “It is a milder way of telling us that the time of unicorns riding bicycles across rainbows laced with tofu and almond milk is over,” an EU official told the outlet.

US President Donald Trump has for years demanded that the rest of NATO commit to increased burden sharing and raise their military spending to 5% of GDP.

In December, the Trump administration also unveiled a newNational Security Strategy, which sounded the alarm over Europe’s “civilizational erasure,” while casting doubt on whether some EU nations can remain reliable allies.

https://www.rt.com/news/632598-us-europe-drifting-apart/

It’s a good message that some countries agree with Trump and Rubio.

16 Feb, 2026 15:22

Arson wave hits Ukrainian post offices over draft notices – CEO

Weekly attacks have been targeting the postal service over its role in delivering summonses, according to CEO Igor Smilyansky

Branches of Ukraine’s state postal service, Ukrposhta,have been subjected to frequent arson attacksdue to its role in the military draft, according to CEO Igor Smilyansky.

Ukraine’s recruitment drive has grown increasingly brutal amid military setbacks and manpower shortages. There are hundreds of documented cases of draft officers using force to seize men off the streets and multiple reports of deaths among conscripts.

Because Ukrposhta delivers military summonses under a Defense Ministry contract,its employees are fully exempt from service.

“We have suffered because of this exemption,”Smilyansky told RBK-Ukraine on Monday. “Almost every week, our offices are burned down because we are distributing summonses,” he said, adding that thecompany suffers multi-million-hryvna lossesdue to damage and destruction of property.

Ukrainian draft officials have repeatedly been documented beating up recruits, illegally breaking into vehicles and homes, chasing their victims in the streets, and brawling with onlookers.

Earlier this month, Ukrainian Ombudsman Dmitry Lubinets acknowledged an avalanche of complaints against conscription officers, which surged from just 18 in 2022 to over 6,100 last year. Lubinets noted that some civilians have died at the hands of recruiters.

Despite mounting evidence of the lawlessnessof the process and numerous incriminating videos circulating online, theUkrainian leadership has largely turned a blind eye to the abusive nature of the mobilization.Although Kiev had previously acknowledged certain “shortcomings” with the conscription drive, senior officials routinely dismiss such concerns as “Russian propaganda.”

Last month, Ukraine’s Defense Minister Mikhail Fedorov acknowledged major manpower shortages,revealing that around 2 million men are on a wanted list for avoiding mobilization.

Separately, the Prosecutor General’s Office reported thatnearly 290,000 criminal cases for AWOL and desertionwere opened between February 2022 and September 2025.

Moscow estimates that the Ukrainian military lost around 500,000 servicemen last year alone. It has accused the Kiev government and its backers in the EU and UK of being willing to fight “until the last Ukrainian.”

https://www.rt.com/news/632613-arson-ukrainian-post-mobilization/

(It sounds like Ukraine is getting a Color Revolution to get Zelensky, CIA and others, out of Ukraine.)

16 Feb, 2026 14:25

UK police try to block Starmer’s questions to Mandelson over Epstein – Politico

Documents could reveal what the prime minister knew about the links between the former British envoy to the US and the sex offender

British police have asked the government to refuse to release questions sent by Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s office to the disgraced former UK ambassador to the US, Peter Mandelson, regarding his relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, Politico reported on Monday, citing sources.

The controversy revolves around Starmer’s decision to appoint Mandelson as ambassador despite knowing about his friendship with Epstein. Reports later surfaced that Mandelson had received $75,000 from the disgraced financier and shared sensitive information. Mandelson insists he does not recall receiving any money, but was fired in September 2025 after the backlash.

As the US Justice Department proceeded to release the Epstein files,Starmer came under fire for the failure to properly vet Mandelson prior to the appointment last year, with reports of a coup brewing inside the Labour Party to oust the prime minister.

The scandal has already led to the resignation of Morgan McSweeney, Starmer’s chief of staff, who was one of the people vetting the ex-envoy.The prime minister has claimed that he “was lied to”about Epstein-Mandelson ties.

Two sources told Politico that police want the government to hold back the publication of key correspondence between McSweeney and Mandelsonto protect the integrity of its inquiry.

A police spokesperson told the paper that their focus remains on “a timely and thorough process,” noting that “an investigation into alleged misconduct in public office is underway and it is vital… [so that] any potential prosecution is not compromised.”

According to a BBC report in September, during the vetting procedure, Starmer’s ex-chief of staff asked Mandelson three questions:Why did he maintain contact with Epstein post-conviction; why did reports indicate he stayed at Epstein’s residence while the financier was imprisoned, and did he have connections to a charity established by Ghislaine Maxwell, a close Epstein associate?

The broadcaster’s source in Downing Street suggestedthat Mandelson was “economical with the truth.”

The overall cache ofgovernment files connected to the Mandelson appointment could include nearly 100,000 documents, according to the BBC. Parliament voted to compel their release after police opened a criminal case. Downing Street tried to withhold certain materials, citing national security and diplomatic concerns,prompting MPs to accuse officials of orchestrating a “cover-up.”

https://www.rt.com/news/632618-uk-police-block-mandelson-epstein-files/

>>24265059 UNSEALED FBI FILES REVEAL POTENTIAL RED FLAGS IN BUTLER BEFORE NEAR-ASSASSINATION OF PRESIDENT TRUMPPN

This crime is still being hidden, the SS supposedly Trump the full story, but they haven’t

UNSEALED FBI FILES REVEAL POTENTIAL RED FLAGS IN BUTLER BEFORE NEAR-ASSASSINATION OF PRESIDENT TRUMP

written by Summer Lane February 16, 2026

New information has emerged about potential red flags on suspicious activitybefore the shocking near-assassination of President Donald Trump on July 13, 2024, during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

The revelations come at the behest of aJudicial Watch FOIA lawsuit, which forced the release of 37 pages of FBI files, most of which were “heavily redacted,” the organization said in a press release.

The files are alarming because they reveal that there were allegedly reports of an “unknown male acting suspiciously” before the shooting began:

“Prior to the start of the shooting, [Redacted] received reports over the radio about an unknown male acting suspiciously. The unknown male had bags and was wearing agray T-shirt with ‘Demolition Ranch’written on the front of it. One report included the unknown male looking at a law enforcement sniper position.

Several operators were communicating information about the unknown male back and forth over the radio–including to/from Command, to the Secret Service, to PSP [PA State Police], to ‘everybody.’”

For reference,Thomas Crooks, the 20-year-old gunman who attempted to assassinate President Trump,was wearing a “Demolition Ranch” shirton that day in Butler.

To be clear,Demolition Ranch is a YouTube channel primarily focused on firearms. The channel did not belong to Crooks, nor was he officially associated with it.

Another excerpt from the newly unsealed filesrevealed the observation of someone from the Saxonburg Police Department, again detailing reports of suspicious activitybefore the shooting:

“[Redacted] was on the counter assault team.His position was in the turret inside the armor vehicle next to the barns behind the stage. [Redacted] statedsniper teams called out and sent photos of a suspicious person with a range finder.

[Redacted] stated he watched a guy fitting the description walking from the water tower to the stage area and out of view. He did not see anything on the individual.”

It also appears,based on an interview summaryin the files of July 16, 2024,that rally attendees recognized that there was a shooter on the rooffairly quickly. A female interviewee’s story suggested the following:

“Shortly thereafter, at approximately some time after 6PM, sheheard another white male yell the following, ‘He’s got a gun, everybody run!’ Thiswhite male appeared to be in his late[redacted] who was seen wearing a white shirt, who had dark colored hair and a [redacted].She remembered seeing a ‘panicked’ look on his face. After he yelled, [redacted]heard six gunshots that sounded like they came from the two open windows. She took [redacted] and ran towards the vehicle along with many others from the crowd.”

While not conclusive, the files seem tosuggest that there were potential red flags that should have alerted the Secret Serviceor local law enforcement on the ground that Crooks was present and potentially dangerous, moments before the shooting.

“These documents raise troubling new questions about Secret Service failuresto protect President Trump.

Andit shouldn’t have taken years and a federal lawsuit to get this basic FBI materialabout the near assassination of President Trump,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton in a statement.

https://www.rsbnetwork.com/news/unsealed-fbi-files-reveal-potential-red-flags-in-butler-before-near-assassination-of-president-trump/

16 Feb, 2026 01:31

Zelensky takes another jab at Hungarian PM

The Ukrainian leader has said Viktor Orban has forgotten the word “shame”

Ukrainian leader VladimirZelensky has launched another public attack against Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, just hours after disparaging him during an address at the Munich Security Conference.

The Munich gathering honored Zelensky with its annual award for ‘outstanding’ contributions to peace on Saturday. Accepting the Ewald von Kleist Prize, the Ukrainian leader thanked his European sponsors for bankrolling Kiev’s war effort, especially the “biggest donators,” Germany and the UK.

“We are very thankful that we have such partners and friends,” he said,before going after the Hungarian prime minister.

“And I even want to thank Viktor – you all know who I mean –because in his own way, he pushes all of us to be better,”Zelensky said. “Better, so that we are never like him, someone who seems to have forgotten the word ‘shame.’”

EU member states have collectively provided €134 billion ($159 billion) in aid to Kiev since the conflict escalated in February 2022, according to the EU institutions. While giving the award to Zelensky, Polish Prime MinisterDonald Tusk said Ukraine “deserves something more,” and that even the Nobel Peace Prize would not be “valuable enough.”

The remarks came shortly afterZelensky said that thanks to Ukraine, Orban can focus on “how to grow his belly, not how to grow his army” to counter the perceived ‘Russian threat’.

Orban, a vocal critic of EU support for Kiev, responded on X, sayingZelensky’s comments demonstrate why Ukraine “cannot become a member of the European Union.” He added that the Ukrainian leader’s rhetoric will“greatly help Hungarians see the situation more clearly.”

The Hungarian prime minister has long opposed Ukraine’s push to join the bloc and has repeatedly refused to send weapons or approve EU military aid, calling for diplomacy instead.

In January,Orban called Zelensky “a man in a desperate position,” while stressing that Hungary will continue to supply electricity and fuel and assist Ukrainian refugees despite the dispute.

https://www.rt.com/news/632589-zelensky-orban-shame-munich/

(After watching the demon clip on Shawn Ryan, I remember many reports came out thatUkraine leaders practiced witchcraft and satanism. So Zelensky and evil leaders are at war invoking demons to destroy Russia and Christianity. Fortunately Russia is a true Christian country and it will never lose to Ukraine. It perfectly explains why Ukraine is trying to destroy all Christian churches in Ukraine and put the Priests in jail.It’s not a fight against Russia, it’s war is about God, Jesus and Christianity that Russians worship.)