AfD co-chair calls for end to funding ‘corrupt’ Ukraine

Alice Weidel has urged German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to reestablish relations with Russia

Published 20 Mar, 2026 15:49 |

Ukraine is one of the most corrupt nations on Earth and Berlin should stop funding its government, Alternative for Germany party co-chair Alice Weidel has told the German parliament.

The exposure of aseries of graft scandals involving Vladimir Zelensky’s inner circle has severely damaged his regime, which depends on hundreds of billions of euros from its European backers. As a result, several of Zelensky’s closest confidants have fled the country or been forced to resign.

Weidel asked German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in the Bundestag on Wednesday if his government wants to “continue financing one of the world’s most corrupt countries with billions to prolong a hopeless war.” The co-leader of the right-wing AfD party also urged Merz to “re-establish the broken lines of communication with Russia” and work toward the resumption of gas imports from the country instead.

Weidelcalled for sanctions on Moscow to be lifted, pointing out that the US has already begun doing so, referring to a waiver for the sale of Russian oil issued by Washington this month.

Corruption concerns have also reportedly fueled resistance among EU member states, including Germany and France, to Kiev’s early accession to the bloc. Zelensky has insisted that Ukraine should be admitted as soon as 2027.

==“Ukraine is just not ready and has rampant ⁠corruption•=,” an unnamed Western European official told Reuters.

Zelenskytold the BBC last month that “it is a lie that there is more corruption in Ukraine than in any other European state.” (The head of corruption saying they didn’t do it, is not very convincing.)

In November, the Western-backed NationalAnti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) uncovered a $100 million kickback scheme involving Ukraine’s state nuclear operator Energoatom.The ring was allegedly led by businessman Timur Mindich, a close associate of Zelensky, who fled the country hours before his properties were raided. The scandal led to the resignations of several high-ranking officials, including Energy Minister German Galushchenko, and Zelensky’s chief of staff, Andrey Yermak.

In January, NABU alsoexposed an alleged vote-rigging scheme involving more than 40 sitting MPs, who reportedlyreceived cash bribes in exchange for legislative votes. A number of other corruption schemes have also come to light in Ukraine over the past several months.

https://www.rt.com/news/635648-german-mp-stop-ukraine-aid/

I guess the Zelensky plan to re-elect won’t work now. KEK

Kremlin warns of global fallout from Ukrainian attacks on pipelines

Gas prices have spiked over an international supply crisis that Kiev’s strikes will worsen, spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said

Published 19 Mar, 2026 14:54

Ukraine’s escalating drone attacks targeting Russian gas infrastructure risk compounding the energy shock being unleashed by the war on Iran, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has warned.

Russian energy giant Gazprom announced on Thursday thatUkraine had ramped up attacks on compressor stations linked to the TurkStream and Blue Stream pipelines, which together can carry up to 47.5 billion cubic meters of gas annually.

The company said Ukrainian forces had launched 22 drones at the Russkaya compressor station, three at Kazachya, and one at Beregovaya,all located near the Black Sea coast. All of the drones were intercepted, and no damage to infrastructure was recorded, Gazprom added.

Commenting on the drone raids later the same day,Peskov warned that the attacks could worsen an already fragile global energy situation.

“At a time when global energy markets are, to put it mildly, uncomfortable,such irresponsible and thoughtless actions by the Kiev regime could further destabilize the situation not only in the region, but globally,”he said.

The strikes came amid a new escalation spiral in the US-Israeli war against Iran, with the Jewish state targeting Iranian energy infrastructure in the South Pars natural gas field — the world’s largest.

The attack, along with the Iranian retaliation that damaged Qatar’s Ras Laffan LNG hub, resulted in gas prices – which have already spiked because of the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz – soaring by nearly 30% on Thursday.

Moscow has on numerous occasions accused Kiev of seeking to sabotage the TurkStream and Blue Stream pipelines, with President Vladimir Putin suggesting the involvement of Western intelligence in the operations.

https://www.rt.com/russia/635546-kremlin-warns-global-fallout-ukraine-drones/

Rogue CIA still working on behalf of Ukraine, not the U.S.

(The EU rarely thinks through their plans, before haughtily pushing forward, without considering things could change, and it could screw them, they just never learn. Its their arrogance in a failing and bankruptcy of EU territory)

EU faces energy price ‘tsunami’ – Putin envoy

The looming shock stems from the bloc’s “stubborn stupidity” by rejecting Russian energy, Kirill Dmitriev has said

Published 19 Mar, 2026 20:39 |

An oil and gas price surge is about to hit Europe, Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev has warned, calling the EU’s rejection of Russian energy, “stubborn stupidity.”

The escalating conflict in the Middle East, triggered by the US-Israeli attack on Iran,has driven extreme volatility in global energy markets. Gas prices have spiked by roughly 70% since March 1, amid strikes on energy infrastructure in the Gulf. Oil prices have climbed above $110 per barreldue to disruptions to maritime trafficthrough the Strait of Hormuz, the conduit for roughly 20% of global supply.

“An oil and gas price tsunami is about to devastate Europe,” Dmitriev said on Thursday on X. The looming disaster “stems from the stubborn strategic stupidity of Russophobes such as [European Commission President] Ursula [von der Leyen] and [EU foreign policy chief] Kaja [Kallas], who rejected reliable and cost-effective Russian energy,” he argued. Moscow has long maintained that it remains a reliable supplier.

EU imports of Russian energy have declined since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022 and ensuing sanctions. The September 2022 attacks on the Nord Stream pipelines triggered a spike in gas prices.

More recently, Moscow has accused Kiev of escalating attacks on the TurkStream pipeline, one of the last routes for Russian gas to Europe, warning such incidents could worsen the current energy shock.

Risks have also extended to maritime energy flows. A Russian-linked LNG tanker was damaged and left adrift in the Mediterranean in March in what Moscow described as a drone attack.

Against this backdrop, Dmitriev has urged Brussels to discuss reopening Nord Stream at its own expense, warning that the EU could eventually “beg” Russia for energy.

Some EU politicians have already called for a rethink.Belgium’s Prime Minister Bart De Wever has suggested restoring ties with Moscow to regain access to cheaper energy. Hungary and Slovakia have long opposed restrictions on Russian oil and gas.

However, the European Commission has said there will be no return to Russian energy imports and it will continue to pursue a full phase-out of Russian fossil fuels by 2027.

(The European Commission’s actions, will hopefully educate the idiot countries still considering doing this. The EU knows they are bankrupt but they keep stealing the money of the people, so they never have to admit it. The EU’s worst illness is they never think they are wrong.)

https://www.rt.com/news/635565-eu-energy-tsunami-dmitriev/

African states agree to ‘de-escalate tensions’ after Washington talks

Rwanda and DR Congo have committed to respect each other’s sovereignty and take measures to address cross-border security concerns, according to a statement

Published 20 Mar, 2026 09:17

Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo)have agreed on measures aimed at ending decades of conflict in eastern Congo following talks in Washington, officials have said.

The two-day meeting, part of a renewed diplomatic push,comes as fighting intensifies in the mineral-rich eastern DR Congo, where government forces are battling the M23 rebel group, widely accused by Kinshasa of being backed by Rwanda – an allegation Kigali denies.

According to a joint statement released by the US State Department on Wednesday, the parties committed to respect each other’s sovereigntyand take measures including disengaging forces and addressing cross-border security concerns.

“The DRC and Rwanda agreed to a series of coordinated steps to de-escalate tensions and advance progress on the ground… [and] reaffirmed their commitments under the Washington Accords to achieve lasting peace and prosperity in the region,” it said.

Previous agreements have collapsed, with all parties blaming each other for violations.

The conflict has created one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises, with 6.9 million people internally displaced– over 5 million of them in the eastern provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu, and Ituri, UN Refugee Agency estimates show.

Earlier this month, the US imposed sanctions on the Rwanda Defense Forceand four of its senior officials, accusing them of backing the M23 during its seizure of territory in eastern DR Congo, including the key cities of Goma and Bukavu, as well as strategic mining areas.

Kigali says its forces are deployed along the border with DR Congoto defend against the Congolese Army and ethnic Hutu militias linked to the 1994 genocide, including elements of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR). The M23 has also said it is fighting to protect ethnic Tutsi communities in eastern Congo.

Kinshasa pledged to intensify efforts to “neutralize” the FDLR following the latest negotiations, according to the joint statement.

DR Congo conflict and allegations of Rwandan support for rebels

The DR Congo’s mineral-rich east has been plagued by decades of violence, with dozens of armed groups, including M23, fighting Congolese forces for power and control of resources such as gold and coltan. Clashes escalated in early 2025, killing thousands and forcing large-scale displacement, according to UN agencies. The rebels seized Goma, the capital of North Kivu, in late January and later captured Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu.

Ceasefire efforts have repeatedly faltered, including Qatar-facilitated talks in Doha. Congolese authorities have long accused Rwanda of supporting the militants, allegations backed by a UN panel of experts. Kigali has denied the claims. The accusations have strained Rwanda’s relations with Western partners, including Belgium. In March, Kigali severed diplomatic ties with Brussels, accusing it of harboring “neo-colonial delusions” and interfering in the conflict.

In December, Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi and his Rwandan counterpart, Paul Kagame, ratified a US-brokered agreement committing Kigali to withdraw its forces from the border and end alleged support for M23, while Kinshasa pledged to curb militias hostile to Rwanda. US President Donald Trump has said the pact, which includes calls for a joint security mechanism, gives Washington rights to local mineral wealth. The fighting has continued despite Trump’s claims that he ended the decades-long conflict.

https://www.rt.com/africa/635599-rwanda-drcongo-agree-peace-measures-washington-talks/

It’s a relief to read other hot spots in the world besides Iran.

(The EU conjures up magic money to betray their citizens, to pay off the blackmail that Zelensky and Ukraine holds over all the countries leader’s heads)

EU to push Ukraine loan ‘one way or the other’ – von der Leyen

Hungary continues to block the €90 billion loan as Italy’s Giorgia Meloni reportedly expressed support for Budapest’s stance

Published 20 Mar, 2026

The EU will provide a controversial loan to Ukraine “one way or another,” despite it remaining blocked by Hungary, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Friday.

Budapest vetoed the EU’s €90 billion ($105 billion) emergency loanfor Ukraine after Kiev halted Russian oil flows through the Druzhba pipeline – a key supply route to Hungary and Slovakia.

“We will deliver on the loan one way or the other,” von der Leyen told reporters during a visit to Kiev. The remarks followed a summit in Brussels on Thursday, where EU leaders failed to persuade Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban to lift his veto.

(That sounds like a threat that the EU will take dangerous action on Orban, I hope he has extra aware security and protection.)

Orban, who faces an election next month, has repeatedly accused Kiev of deliberately halting supplies for political reasons and said this weekhe would block the loan until the oil supplies resume. “If there is no oil, there is no money,” he said.

EU officials, who have so far avoided direct confrontation, have increased the pressure on the Hungarian leader, condemning Budapest’s“unacceptable” resistanceduring their meeting in Brussels. EU Council President Antonio Costa said, “no one can blackmail the European Council(accept Zelensky and Ukraine creatures).” German Chancellor FriedrichMerz called Orban’s veto an “act of serious disloyalty.”(Merz is son of one of the leaders in Adolf’s hierarchy. Question: How can this be disloyalty when Ukraine is not a part of the EU, NATO and is not in the territory of Europe.Do they expect all countries to go along, if they disagree? That sounds like the Mafia!)

Officials in Brussels are reportedlyconsidering stripping Hungary of its voting rightsto push through the loan for Kiev.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni broke ranks with most EU leaders, expressingunderstanding for Orban’s positionduring closed-door talks on Thursday, according to Politico. At the meeting, she reaffirmed her support for the loan while reportedly signaled her understanding for Orban, the outlet said, citing diplomats from four countries.

One diplomat reportedly saidMeloni described Orban’s stance as “normal”because “things are changing,” adding:“If I were in the same situation, I would understand him.” The Italian government denied the remarks, with an official in Rome calling the attribution “completely unfounded.”

The dispute has deepened a feud between Kiev and Budapest, escalating into personal threats by Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky against Orban.Hungary has long clashed with Ukraine, opposing its EU and NATO bids and resisting funding for its war effort against Russia.

https://www.rt.com/news/635629-eu-hungary-ukraine-loan/

Israeli settlements will spell ‘end’ for Holy Land Christians – ‘America First’

West Jerusalem is doing nothing to prevent settler violence against Christian communities in the West Bank, Jason Jones has told Scottie Nell Hughes

Published 18 Mar, 2026 22:20 |

Unabated settler violence, along with Israel’scontinued settlement policy, could spell doom for the remaining Christian communitiesin the Holy Land, Jason Jones, founder of the Vulnerable People Project, has told RT’s America First.

Israel has allegedly approved the demolitionof thousands of homes in the West Bankbelonging to Christian communitiesandis encroaching on the territory of some of the oldest Christian populationsin the area,particularly around Bethlehem, as well as villages such as Taybeh, Jones claimed.

The settlement of Shtema located at the site of a former Israel military basejust east of the town of Bethlehem “will be the end of the Christian community in the Holy Land,”Jones said.“It will be the end of the oldest Christian community in the world,” he added, referring to asettlement legalized by West Jerusalem last year.

The NGO founder, whose organization operates in the West Bank and other territories,warned that local Christian communities are being attacked by settlers. “There is direct physical violence. There is separating the communities,” Jones added.

Neither West Jerusalem nor Washington is willing to act, with the US choosing to be “on the side of the oppressor,” Jones believes.Mike Huckabee, the US ambassador to Israel,is “just ignoring it,”according to Jones. Huckabee, a former Baptist minister, “was not man enough to rise to the occasion and speak truth,” Jones said.

(This sounds like bullshit because Marco would not allow it. Plus Jones has no idea what is going on behind the scenes with Marco’s discussions with Israel. But the leaders in Israel are certainly doing this. Its reported in other outlets too. Israel is at war with all of humanity.)

Watch the full interview here:can’t post video

https://www.rt.com/news/635415-israel-settlements-end-christians/

Rhinos back in African park for first time after 40 years(PHOTOS, VIDEO)

Two animals have been moved to Uganda’s Kidepo Valley National Park as part of a plan to rebuild a lost population

Published 21 Mar, 2026 08:04 |

Uganda has begun reintroducing rhinos to its Kidepo Valley National Park,marking the species’ return to the area 43 years after it was wiped out by poaching, the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) has reported.

The first two southern white rhinos were transported from Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary to Kidepo on Tuesday,part of a phased plan to relocate a total of eight animals, according to UWA. The effort is aimed at restoring a population that disappeared from the park in the early 1980s.

The move follows years of preparation, including the construction of a fenced sanctuary, ranger outposts, andmonitoring systems to ensure the animals’ protection and adaptation to the new environment. The park, one of Uganda’s most intact savannah ecosystems, was identified as suitable after feasibility studies assessed habitat conditions and security.

“This moment marks the beginning of a new rhino story for Kidepo Valley National Park,” UWA Executive Director James Musinguzi said, adding that the translocation was the first step toward re-establishing a population.

Officials said the animals will initially be kept under close observation inside a secure sanctuary before being gradually integrated into the wider park ecosystem.

Rhinos once roamed widely across Kidepo Valley, but heavy poaching led to their local extinction,with the last recorded animal killed in 1983. Conservation efforts accelerated in 2005 with the launch of a breeding program at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, helping rebuild Uganda’s rhino population to more than 60.

Authorities say the return of rhinos is expected to boost biodiversity and tourismwhile supporting efforts to restore endangered wildlife species in one of Africa’s most isolated national parks.

In January, UWA relocated four southern white rhinos from Ziwa sanctuary to Ajai Wildlife Reserve in northwestern Uganda and aims to move up to 20 rhinos to the reserve.

Uganda’s move comes amid wider efforts across Africa to protect rhino populations. Separately, Kenya in December opened what it says is the world’s largest rhino sanctuary in Tsavo West National Park,bringing together around 200 black rhinos in a protected area of more than 3,200 square kilometers.

https://www.rt.com/africa/635653-rhinos-return-to-uganda-park/

Israel refuses to open Al-Aqsa Mosque for end of Ramadan

No Muslims will be allowed to enter theholy site for one of the main Islamic holidays for the first time since 1967

Published 20 Mar, 2026 16:27 |

The Al-Aqsa Mosque, one of the holiest Muslim sites in Jerusalem, hasbeen kept closed by the Israeli authorities, despite Muslims all over the world marking Eid al-Fitr, the final Friday of Ramadan.

The compound was closed over the Iran war, andworshipers have not been allowed to mark the holiday at the site for the first time since 1967.

Scores of people gathered in Jerusalem on Friday to pray,but their attempts to approach the gates of the Old City were met with tear gas from the Israeli security forcesstationed at checkpoints, footage from the scene shows.

Israel restricted access to the Old City, including the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, citing security concerns on February 28, when it launched an attack against Iran jointly with the US.

The mosque remains off limits as the conflict enters its fourth week. Earlier in March, a group of eight predominantly Muslim nations – Egypt, Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Qatar, Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE – issued a joint statement condemning the closure.

“Security restrictions on access to the Old City of Jerusalem and its places of worship, coupled with discriminatory and arbitrary access restrictions to the other places of worship in the Old City, constitute a flagrant violation of international law,” the group said,stressing that Israel has “no sovereignty over occupied Jerusalem or its Islamic and Christian holy sites.”

The Western Wall, Judaism’s holiest site, also remains closed for visitors ahead of Passover, a major Jewish holiday and one of the Three Pilgrimage Festivals, which begins on April 1.

With the Easter season rapidly approaching, Israeli-enforced security measures in the Old City put Christian holidays at risk as well.The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the holiest site in Christianity, remains off-limits,prompting concerns over the Holy Fire ceremony, a major Orthodox event held annually on Holy Saturday. This year, the ceremony falls on April 11.

The Russian Orthodox Church has spoken out about the restrictions,expressing hope that the church closure will not disrupt the transfer of the Holy Fire. Failure to obtain the Holy Fire is regarded amongOrthodox Christians as a bad omen, and potentially a sign that Armageddon is approaching.

https://www.rt.com/news/635655-israel-jerusalem-mosque-ramadan/

Kremlin denies it said ‘f**k you’ to France

The art of diplomacy is relaying messages to your interlocutors in a polite manner, spokesman Dmitry Peskov has explained

Published 22 Mar, 2026 14:34

The Russian government does not resort to obscene language in contacts with other countries, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said.

The Financial Times reported last week thatFrench President Emmanuel Macron’s advisers, Emmanuel Bonne and Bertrand Buchwalter, had secretly visited Moscow in Februaryfor a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s aide, Yuri Ushakov.

According to an unnamed European diplomat who spoke to the outlet,Macron’s representatives asked for the EU to be included in peace talksbetween Russia, the US, and Ukraine,but the meeting ended with Ushakov telling the visitors: “Sorry, actually, no we don’t [have to], f**k you’.”

Asked to comment by Russian journalist Pavel Zarubin on Sunday, Peskov replied: “No, none of us ever uses foul language to refer to anyone.”

“You know, there is a wise saying by one wise diplomat.What is diplomacy? It’s the ability to tell someone to go to hell in such a manner that they would actually intend to go there,” he said.

Peskov was likely referring to a quote attributed to former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill: “Diplomacy is the art of telling people to go to hell in such a way that they ask for directions.”

Last week, Peskov confirmed to FT that the visit by the French advisers did take place but said thatthey “didn’t bring any positive signals.”

“Unfortunately, the Europeans are spending all their efforts on convincing the Ukrainians to continue the war. We are convinced the Europeans are making a mistake from the perspective of their own future,” he stated.

Russia is prevailing on the battlefield in the Ukraine conflict, but “asPresident Putin said, we are open to a diplomatic settlement,” the spokesman added.

Delegations from Moscow, Washington, and Kiev have held three rounds of talks since the start of the year, with the latest taking place in Geneva in mid-February. A fourth meeting had been planned for early March but had to be canceled due to the US-Israeli attack on Iran.Peskov clarified on Thursday that the pause in negotiations is temporary and they will resume at some point.

https://www.rt.com/news/635834-kremlin-peskov-eu-france/

(That’s the French for you!)