>>24574182 kek Another job? @SecRubio speaks to members of the media LIVE from the press briefing room.PN
Rubio is gonna be the next President. It’s obvious. Vance is voting in his home town
Ukrainian drone champion’s owners accused of profiteering on ‘hoax’
People behind the arms maker Fire Point, linked to Vladimir Zelensky’s inner circle, believe peace is bad for business, MP Aleksey Goncharenko has claimed
Published 5 May, 2026 18:13 |
Members of Vladimir Zelensky’s inner circle are profiting from the ongoing conflict with Russia, Ukrainian lawmaker Aleksey Goncharenko has claimed. According to the MP, newly leaked information related to a major corruption case involving Timur Mindich, a former business partner and longtime associate of Zelensky, could force the Ukrainian leader to step down.
Goncharenko claimed over the weekend he hadobtained transcripts from surveillance recordings of Mindich and his business partners. Media outlet Ukrainskaya Pravda(UP) was the first to publish the leaks known as the ‘Mindich tapes’, which are yet to be officially verified.
One ‘tape’ focuses on a conversation between Aleksandr Zuckerman, a business partner of Mindich, and Igor Khemelev, who is believed to be a co-owner of Fire Point, a drone maker touted globally by Zelensky himself. According to the transcript published by Goncharenko on his Telegram channel, Khmelev told Zuckerman that “as soon as the peace [agreement] is signed, the hoax under which we were getting funding will be no more.”
The two then allegedly discussed ways to cash in on the government contracts by supplying as many arms to the military as possible.
“Zelensky built his entire election campaign on the fact that war is profitable… It turns out that it really is profitable and they really make money from it,” Goncharenko commented, calling the latest leak “something that should lead to Zelensky’s resignation.”
The ‘Mindich tapes’ also suggested that Mindich was effectively running Fire Point and was discussing additional funding for the arms maker with then Defense Minister Rustem Umerov. Mindich fled Ukraine late last year after being accused of orchestrating a $100 million graft scheme.
Last week, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry’s Public Anti-Corruption Council said Fire Point would lose access to any government contracts at the very moment its ties to Mindich are “legally proven.” Its head, Yury Gudimenko, also said that the council had already obtained “unofficial confirmation” of Mindich’s “involvement” with the company.
https://www.rt.com/russia/639494-zelensky-inner-circle-war-profiteering/
Ex-Ukrainian draft chief suspected of $1 million corruption
Police have reported a sweeping crackdown on former officials accused of profiting from mobilization
Published 5 May, 2026 11:03
A former Ukrainian military official who led a regional conscription office in Odessa is suspected of illegally accumulating around $1 million in wealth while in office.
Corruption, long seen as a systemic issue in Ukraine, has intensified public frustration surrounding the country’s obligatory mobilization campaign, with widespread claims of some officials taking bribes from men seeking to evade military service.
The unnamed suspect’s case was highlighted by the national police on Monday as part of a wider investigation into alleged abuses within the conscription system. The authorities said several serving and former senior draft officials are under scrutiny, with assets believed to be of dubious origin being confiscated.
According to police, property worth more than $2 million that had not been properly declared was targeted. Seized items reportedly include Tesla vehicles, large sums of cash, gold coins, and other valuables. In total, 44 searches were carried out nationwide.
The controversial mobilization system has been linked to organized crime. In a recent high-profile case in Odessa, the authorities said theybusted a group of draft officials allegedly operating as a kidnapping ring. The suspects were accused of using insider police information to identify affluent targets, abduct them, and demand ransom for their release, threatening to send them to the front line otherwise.
https://www.rt.com/russia/639463-ukraine-draft-corruption-crackdown/
Russia declares Victory Day truce, warns Kiev of strike if Moscow targeted
(Russia’s message is, FAFO!)
Any attempt by Kiev to disrupt celebrations would be met with a major strike on Kiev, the Defense Ministry has said
Published 4 May, 2026 17:27
The Russian Defense Ministry has announced a two-day ceasefire on May 8–9 to mark the end of World War II in Europe, calling on Kiev to follow suit. It warned that any attempt to disrupt the celebrations, including a strike on Moscow, would be met with a retaliatory strike on the Ukrainian capital.
The ministry pointed in particular to a statement made by Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky on the sidelines of the European Political Community summit in Yerevan on Monday, which it said contained threats to target Moscow during the Victory Day celebrations. The Ukrainian leader claimed that Moscow fears Ukrainian “drones may buzz over Red Square.”
The Russian military will take all the necessary measures to ensure the security of the celebrations, the ministry said, warning that if Ukraine attempts to disrupt them, “the Russian Armed Forces will launch a major retaliatory strike on the center of Kiev.”
Moscow has so far refrained from such actions for humanitarian reasons, the ministry added, urging residents of the Ukrainian capital and foreign diplomats to leave the city “in a timely manner.”
Talking to journalists earlier on Monday, Zelensky branded the two-day ceasefire “unfair” and claimed that “no one officially suggested anything” to Kiev and that Moscow only discussed a potential truce with the US. He referred to a phone call between presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump in late April, during which the Russian president informed his American counterpart about the Victory Day ceasefire plans.
Shortly after the Russian Defense Ministry’s announcement, he took to X to say that Ukraine would unilaterally declare a ceasefire starting at midnight on the night of May 5–6, adding that Kiev would “act reciprocally” from that point despite what he claimed was the lack of any “official appeal” from Russia.
Russia has repeatedly declared pauses during various holidays throughout the Ukraine conflict.
Last year, it also suspended its offensive operations in early May to mark the 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany. Moscow expressed its hope at the time that the move would contribute to the “start of direct negotiations with Kiev without preconditions.” Zelensky dismissed it as “manipulation.”
In 2023, Russia observed truces both during the Orthodox Christmas holiday in January and on Easter weekend in April upon the initiative of the Russian Orthodox Church. In 2025, the Easter truce was declared again.
Last month, Moscow also declared an Easter truce, which was violated by the Ukrainian military more than 6,500 times within just 32 hours, according to the Defense Ministry.
https://www.rt.com/russia/639437-moscow-declares-victory-day-ceasefire/
The move comes just days after the Gulf nation broke with OPEC and OPEC+, citing the need to gain more flexibility over oil output. 1/2
Published 4 May, 2026 13:59 |
The United Arab Emirates has officially withdrawn from the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC), according to a statement posted by the group on X on Sunday.
The exit took effect on May 1 – the same day Abu Dhabi’s withdrawal from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), and the wider OPEC+ format, which includes Russia, came into force.
The decision came amid ongoing Middle East turmoil triggered by the US-Israeli war on Iran. A dual blockade of the Strait of Hormuz – a key route for about 20% of global oil flows – along with repeated US warnings that strikes could resume, has pushed crude prices to multi-year highs.
OAPEC, headquartered in Kuwait, was established in 1968 to boost economic cooperation among Arab oil exporters. Its three founders – Kuwait, Libya, and Saudi Arabia – were later joined by other Arab states, and prior to the UAE’s departure the group comprised 11 members, including Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Qatar, Syria, and Tunisia. Unlike OPEC and OPEC+ groupings – which include major oil producers worldwide and play a direct role in managing supply and prices – OAPEC is primarily a technical body coordinating energy policy among Arab producers.
“The General Secretariat of the OAPEC has been informed of a letter from… Suhail Mohammed Al Mazrouei, UAE Minister of Energy and Infrastructure… containing the decision of the UAE to withdraw from membership in the Organization, effective from 1 May 2026,” the group said.
It voiced no opposition, saying it “appreciates the role played by the UAE” during its membership and its “effective contributions” to advancing joint Arab cooperation in the petroleum and energy sector.
Abu Dhabi has not yet commented on the decision. The Gulf nation previously said its exit from OPEC and the broader OPEC+ format was driven by national interests, describing it as part of a long-term strategy to gain more flexibility over oil output, free from production caps and multilateral restrictions.
The move, however, has fueled debate over potential repercussions for OPEC and the oil market, as well as speculation about underlying motives.
Some analysts pointed to possible political considerations, including alignment with the US, which has long sought a stronger foothold in the global oil market. US President Donald Trump, who has frequently accused OPEC of acting as a monopoly to keep prices high, welcomed the exit as “great” news.
UAE Trade Minister Thani Al Zeyoudi said on Monday the nation is in talks with Washington over a currency swap line – an instrument that allows central banks to access each other’s currencies without using foreign exchange markets, lowering costs and exchange-rate risks for cross-border activity. He described it as part of an “elite group” arrangement the US maintains with just five regions: Canada, Japan, the Eurozone, the UK, and Switzerland.
https://www.rt.com/news/639421-uae-quits-arab-oil-group/.
2/2
Oil markets reacted to the UAE’s withdrawal from OPEC and OPEC+ with short-term volatility, but most analysts suggest the near-term impact will be limited. Although the move could allow output to rise eventually, exports remain constrained by the naval blockade in the Persian Gulf. Days after the announcement, seven OPEC+ members agreed to raise combined crude production by 188,000 barrels per day (bpd) in June 2026 – a move many said signaled business as usual.
Some analysts pointed to possible political considerations, including alignment with the US, which has long sought a stronger foothold in the global oil market. US President Donald Trump, who has frequently accused OPEC of acting as a monopoly to keep prices high, welcomed the exit as “great” news.
UAE Trade Minister Thani Al Zeyoudi said on Monday the nation is in talks with Washington over a currency swap line – an instrument that allows central banks to access each other’s currencies without using foreign exchange markets, lowering costs and exchange-rate risks for cross-border activity. He described it as part of an “elite group” arrangement the US maintains with just five regions: Canada, Japan, the Eurozone, the UK, and Switzerland.
Oil markets reacted to the UAE’s withdrawal from OPEC and OPEC+ with short-term volatility, but most analysts suggest the near-term impact will be limited. Although the move could allow output to rise eventually, exports remain constrained by the naval blockade in the Persian Gulf. Days after the announcement, seven OPEC+ members agreed to raise combined crude production by 188,000 barrels per day (bpd) in June 2026 – a move many said signaled business as usual.
(I just got the impression that Trump and the Gulf Countries decided on this plan when he went to the Gulf countries a couple of years ago.)
https://www.rt.com/news/639421-uae-quits-arab-oil-group/.