Trump strikes deal with Putin to supply Russian diesel to U.S. and global markets

Published Fri, Oct 9 20262:57 PM EDT Spencer Kimball@spencekimball

Key Points

• President Donald Trump said President Vladimir Putin agreed to supply more than 4 million tons of diesel to the global market.

• Diesel prices have surged around the world as Ukraine has pounded Russian refineries, forcing Moscow to ban diesel exports.

• Trump is under growing political pressure to take action to reduce fuel prices ahead of the November midterm elections.

President Donald Trump said Friday that Russia will supply more than 4 million tons of diesel to the global market under a deal he struck with President Vladimir Putin during a phone call.

Russia will immediately supply more than 300,000 tons of diesel, followed by 500,000 tons in November, and 1 million tons immediately thereafter, Trump said in a post on Truth Social. Moscow will then deliver another 3 million tons of diesel based on the condition of Russia’s refineries, Trump said.

The Treasury Department temporarily waived sanctions on Russian diesel through April 2027 under a general license issued Friday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy immediately condemned Trump’s diesel deal with Putin. Zelenskyy warned that easing sanctions without a commitment from Russia to de-escalate will only prolong the war. (Everything Z does is to prevent the end of the war, even him dragging his citizens into the war to die for nothing. Z should be hanged when this is over, for killing millions of his citizens intentionally)

“Gifts to Putin will not bring peace or any benefit to the civilized world,” Zelenskyy said in a social media post. “Russia will ‘repay’ the diesel with further terror and perfidy. Allowing Russia to sell petroleum products is an investment in a war that must be ended, not prolonged.”

Diesel prices have surged around the world as Ukraine has pounded Russian refineries, forcing Moscow to ban diesel exports to the global market. Iran and its Houthi allies have also attacked refineries in the Middle East, further constraining fuel supplies.

Trump is under growing political pressure to take action to reduce fuel prices ahead of the November midterm elections. Republicans are facing competitive elections in conservative strongholds like Iowa, where farmers are feeling the pinch from high diesel prices.

But the president has few options to reduce prices given the destruction done to global refining capacity by the wars in Eastern Europe and the Middle East.

Trump flirted with a diesel export ban last month but ultimately relented after the oil industry and big business warned a ban would just raise gasoline prices.

The president issued an executive order earlier this week that allows truckers to use tax-exempt offroad diesel on highways without worrying about federal penalties. But the order only defers the tax obligation, creating confusion about whether truckers may have to pay up at some point.

https://www.cnbc.com/2026/10/09/trump-putin-russian-diesel-us-global-markets.html

Putin and Trump hold ‘successful’ talks: Key details

The leaders discussed a major diesel deal, Ukraine peace negotiations, Iran diplomacy, and closer bilateral contacts during a 90-minute phone call

Published 9 Oct, 2026 20:00 (Anons look for hidden clues)1/2

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Donald Trumpheld a 90-minute phone conversation on Friday, discussing the Ukraine conflict, a major agreement on Russian diesel supplies, the crisis surrounding Iran, and prospects for broader cooperation between Moscow and Washington.

Trump described the exchange as “highly successful,” announcing that Russia had agreed to supply millions of tons of diesel fuel to American and global markets in an effort to ease soaring energy prices.Kremlin foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov said the conversation was friendly and substantive, revealing thatTrump had rearranged his schedule to speak with Putinfollowing the Russian leader’s 74th birthday.

Here are the key takeaways from the conversation, according to statements by both leaders and the Kremlin’s detailed readout.

Millions of tons of Russian diesel for the US

The most immediate result of the talks was a major energy agreement under which Russia will increase diesel exports to the US and global markets, potentially helping alleviate an international fuel shortage.

Trump announced that Russia would immediately supply more than 300,000 tons of diesel, followed by another 500,000 tons in November and 1 million tons shortly thereafter. He also suggested that Russia could deliver an additional 3 million tons, depending on the condition of its refineries.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak subsequently confirmed that Moscow would begin lifting its diesel export restrictions ahead of schedule, reiterating the announced volumes and clarifying that exports could eventually reach 3 million tons per month, while assuring that Russia’s domestic market would remain fully supplied.

The US Treasury also issued a temporary sanctions waiver covering Russian diesel shipments until April 7, 2027.

Trump predicted that the agreement, together with Washington’s claimed control of the Strait of Hormuz, would bring diesel prices down rapidly, particularly benefiting American farmers, truckers and consumers.

Kiev ‘derailed’ peace talks

The Ukraine conflict dominated much of the discussion, with Putin briefing Trump on the situation along the front line and Moscow’s response to Ukrainian “terrorist strikes” on infrastructure and civilian targets deep inside Russian territory. The Russian leader stressed that Moscow retained the initiative and remained committed to its objectives, while expressing readiness for a lasting diplomatic settlement.

However, Putin said that Kiev had effectively sabotaged plans for the immediate resumption of trilateral negotiations involving Russia, Ukraine and the United States. During their previous conversation, the two leaders had discussed restarting the talks shortly after Russia’s State Duma elections.

Ushakov said that Ukrainian drone attacks, including strikes targeting polling stations and election-related personnel, had fundamentally changed the situation.

Moscow would now reconsider when negotiations could resume, according to the Kremlin aide. Trump reportedly promised to convey Russia’s position to Ukrainian representatives meeting with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Miami.

Iran diplomacy ‘not exhausted’

Putin stressed that a negotiated settlement with Tehran remained possible, citing his October 8 meeting with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in Turkmenistan.

According to Ushakov, Putin noted that Washington and Tehran continued indirect contacts through Qatar despite their confrontational rhetoric.

Moscow also reiterated its offer to accept highly enriched Iranian uranium as a potential way out of the nuclear deadlock. Trump welcomed Russia’s involvement in diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis, Ushakov added.

Melania’s humanitarian mission

Putin personally thanked First Lady Melania Trump for her efforts to reunite children separated from their families during the Ukraine conflict.

The leaders also discussed the humanitarian situation in the town of Aleshki in Russia’s Kherson Region,agreeing that Russian human rights official Yana Lantratova would maintain direct contact with Melania’s office. (Is Melania communicating info from Putin to Trump regularly?)

https://www.rt.com/news/646904-trump-putin-phone-call-ukraine/

>>25125019

2/2

Closer ties – and another summit?

The leaders expressed satisfaction with existing communication channels between their administrations, intelligence services and other government agencies, agreeing to maintain cooperation.

Putin emphasized that Moscow appreciated the attention Trump and his team continued to devote to relations with Russia despite Washington’s domestic and Middle Eastern priorities.

Asked whether the two presidents had agreed to meet in person, Ushakov said no specific summit had been discussed. However, he suggested that the upcoming APEC summit in China could provide an opportunity for another encounter if both leaders attended.

The Kremlin aide also declined to disclose whether Washington had offered any concessions in exchange for Russia’s agreement to supply diesel, suggesting that American officials might provide further clarification.

Birthday wishes and hockey diplomacy

The conversation was initially proposed by the American side as an opportunity for Trump to personally congratulate Putin on his October 7 birthday. According to Ushakov, Witkoff contacted the Kremlin that day to convey greetings from Trump, as well as personal wishes from himself and Kushner, who expressed hope of meeting the Russian leader again soon.

Officials subsequently arranged the call around Putin’s trip to Turkmenistan and the time difference between Moscow and Washington, with Trump postponing some previously scheduled engagements.

The US president opened the conversation with birthday wishes and greetings from Melania.The leaders also found time to discuss sports, with Trump praising Russian hockey star Alexander Ovechkin’s contribution to the game.

https://www.rt.com/news/646904-trump-putin-phone-call-ukraine/

Zelensky slams Trump’s ‘weak decision’

The Ukrainian leader has criticized Washington’s decision to lift fuel sanctions on Russia as “not fair and not honest”

Published 9 Oct, 2026 22:22 | Updated 9 Oct, 2026 22:51

Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky has lashed out at US President Donald Trump over his decision to lift sanctions on Russian diesel exports, accusing Washington of striking a deal with Moscow behind Kiev’s back.

Zelensky described the move as “definitely unfair,” “definitely not partner-like” and “a weak decision by strong partners,” effectively portraying it as a stab in the back just as Ukrainian negotiatorsand Kiev’s European backers were meeting American officials to discuss a potential peace settlement in Miami.

In a voice memo sent to Western journalists on Friday, Zelensky suggested Trump had used Ukrainian negotiators as a “smokescreen” while pursuing a separate agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“You know, it looks like a happy birthday present for Putin. It looks absolutely terrible,”he told Axios in a separate phone interview, referring to the Russian leader’s 74th birthday earlier this week.

“We need oil for the world and this is diesel, which is what we need. So we’re very happy to get it,” the US president said.

Earlier on Friday, Trump announced that following a “successful discussion” with Putin, Moscow had agreed to immediately supply more than 300,000 tons of diesel to American and global markets, followed by 500,000 tons in November, another million tons shortly thereafter, and potentially 3 million additional tons depending on refinery capacity.

The US Treasury subsequently issued a six-month sanctions waiver allowing Russian diesel exports, as Washington seeks to contain a global fuel shortage exacerbated by the US-Israeli war on Iran and Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries.

Trump has repeatedly blamed Kiev – and Zelensky personally – for worsening the global fuel crisis, accusing Ukraine of deliberately knocking out Russian refining capacity and driving up prices for American consumers.

During a visit to Ireland last month, Trump directly demanded that Zelensky halt the strikes. “Zelensky has to do one thing. He has to stop knocking out diesel fuel in Russia… Don’t hit diesel fuel, because that’s hurting the world,” he said.

Trump doubled down earlier this week, arguing that the main driver of soaring US fuel prices was no longer the disruption of oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, but Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has similarly linked the strikes to a broader global “energy shock.”

Despite Washington’s repeated warnings, Zelensky pledged last weekend to intensify Ukrainian long-range strikes on Russian oil facilities. A senior Ukrainian official told the Financial Times on Friday that Kiev would ignore Washington’s deal with Moscow and “will burn their refineries.”

The fuel shortage has become an increasingly pressing domestic issue for Trump ahead of the November 3 midterm elections. US diesel prices surged to record highs above $6.50 per gallon in September, with prices in California exceeding $8 in some areas.

Putin confirmed following Friday’s conversation that Russia was prepared to supply oil and petroleum products to American and global markets, expressing confidence that the move would have a positive effect on the world economy.

https://www.rt.com/news/647018-zelensky-trump-weak-decision/

(Zelensky is already regretting for his stupid criticism of Trump! He should be.)

Trump envoys discuss ‘winter preparedness’ with Kiev and its European NATO backers

The Miami talks focused on near-term issues like “energy resilience” ahead of Washington’s next round of negotiations with Moscow

Published 10 Oct, 2026 01:32

US President Donald Trump’s top envoys have begun two days of negotiations with Ukrainian and European representatives in Miami, focusing on preparations for the coming winter and potential ways to de-escalate the Ukraine conflict on terms that would be acceptable to Moscow.

Special Envoy Steve Witkoff described Friday’s discussions as “constructive,” saying US representatives had discussed prospects for a “lasting peace” with Kiev and its most hawkish European backers, including Britain, France and Germany, as well as officials from the European Commission and NATO.

The talks covered “near-term measures related to winter preparedness,” including energy resilience and grain exports, as well as longer-term security guarantees, post-war reconstruction and Ukraine’s potential accession to the EU, according to Witkoff.

“The exchange was productive and helped identify areas for further exploration ahead of the United States’ next engagement with Russia,” he wrote on X.

The negotiations were scheduled to continue on Saturday, and no concrete agreements or breakthroughs have been announced so far.

The US delegation is led by Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, while Kiev is represented by Vladimir Zelensky’s chief of staff, Kirill Budanov, foreign intelligence chief Rustem Umerov, deputy chief of staff Sergey Kislitsa and senior lawmaker David Arakhamia.

The European delegation includes Bjoern Seibert, chief of staff to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and national security advisers from Britain, France and Germany. NATO is represented by Geoffrey van Leeuwen, chief of staff to Secretary General Mark Rutte, according to European media reports.

The talks follow reports that Witkoff and Kushner were preparing to present “new ideas and proposals” aimed at breaking the diplomatic deadlock.

According to Axios, the pair could travel to Moscow later this month for further talks with Putin.

One proposal under consideration reportedly involves a partial ceasefire covering strikes on energy infrastructure, amid growing anxiety among Kiev’s European backers over the economic and energy consequences of the conflict.

“They are all nervous about the winter. It will be a tough winter if the war does not stop,” a US source previously told AFP.

The Miami meeting also coincided with a 90-minute phone conversation between Trump and Putin on Friday, during which the leaders discussed Ukraine, Iran and a major agreement to resume Russian diesel supplies to American and global markets.

Zelensky lashed out at Trump, effectively accusing Washington of stabbing Kiev in the back by striking a separate diesel deal with Moscow.

Zelensky branded the move “a weak decision by strong partners” and accused the US of using the Ukrainian delegation in Miami as a “smokescreen” while negotiating with Putin behind Kiev’s back.

Trump has repeatedly pressed Zelensky to halt Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries, blaming them for worsening a global diesel shortage and driving up fuel prices for American consumers. According to Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov, Trump promised Putin that he would convey Moscow’s position to the Ukrainian delegation in Miami.

https://www.rt.com/news/647019-ukraine-miami-talks-witkoff/

Berlin and Paris clash over joint main battle tank project

France has accused Germany of abandoning a program that has been in the works for nearly a decade

Published 10 Oct, 2026 00:46

Paris and Berlin are contradicting each other on the fate of a much-heralded joint main battle tank development project.French Chief of Defense Staff General Fabien Mandon has claimed Germany withdrew from the program, while the German government says the opposite.

Known as the Main Ground Combat System (MGCS), the project was launched back in 2018 with the aim of replacing both the French Leclerc and German Leopard 2 main battle tanks.It was a collaboration between the Amsterdam-headquartered KNDS – the EU’s largest tank maker – the German Rheinmetall weapons manufacturing giant, and the French Thales industrial group. Berlin even purchased a 40% stake in KNDS in June, with another 40% held by Paris, when the project was still in full swing.

On Thursday, Mandon told French lawmakers thatthe plans for the project had essentially fallen through. “The outcome isn’t good. We had hoped to build a future tank in cooperation with the Germans, but unfortunately,we have to acknowledge that the Germans have withdrawn from the projectt,” he said during a hearing on next year’s budget.

According to Le Monde, the chief of the defense staff saidBerlin made a political decision to halt cooperation. He reportedly stated that “the two army chiefs of staff had co-signed a joint document outlining their shared needs,”but the two neighbors were “no longer dealing with purely military choices.”

A German Defense Ministry spokesperson denied that claim, stating that Berlin merely wants to “adjust” the program to include the “lessons” of the Ukraine conflict. “We remain committed to equal partnership in the MGCS and are focusing on future technologies for armored combat,” the official said, according to Reuters.

Madon himself stated in a press release published after the hearing that an industrial proposal submitted in early 2026 “was incompatible with the need to replace the current tanks by 2037,” prompting Berlin to opt for a national effort to replace its Leopard 2 tank.

The general also maintained that a decade of work had “not been in vain” and the MGCS project was not scrapped but rather “pushed back to the late 2040s.” Paris would now launch its own national development of “an interim” replacement for its Leclerc tanks, he added.

The MGCS was intended to become a comprehensive platform for land warfare, with multiple weapon systems derived from it.The troubled project has reportedly been plagued by delays linked to political and industrial disputes. It is said Paris was aiming for a lighter combat vehicle suited for African deployments, while Berlin sought better heavy armor suitable for a major conflict, including with Russia.

The total cost of the project remains unclear, although a French parliamentary budget report suggested that Paris authorized a total of €212 million ($237.3 million) for the program over 2025 and 2026. The German government has not published any specific figures related to the project’s funding, but said in 2024 that the two partners were “each contributing 50% of the costs.”

Another major Franco-German armament program collapsed just months ago. Dubbed the Future Combat Air System (FCAS), it aimed to produce a next-generation fighter jet by 2040. The venture failed in June after an estimated €3.2 billion in sunk R&D costs due to irreconcilable disputes between aircraft makers Dassault and Airbus.

https://www.rt.com/news/647012-berlin-paris-clash-over-tanks/

The EU states cannot get anything accomplished together, why on earth would they need 20 or 18 years to build a new tank? NATO is useless, no wonder PDJT doesn’t want NATO countries involved in anything.

US folded to EU pressure on Ukraine – Lavrov

Moscow “fully accepted” the US peace proposal put forward at the Anchorage summit, yet Europe derailed the process, Russia’s top diplomat has said

Published 7 Oct, 2026 21:26

The US gave in to pressure from the EU, which has openly gloated about undermining the Anchorage understandings and declared them “buried,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said.

The top diplomat made the remarks on Wednesday while speaking at a press conference following a ministerial meeting of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).

Lavrov reiterated Moscow’s position that theAnchorage initiative had ultimately been derailed by European nations.

”Our conscience is clear, not to mention the fact that we fully accepted the United States’ proposal last August, which was made during the summit… in Alaska,” he stated.

It is not our fault that the Americans could not withstand the unprecedented and brazen pressure from Europe, which later proudly declared that it had buried Anchorage.

US President Donald Trump hosted his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Anchorage, Alaska, last year, withthe two leaders reaching an understanding on how the Ukraine conflict could be settled.

While Moscow has portrayed the outcome of the summit as an “agreement,” despite some “nuances” remaining, Washington has repeatedly disputed that characterization. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio previously said that there was “a proposal in Alaska, but there was no agreement.”

According to Lavrov, the Anchorage understandings were ultimately undermined over the following months by EU and British leaders. During the G7 summit in Evian in June, French President Emmanuel Macron openly declared that Anchorage had been “buried.”

While the US has displayed a declining commitment to the “understandings,”Trump has never explicitly declared the framework dead. Last month, Washington attempted to revive negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, but the process stalled once again amid continued long-range strikes by Moscow and Kiev.

According to Lavrov, Russia agreed to a Washington-proposed trilateral meeting with Ukraine, which was expected to be held after the recent Russian parliamentary elections. Kiev, however, actively attempted to disrupt the polls and launched a massive attack while voting was underway.

”We made it clear that, under these circumstances, we want to know what proposals exactly [Vladimir] Zelensky’s negotiators would bring. This is very important to us, andthe American side has taken our arguments with understanding,” the foreign minister added.

https://www.rt.com/russia/646907-us-eu-pressure-anchorage/

Washington suspends sanctions on Russian fuel trade, including import to US

The waiver is scheduled to stay in force until at least April 7, 2027

Published 9 Oct, 2026 20:29

The US Treasury Department has announced a temporary sanctions waiver on the Russian fuel trade amid skyrocketing global prices. The move allows the sale, delivery, offloading, and import of Russian diesel, including to the United States,until at least April 7, 2027.

The announcement came after President Donald Trump announced a major agreement with Moscow, following a Friday phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“Russia will immediately supply over 300,000 Tons of Diesel Fuel to the American and Global Marketplace, another 500,000 Tons during the month of November, and 1,000,000 Tons immediately thereafter,” Trump stated in a Truth Social Post, adding that Moscow could provide up to 3,000,000 tons of additional diesel “within a short period of time” depending on the state of its refineries, which have recently been under constant threat of long-range Ukrainian strikes.

Russia is ready to supply oil and petroleum products to the US and global markets, the Kremlin said in a statement following the phone calls between the two presidents. Moscow is “sure that it would have a positive effect on the entire global economy,” the statement added.

Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandr Novak also confirmed that Moscow would be lifting diesel export restrictions ahead of schedule. The process will be started “immediately,”the official told TASS.

“Russia welcomes US steps aimed at stabilizing the global energy market and gradually restoring normal energy trade, and stands ready to coordinate future actions to create a more predictable and healthy market,” the deputy prime minister stated.

The Russian government had previously extended a ban on the export of diesel and ship fuel, as well as gas oils until October 31 to stabilize the domestic market which had been suffering from increased seasonal demand linked to harvesting time.

Under the existing restrictions, fuel producers have been barred from exporting fuel until the end of October and non-producers were banned from doing it until January 31, 2027. A total ban on gasoline exports is in place until the end of January as well.

The development comes as the global markets are still reeling from the supply disruptions linked to the US-Israeli war with Iran. Russell Hardy, the CEO of Vitol – one of the world’s largest oil trading companies – warned earlier this week that the market had burned through much of the stock that previously helped absorb disruptions. There aren’t any more inventories to drain in the West,” he stated on Wednesday.

Last week, G7 countries agreed to release 100 million barrels of crude and refined products from emergency stocks, beginning with diesel to curb the soaring prices as the Trump administration demanded Europe do more to deal with the issue.

https://www.rt.com/news/647016-washington-suspends-sanctions-russian-fuel/

Kremlin responds to French ballistic missile launch

Moscow will take “all necessary measures” to protect its national security, Dmitry Peskov has said

Published 7 Oct, 2026

Russia views France’s nuclear-capable missile launch as a “loud and clear message” and will take “all necessary measures” to protect itself, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said.

The French military test-fired a submarine-launched M51.3 ballistic missile on Tuesday, in an exercise in the Atlantic Ocean watched by French President Emmanuel Macron. The weapon, a new variant of France’s 16-year-old M51 missile family, was launched without a warhead and splashed down in the North Atlantic, “hundreds of kilometres from any coastline,” according to the French military.

In a video message, Macron described the test as “a new demonstration of the credibility of our deterrence,” and “a clear message… for wherever it must be received.”

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Peskov said:“Problems should be resolved through dialogue, not demonstrative missile launches.”

“Europe has become obsessed with plans to militarize the European Union,” he continued. “This is bad because they are building their defense and security identity on confrontation with the Russian Federation. This is a dead end. As history has shown, this leads to nothing good.”

“Against the backdrop of such aggressive actions and such plans, Russia is on alert,” Peskov added. “We are taking all necessary measures to ensure our national security at the strategic level.”

Outside the US, France possesses NATO’s only independent nuclear arsenal, which Macron is currently modernizing and expanding. France plans to spend €7.4 billion ($8.3 billion) on nuclear deterrence in 2026, while its updated military program adds €36 billion to overall defense spending through 2030.

Much of this money will be spent on multi-year submarine, missile, and warhead contracts, but a substantial sum will go toward Paris’ controversial “forward deterrence scheme.”

Under this scheme, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, and the UK will potentially host French nuclear weapons on a temporary basis and take part in French nuclear exercises.

Russia, which possesses the world’s largest nuclear arsenal, cannot view the deployment of atomic weapons on its borders “as anything other than a step toward escalating tensions,” Peskov said on Tuesday. Peskov was responding to the Lithuanian parliament’s vote to remove a constitutional ban on hosting nuclear weapons on its soil. Although Lithuania has not signed on to France’s “forward deterrence” plan, Defense Minister Robertas Kaunas has expressed interest in hosting American nukes in Lithuania.

https://www.rt.com/russia/646886-russia-france-missile-test/

‘Deeply offensive’: India hits out at Vance comments

New Delhi rejected the US vice president’s description of foreign workers as “indentured servants” amid a wider green-card crackdown (KEK they are)

Published 9 Oct, 2026 12:01

India has accused US Vice President J.D. Vance of making “deeply offensive” comments, after he described foreign workers as “indentured servants” while announcing Washington’s suspension of a key green-card sponsorship process for major technology companies, including several Indian IT firms.

“Resorting to terminology that carries painful historical and colonial legacy connotations is deeply offensive,” India’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Friday.

Vance made the comments at a White House news conference on Thursday, accusing eight tech companies of replacing American employees with lower-paid foreign workers. The suspension covers new and pending applications under the Permanent Labor Certification (PERM) process for Microsoft, Adobe, Cognizant, Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Wipro, HCL Technologies, and Capgemini.

PERM is a key step for employers seeking to sponsor foreign workers for permanent residency, or green cards. New Delhi defended Indian professionals as highly educated and skilled contributors to the US economy and innovation sector. It also pointed to generations of immigrants whose labor and enterprise have helped build American prosperity.

It said skilled-worker mobility benefits both economies by supporting innovation, research, competitiveness, and job creation in the US, adding that Washington’s latest measures “do not advance the shared ambitions of both countries.”

The sharp Indian reaction comes as trade talks between Washington and New Delhi are deadlocked, with Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman saying Monday that it is “very difficult” for both sides to make further concessions.

The Indian market shrugged off the US ban, with shares of all the Indian IT companies involved lifted by the broader market. Indian IT industry body Nasscom said Indian technology companies had significantly reduced their reliance on H-1B visas, with relatively few employees seeking green cards through PERM.

Vance singled out Microsoft, alleging that it had laid off 6,000 American workers last year while benefiting from 6,300 H-1B visas and nearly 3,000 green cards. However, the tech company disputed the comparison, saying about 80% of its roughly 6,000 H-1B applications last fiscal year involved extensions or status changes for existing employees rather than new hires.

The suspension does not invalidate existing H-1B visas or affect the status of visa holders and their dependents, but could disrupt the green-card process for eligible employees at the affected companies, New Delhi noted.

https://www.rt.com/india/646981-india-vance-h1b-greencards/

British nuclear subs have only fire hoses as drone defense – media

The ad hoc protection is the only onboard defense against potential UAV attacks, The Sun has reported (Unbelievable & Pathetic)

Published 9 Oct, 2026 17:49 | Updated 9 Oct, 2026 18:50

British sailors are drilling to fend off potential drone attacks against £4 billion ($5.3 billion) Vanguard-class subs using fire hoses as the only onboard “air defense weapon,” The Sun has reported.

The hoses, known as “center fed reels” are placed on submarine decks as a precaution when the vessels are moored at the British naval base Clyde in Scotland, the UK’s most sensitive military site, the tabloid reported on Thursday, citing anonymous sources.The equipment has pistol-grip nozzles that would allow sailors to direct water at approaching drones.

“You have to use what you’ve got,” the tabloid cited one of its sources as saying.

The Royal Navy’s four Vanguard-class ballistic missile submarinesare the only British platforms equipped to carry and launch Trident II nuclear missiles, which deliver the UK’s only operational nuclear weapons. According to The Sun,the Navy insists that layered defenses, including “physical barriers, patrols, surveillance, monitoring, and counter-drone capabilities,” protect the subs.

The report comes as the Royal Navy is facing what a former senior commander has described as its worst crisis in 350 years.

The UK’s entirefleet of nuclear-powered Astute-class attack submarines are not fit for combat duty, retired chief of the Naval Staff, Lord Alan West, told The Sun earlier this year.

Five of the vesselsare facing maintenance and availability delays, while the sixth, according to the Royal Navy, is still undergoing sea trials ahead of returning to service.

West described the number of ships the Navy has as “pathetic.” The fleet has just five operational frigates andno amphibious assault ships,

while former Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s governmentretired four frigates, two assault ships, two tankers, and a nuclear-powered submarineduring his time in office, The Sun reported in July.

This year, the UK has pledged an additional £15 billion in military funding, citing alleged threats from Russia. London has also seized and aided in seizing ships it has accused of being part of the so-called Russian ‘shadow fleet’ – a practice Moscow has denounced as “piracy.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin has dismissed claims that Moscow wants to attack NATO and has accused Western European leaders of escalating tensions with Moscow, pointing to their statements about preparing for a possible war with Russia in 2029 or 2030, repeated military exercises in the Baltic Sea, and attempts to detain Russian vessels. “This is all escalation,” he said last week.

https://www.rt.com/news/647002-uk-nuclear-subs-only-hoses-drones/

NATO asks Russia ‘not to worry’ about nuclear drills

Moscow has warned the bloc that it is pushing Europe “closer to the point of no return”

Published 9 Oct, 2026 13:38 | Updated 9 Oct, 2026 16:54

NATO has asked Moscow “not to worry” about the US-led military bloc’s upcoming nuclear warfare drills, despite weeks of escalated war rhetoric from its member states, which are ostensibly preparing their populations for a war with Russia.

NATO’s forces will practice responding to launch orders, flying mock nuclear delivery sorties, and maintaining communications under the stress of nuclear war during its ‘Steadfast Noon’ exercises from October 13 to 23. The drill will involve 17 of the bloc’s 32 member states and will not involve live nuclear weapons.

This year alone, bloc forces have run three separate exercises on the borders of the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, after whichPolish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski suggested a further buildup of NATO forces in the area in order to keep Moscow “uncertain of what we will do.”

The Kremlin issued a stern warning in response, stating thatRussia is “ready to use all its arsenal, including nuclear weapons, to defend its territory if NATO countries try to isolate Kaliningrad.”

The message apparently fell on deaf ears. On Wednesday,Estonia’s foreign minister claimed that NATO possessed the ability to close the Baltic Sea “within hours,” strangling Russia’s economic “lifeline” and creating an “existential” crisis for the country. Last week, Swedish Air Warfare Centre chief Colonel Carl Bergqvist said his country’s warplanes were ready to attack targets deep inside Russian territory in the event of a conflict with Moscow.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and European governments insisted in recent weeks that Russia is waging a “hybrid war” against the West. The accusations are by their nature unprovable, and have been described by analyst Thomas Fazi as a form of “hybrid warfare” against the European public, in which “Europeans are being subjected to a sustained campaign of cognitive or psychological warfare aimed at conditioning them to believe that Europe is under attack from Russia.”

“Europeans are being subjected to a sustained campaign of cognitive or psychological warfare aimed at conditioning them to believe that Europe is under attack from Russia.”

NATO’s nuclear policy director, Nassima Barrows, told Politico on Thursday that the fact that the drills are held every yearshould serve as “a clear message to nations like Russia that there is no need to worry.”(WTF?)

Despite Burrows’ reassurances, and NATO’s description of Steadfast Noon as “not linked to current world events and is not directed against any country,”some of the bloc’s leaders evidently view their nuclear weapons as a tool with which to threaten Russia. After watching the test-launch of France’s latest nuclear-capable ballistic missile on Tuesday, French President Emmanuel Macron released a video of the test,describing it as “a clear message…for wherever it must be received.”

Russia read the message “loud and clear,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov responded, adding that Russia will take “all necessary measures” to protect its national security.

During his speech at a session of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in Vienna on Thursday, Russian envoy Dmitry Polyansky reiterated that Moscow “threatens no one and has no intention of attacking anyone.”

At the same time, however, the country “cannot ignore the development of plans by NATO for a direct military clash with Russia, nor the bloc’s simulation of scenarios involving a military-political blockade of Kaliningrad Region,” he stressed.

“Our response to any unfriendly moves will be swift,” Polyansky said, urging NATO not to test Russia’s patience or push the European continent “toward the point of no return.”

https://www.rt.com/news/646984-nato-nuclear-exercise-polyansky/

(There was another reason why Trump and Putin needed to talk, the EU are nuts.)

Michigan Democrat Predicts Abdul El-Sayed Will Lose in November: ‘People of Detroit and Michigan Have More Common Sense Than That’(VIDEO)

by Mike LaChance Oct. 9, 2026 9:40 pm

Karen Whitsett is a Democrat State Representative in Michigan. Tonight, she appeared on the Laura Ingraham show and predicted that far left Democrat Abdul El-Sayed will lose the election in November.

For her own reasons for opposing El-Sayed, Whitsett brought up healthcare, and more specifically health insurance, which she fears she would lose under the ‘Medicare for All’ policy being pushed by El-Sayed.

Whitsett also explained that there is an ongoing tension between the black and Arab communities in Michigan, which she suggests is driven by racism in the Arab community.

Partial transcript via Grabien:

WHITSETT: “I am using basic common sense, Laura thank you for having me. It is important that people realize that there comes a time that you have to say I need the one thing that is going to make me vote for someone. And that one thing that makes me vote for Mike Rogers, me and my husband, his health insurance.”

This is not the first time that Whitsett has spoken out against El-Sayed.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2026/10/michigan-democrat-predicts-abdul-el-sayed-will-lose/