German opposition demands Trump-style diesel deal with Russia

AfD and BSW are pushing for an end to sanctions against Moscow as soaring fuel prices squeeze German consumers

Published 12 Oct, 2026

Two German opposition parties have called for restoring economic ties with Russia following US President Donald Trump’s example in striking a diesel deal with Moscow, challenging Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s sanctions policy as soaring fuel prices put further pressure on Europe’s largest economy.

The right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) and the left-wing Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW), which together command a majority in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt’s parliament, are preparing a joint resolution demanding an end to anti-Russia sanctions and financial support for Kiev amid growing frustration over Berlin’s foreign policy and its economic consequences.

“Germany also needs a diesel deal with Russia,” Claudia Wittig, deputy leader of the BSW parliamentary group, said, accordingto German media.

Wittig described fuel prices at German filling stations as “a scandal,” arguing that sanctions against Moscow had “failed across the board” and were primarily hurting Germany itself. She insisted that Berlin should go further than a one-off fuel agreement and resume regular imports of Russian oil and gas to help rescue German industry.

“We need policies that think more about Köthen than Kiev,” Wittig said earlier, referring to a German town in Saxony-Anhalt. “We can no longer afford this war.”

AfD co-leader Alice Weidel also hailedTrump’s deal with Moscow, accusing Merz of undermining Germany’s economy with sanctions and expensive liquefied natural gas imports.

“That’s how it’s done!” she wrote on X on Saturday. “While Merz ruins Germany with sanctions and expensive LNG, Trump practices realpolitik. German interests instead of escalation!”

The initiative comes after Trump reached a surprise agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday to ease a global diesel shortage. Washington subsequently suspended sanctions on Russian diesel exports, allowing Moscow to release hundreds of thousands of tons of fuel onto international markets.

Trump has repeatedly blamed Vladimir Zelensky for exacerbating the global energy crisis by targeting Russian oil refineries despite Washington’s warnings. On Saturday, he suggested that Ukrainians should replace their leader, accusing Zelensky of rejecting numerous opportunities to settle the conflict.

The joint resolution is scheduled for a vote in the Saxony-Anhalt parliament in Magdeburg on October 14. AfD and BSW hold a combined majority following September’s regional elections, although the state legislature has no authority to lift federal or EU sanctions against Russia. The initiative also marks a further breach of Germany’s longstanding political “firewall”against the AfD, which mainstream parties have sought to exclude from power despite its growing electoral support.

Merz’s government flatly rejected any prospects of easing its anti-Russia stance and vowed to pursue even more sanctions against Moscow. Government spokesman Stefan Kornelius insisted on Saturday that Berlin’s support for Kiev remained “unwavering.” Meanwhile, Green Party co-leader Franziska Brantner blasted Trump’s agreement with Putin as the height of “unscrupulousness.”

The chancellor, whose popularity has sunk so low that he faces calls to resign from within his own party, has faced mounting criticism over the impact of his policies on Germany. Wagenknecht previouslyaccused him of turning German citizens into “cash cows for Ukraine.” Moscow has likewise accusedMerz of acting more like a “Ukrainian chancellor” than a German leader.

(https://www.rt.com/news/647061-germany-opposition-diesel-deal-russia/

>>25131301 @LauraLoomer Russia has just blatantly disrespected President Trump by violating the energy ceasefire he announced on Truth Social today. Russia violated the energy ceasefire in less than 12 hours, proving Putin is a liar. Russia just attacked a power plant in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, which is less than 40 miles away from the Russian border. Russia never keeps their word. PN

This is propaganda, Ukraine has been attacking the power plants and Russia that has interest to it for the regions around it to be served. The story is being twisted if no one has read about it for months. Loomer is an asset of Israel and how she has access to Trump or the Admin is weird in the first place. Loomer is not who people think she is! Basically she is creepy

WATCH: James Talarico Changes Story About Doctor Visit While Responding to Mental Hospital Rumors in First Interviews Since Disappearance

By Jordan Conradson Oct. 11, 2026 6:00 pm

Texas Democratic Senate Nominee James Talarico broke his silence on his two-week hiatus this afternoon in interviews with NBC and MS Now, swearing that he “just had the flu” as claims that he was suffering a mental health episode continue to circulate.

The Gateway Pundit reported earlier on allegations that Talarico was admitted to a mental institution in Ohio during his mysterious absence. An employee at the Lindner Center of HOPE in Mason, Ohio, allegedly confirmed on Saturday during a recorded phone call that Talarico had been “just discharged” from the facility. However, Talarico’s team denied the claim, saying “Talarico was home in Austin, Texas recovering from the flu.”

"I was starting to feel kind of under the weather a few days ago, and last night it got so bad that I went to the urgent care here in Dallas," he said. "And I was diagnosed with the flu, and so uh I'm running a fever, and I'm my most contagious uh right now."

Talarico claims he has the flu while ducking in person appearance at Hispanic Business Council forum

1:34

https://rumble.com/embed/v7ef49a/?pub=4

Now, he's changed his story, saying, "I just went to my primary care physician, but it wasn't anything worse than, you know, a nasty case of the flu." So, was it urgent care in Dallas or a primary care physician at his home in Austin?

When asked by Dallas-Fort Worth-based NBC reporter Phil Prazan to explain his absence, Talarico said, "Yeah, I got the flu, and I'm feeling much better, and I'm glad I had a chance to recover."

"That's not true," he said of the claim that he was in a mental hospital. "I just had the flu, and I feel much better. But it's a good reminder that you can't believe everything you read on the internet."

Talarico further maintained that he's ready to debate Republican Senate Nominee Ken Paxton and called on Paxton to meet him on a stage. "You know, I've heard rumors that he has a rare medical condition that causes clinical levels of cowardice. So, I know Ken Paxton has asked for proof of life for me; I'm asking for proof of spine from him," he said.

He also used the same pre-rehearsed lines in an interview with MS Now's Rosa Flores this afternoon.

WATCH:

James Talarico Responds to Mental Hospital Rumors

2:14

https://rumble.com/embed/v7ejsvu/?pub=4

"I had the flu. This is the craziest thing I've ever heard. It's wild that someone can just put something on the internet and then the media just runs with it," he said. "You know, I've heard credible reports that Paxton has a serious medical condition that causes clinical levels of cowardice… He has asked for proof of life from me; I'm asking for proof of spine from him."

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2026/10/watch-james-talarico-responds-mental-hospital-rumors-first/

>>25131711

Second video of him lying

"I had the flu. This is the craziest thing I've ever heard. It's wild that someone can just put something on the internet and then the media just runs with it," he said. "You know, I've heard credible reports that Paxton has a serious medical condition that causes clinical levels of cowardice… He has asked for proof of life from me; I'm asking for proof of spine from him."

>>25131715. Why didn’t he shave his face or neck before the interview?

Trump ‘really mad’ with Zelensky – media

Washington has reportedly threatened to cut off arms sales and intelligence sharing unless Kiev stops attacking Russian oil refineries

Published 12 Oct, 2026 03:02 |

US President Donald Trump is furious with Vladimir Zelensky over Kiev’s continued attacks on Russian oil refineries,with Washington reportedly threatening to cut off weapons supplies and intelligence sharing unless Ukraine stops the strikes, according to Axios and the Financial Times.

The confrontation comes after Trump struck a diesel deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to ease a global fuel shortage that has sent American energy prices soaring.Kiev has continued targeting Russian refining facilities despite repeated warnings from Washington, with Trump accusing Zelensky of deliberately hurting American consumers and farmers while refusing opportunities to end the conflict.

“Trump is really mad. He feels Zelensky is taking the US for granted,” a White House official told Axios on Sunday. The source argued that Kiev’s attacks on Russian refineries were doing more damage to its relationship with Washington than to Moscow.

American officials contacted Kiev and several European capitalsover the weekend,threatening to suspend intelligence sharingand the NATO-backed Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) mechanism, through which European countries purchase American weapons for Ukraine, according to the Financial Times, which cited officials familiar with the discussions.

Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner also allegedly warned Ukrainian representatives during talks in Miami on Friday that Washington could stop sharing intelligence if Kiev continued to ignore the president’s demands, according to a Ukrainian official cited by Axios.

A US official, however, denied making direct threats, saying the negotiators had instead reminded Kiev of Washington’s extensive military and intelligence support and urged it to stop taking actions that hurt American consumers.

The confrontation has threatened to derail broader negotiations aimed at ending the Ukraine conflict. Witkoff and Kushner have reportedly put their planned trip to Moscow on hold until Kiev and its leading European backers clarify whether they are prepared to support a unified peace proposal.

Trump reached a diesel deal with Putin on Friday after Zelensky ignored at least half a dozen requests from Washington to stop striking Russian refineries, according to earlier Axios reporting. The US Treasury subsequently eased sanctions on Russian diesel exports until April 2027, while Moscow pledged substantial fuel deliveries to help alleviate global shortages.

Zelensky condemned the move as a “weak decision,” arguing that the agreement would provide Russia with additional revenue. Trump hit back by accusing the Ukrainian leader of creating problems for the world and suggesting it was time for Ukraine to elect a new leader capable of reaching a deal.

On Sunday, Trump unexpectedly announced that Moscow and Kiev had agreed to an immediate ceasefire covering attacks on energy infrastructure. “Effective immediately, there is an ENERGY CEASEFIRE in the War between Russia and Ukraine. Both parties have agreed. Do not break it!” he wrote on Truth Social.

The announcement caught Kiev by surprise, with Zelensky saying it “was news for me.”Moscow has also yet to confirm any agreement.

A White House official describedthe proposed agreement as a “refinery for refinery” arrangement, under which both sides would stop attacking oil refineries, but not necessarily other energy infrastructure, according to Axios. Kiev has objected that such a deal would disproportionately benefit Moscow, since Ukraine has only one largely nonfunctional refinery and fully relies on imported fuel.

(https://www.rt.com/news/647063-trump-really-mad-with-zelensky/

Rogue AI targeted US government websites – tech giant

Anthropic has admitted that its Claude AI model sent a false homicide tip to the police and submitted dozens of visa applications

Published 11 Oct, 2026 04:59 |

American AI giant Anthropic has published a report detailing previously undisclosed instances of “unintended” actions by its artificial intelligence model, which included attempts to provide falsified information to the US authorities for the first time.

Some of the cases investigated by the company “involved websites run by US government agencies at the federal, state, and local levels,” Anthropic stated in a press release published on Friday, adding that it had briefed the White House and all the relevant agencies on the incidents.

In one instance mentioned in the report, itsClaude Haiku 4.5 model filled out a police tip form linked to an ongoing homicide investigation. “I may have information regarding this case. I recall seeing someone matching the description in the area,”the AI model wrote, telling the police they can contact the sender “if this information is relevant” while leaving the name and contact fields empty.

According to Anthropic, the message was flagged as spam and never handed over to investigators. On Friday, Philadelphia police slammed the company for detecting the flaw too late. “The two-month delay in detecting and reporting the incident to the city is unacceptable,” they said. According to Reuters, the bogus tip was submitted in mid-July.

Anthropic linked the incident to “ambiguous”instructions given to the model and “a misconfiguration within the environment”that prompted the model to fill out real forms instead of dummy ones prepared by the company.

Another case that was separately made public by the US Department of State on Friday involved Anthropic AI models filing a total of 20 visa applications on its website between May and August. According to the department, all of the applications were incomplete and were not processed. “At no time were any of the Department’s systems compromised or hacked by the Anthropic model,” it added.

Other incidents mentioned by Anthropic in its report involved the AI “exploiting a basic flaw in software to run commands on a server” or accessing “data that was gated by a token or a fee,” including on the government-run websites, by employing various workarounds. The company still described the newly revealed incidents as “significantly less severe from an alignment and security perspective” than the ones it had reported earlier.

The development adds to a pile of earlier incidents linked to rogue AI behavior reported by Anthropic, OpenAI, and Google. The tech giants have investigated tens of thousands of instances of problematic behavior by their frontier models, Axios reported in late September, adding that the list of cases involved the AI bypassing safeguards, hijacking websites, and evading monitors in testing and real-world settings.

(https://www.rt.com/news/647033-rogue-ai-us-government-websites/