Tag: ukraine

Trump Says Under Biden Ukraine Received ‘Much’ of US Assistance in Cash

During the term of ex-US President Joe Biden, Ukraine was receiving the majority of Washington’s assistance in cash, US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday.

“We are not involved in the war monetarily anymore. Biden gave away $350 billion like it was candy. That is a massive amount of money, and much of it in cash, a lot of IT equipment. I do not give away anything. We sell the equipment to NATO. The European nations pay us for the equipment at 100% price, and then they bring it to Ukraine, or whatever they do with it,” Trump told a cabinet meeting.

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Tensions Escalate Within NATO as Pentagon Abruptly Halts Ukraine-Related Communications with Germany

Strains within NATO appear to have intensified following the Pentagon’s sudden decision to sever routine communications with Germany’s Defense Ministry on matters related to the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war, according to German officials who described the move as unexplained and ‘disruptive.’

Lieutenant General Christian Freuding, head of Germany’s Ukraine coordination task force, told reporters on Tuesday that what had been round-the-clock exchanges with U.S. counterparts have now ceased entirely, leaving Berlin without direct insight into American strategic planning.

German defense sources said they have been forced to route inquiries through their embassy in Washington, with senior military figures acknowledging a lack of dependable channels to engage Pentagon officials amid the communications blackout.

The freeze coincides with the U.S. administration’s efforts to revise its proposed Ukraine peace framework, reducing it from 28 to 22 points after consultations with both Kyiv and Moscow, highlighting what critics call a faltering approach to a war that has dragged on without resolution.

U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff is Moscow meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin for additional talks, a development that has caught European allies off guard after years of insistence from NATO leaders that direct negotiations with Moscow were untenable.

Berlin only learned of the Trump administration’s suspension of certain weapons shipments to Ukraine last summer when deliveries failed to materialize, despite Germany’s key involvement in coordinating NATO support, sources familiar with the matter said.

Freuding emphasized the shift, noting that “day and night” messaging with American officials has “broken off— completely,” underscoring a broader erosion of trust in between the traditionally close  transatlantic partners.

In response, German policymakers are accelerating an overhaul of the country’s security posture, investing billions in domestic arms production and converting civilian industries to bolster military capabilities.

Officials in Berlin have stated that Germany must prepare for potential U.S. disengagement, with commitments to forge Europe’s most robust armed forces marking a stark departure from the nation’s post-World War II pacifist traditions.

Freuding has publicly cautioned that the once-solid U.S.-led security architecture is unraveling, with many in Germany perceiving Washington as increasingly unreliable in upholding alliances it previously championed.

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Ukrainian An-124 “Ruslan” Makes Secretive Landing in Israel, Fueling Speculation of Covert Military Support to Kyiv

In a development that has stirred intense speculation across defense circles, a Ukrainian An-124-100 “Ruslan” — one of the world’s largest and most capable cargo aircraft — made an unannounced landing at Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport on the evening of November 28, 2025. The aircraft, operated by Antonov Airlines, arrived quietly from the United Arab Emirates, loaded undisclosed cargo, and departed within a short window, leaving behind more questions than answers.

A Rare Appearance of Ukraine’s Heavy Transporter

The An-124 “Ruslan” is the pride of Ukraine’s aviation industry and a critical asset for the country since the beginning of the Russian full-scale invasion. After the destruction of parts of Antonov’s fleet at Hostomel Airport in 2022 — including the world-record An-225 “Mriya” — only 10–12 An-124s remain operational worldwide. Most Ukrainian flights now operate from safer hubs such as Leipzig, Germany and other European airports.

Its sudden appearance in Israel — especially without standard flight-tracking visibility — underscores the exceptional nature of this mission.

Unusual Cargo and Unusual Secrecy

Witnesses at Ben Gurion Airport reported trucks transporting large beige containers, similar in size to launch canisters used for Patriot PAC-2/GEM+ missiles or Israel’s Rafael SPYDER air-defense system. The cargo was loaded swiftly into the aircraft under heightened security.

There was no official announcement, no commercial flight plan, and minimal digital traces — highly unusual for a civilian transport operation. Shortly after takeoff, the aircraft flew toward Tbilisi, Georgia, before continuing back to the Persian Gulf region, taking a route that appeared deliberately indirect and partially hidden from common flight-tracking websites.

Such patterns are often associated with military or highly sensitive logistical operations.

Strengthening Israel–Ukraine Defense Links

If the aircraft indeed carried air-defense components or interceptors, it would mark another discreet step in Israel’s gradually expanding support for Ukraine. While Israel has avoided publicly supplying offensive weapons to Kyiv, it has reportedly facilitated transfers of defensive systems — especially as Ukrainian cities continue to face waves of Russian missile and drone attacks.

The timing is notable: Ukraine has recently expanded deployment of Patriot systems, and Kyiv has hinted at receiving additional Western-supplied interceptors through third-party channels.

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France & UK Still Insist On Sending Troops To Ukraine, In Effort To Sabotage Trump Peace Plan

As we reported earlier, the important Miami meeting wherein American and Ukrainian delegations hammered out a revised ceasefire draft for some five hours on Sunday did not have European participation. But this is where the real deal-making is taking place. Trump envoy Steve Witkoff is en route to Moscow, where he’s expected to meet with President Putin on Tuesday, in order to present where things stand on the peace plan.

The Miami meeting reportedly focused on where the new de facto border would be in the east, after the 19-point plan featured significant territorial concessions in the Donbass and Crimea. As for Europe, is still touting a “coalition of the willing” which are vowing ongoing military support to the Zelensky government.

At this moment, France and the United Kingdom especially are continuing to push for the deployment of troops from NATO-member states to Ukraine as part of their version of peace settlement, despite this being very obviously unacceptable to Moscow. 

Last week Politico reported that when US Secretary of State Marco Rubio joined a discussion involving the coalition of the willing via phone call, he made clear to all that the White House wants a peace agreement in place before committing to any long-term security guarantees for Kiev.

But UK Prime Minister Kier Starmer tried to push back, arguing that a “multinational force” would be essential for ensuring Ukraine’s future security.

Bloomberg then followed with a report saying that UK officials have already selected the military units they plan to deploy, based on several reconnaissance trips to Ukraine.

France’s President Emmanuel Macron proposed that such troops could operate in the capital area or western regions of the country, far from the front lines. But this would flagrantly cross all Russia’s red lines. NATO troops on its doorstep was key Putin’s decision-making in launching the ‘special military operation’ in the first place.

It must be recalled that the original US-drafted 28-point peace plan, which leaked to the press and more recently was condensed down to 19 points, included an explicit prohibition on deploying NATO troops to Ukraine.

The European-proposed counter-plan, which was also quickly leaked to the media, greatly softened that stance and laid out that instead of a blanket ban, NATO would not “permanently station troops under its command in Ukraine in peacetime.”

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NATO Mulls ‘Preemptive Strike’ Against Russia’s Hybrid Warfare, Claims ‘More Aggression’ Needed

At a moment Washington under President Trump is busy issuing rare calls for restraint, de-escalation, and to enact a peace deal in Ukraine, a top NATO commander says the conflict needs more aggression by the Western military alliance directly against Russia.

Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, chair of NATO’s Military Committee, has told Financial Times as part of a fresh report that NATO is currently mulling more proactive measures in response to Russia’s escalating hybrid warfare. The report cites an alleged rise in Russian-backed cyberattacks, sabotage operations and airspace violations over Europe – which NATO could mirror and more, as any potential “pre-emptive strike” on Russian targets would be justified.

“We are studying everything… On cyber, we are kind of reactive,” Dragone said. “Being more aggressive or being proactive instead of reactive is something that we are thinking about.”

That’s when he explained his view that a “pre-emptive strike” could under certain circumstances and context be classified as a defensive action. “It is further away from our normal way of thinking and behavior,” he conceded.

“Being more aggressive compared with the [aggressiveness] of our counterpart could be an option” – but he said that the questions that remain are: “legal framework, jurisdictional framework, who is going to do this?”

Multiple diplomats and officials from Eastern European and Baltic states are calling for this more proactive stance, or a less merely ‘reactive’ approach, to make Moscow feel real pain.

“If all we do is continue being reactive, we just invite Russia to keep trying, keep hurting us,” one Baltic diplomat was quoted in the FT as complaining.

“Hybrid warfare is asymmetric – it costs them little, and us a lot. We need to be more inventive,” the diplomat said.

And yet, there already have been years of covert sabotage operations in place, aimed at Russia and overseen by the West. These efforts, some which long ago were exposed in mainstream publications, are a large reason of why there’s been constant escalation of the Ukraine war. 

This has in turn resulted in escalation of nuclear rhetoric and threats between Russia and the West. But the temperature needs to be drastically turned down, but these latest comments by the chair of NATO’s Military Committee will only do the opposite.

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Cenotaphs of US Mercenaries Who Died in Ukraine Appearing in US

Empty graves, or cenotaphs, of American mercenaries who fought on the side of Ukraine are appearing in the United states because their families are unable to retrieve their bodies, a RIA Novosti correspondent revealed.

There are no official figures on the number of US mercenaries killed since the beginning of Russia’s special military operation. Publicly available information suggests the number is over 100. According to publicly available data, at least one American mercenary was killed in November, at least three in October, and the same number in September.

One of the first US citizens to die this year was 23-year-old Robert from Pennsylvania, who was rejected by the US Army due to health issues. As a result, as relatives told local publications, the young man felt there was no meaning in life, working as a night security guard and wanting to become a soldier. In the spring of 2024, he joined the Ukrainian military. His family was expecting him to go on leave in January 2025. According to publicly available information, the mass desertion of foreign mercenaries led to the Ukrainian command canceling his leave, throwing him into battle near Pokrovsk (Krasnoarmeysk), where he was killed on January 3.

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Joe Biden Tells Ukrainians in Nantucket that He’s Engaging in Shadow Diplomacy and ‘Pushing Hard’ for Ukraine 

Did Joe Biden forget that he is no longer in the White House or is he engaging in shadow diplomacy?

The Biden family took over Nantucket against this year and enjoyed a lavish Thanksgiving vacation while staying at billionaire David Rubenstein’s sprawling mansion.

The Bidens completely shut down Main Street of Nantucket on Wednesday to shop at ritzy stores. Wednesday is one of the busiest shopping days of the year when people are trying to get ready for Thanksgiving.

On Friday, Joe Biden was shuffling around Nantucket like a zombie before the Christmas tree lighting.

At one point, Joe Biden made his way over to Ukrainian women in Nantucket and told them he was engaging in shadow diplomacy.

“Thank you so much for your support of Ukraine,” a woman said to Joe Biden.

Biden told the women that he’s pushing hard for Urkaine.

“By the way, I keep pushing as hard as I can [for Ukraine],” Biden said.

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Poland Announces Foreign Spy Plot Busted, Involved Photographing Secretive Facilities 

Poland’s National Prosecutor’s Office announced Friday that five individuals have been charged with working on behalf of a foreign intelligence service, following coordinated arrests which spanned November Tuesday through Wednesday of this week by the Internal Security Agency and police.

Those taken into custody include two Ukrainian nationals – identified only as Oleksandr S. and a minor, Sofia Ch. – and in addition three Belarusian citizens identified as Viktoryia M., Anton M., and Uladzimir U.

The group is accused of targeting the Polish state for espionage purposes, with prosecutors alleging that throughout much of 2024 the team collected information on sensitive locations.

“The suspects’ activities involved establishing contact with foreign intelligence representatives via Telegram and carrying out assigned tasks, including the creation and transmission of photographic documentation of critical infrastructure facilities and locations crucial to national security,” a press release translated from Polish to English read.

“For these tasks, the suspects were paid in cryptocurrencies,” it added. Likely Warsaw believes Russian intelligence was ultimately behind the plot. In some instances, Moscow is believed to have used pro-Russian Ukrainian nationals as assets in Europe.

Poland’s investigation comes amid a wider probe into espionage activities carried out by individuals of different nationalities in Rzeszów, Warszawa, Łódź – among some other regions – between March 2024 and February 2025.

But in some instances the activities seem minor, given prosecutors have cited activities as simple as putting up posters and producing graffiti, supposedly associated with foreign operations.

If convicted under Poland’s national laws, acts of espionage can result in five to thirty years in prison.

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Ukrainian Prosecutors Handling More Than 300,000 Desertion Cases

A Ukrainian MP recently made an unsubstantiated claim that there were 400,000 open and ongoing cases of desertion from the Ukrainian military since the invasion by the Russian Federation in 2022. It may have been hyperbole, or they may have had a source in the judiciary.

However, the General Prosecutor’s office wrote to the New Voice of Ukraine in early November that 310,000 criminal cases related to unauthorized absence from a military unit or place of service (AWOL) and desertion are currently registered, 162,000 of which came just this year. There have been over 21,000 desertions in October 2025 alone, claims journalist and former lawmaker Ihor Lutsenko – now commander of a Ukrainian drone unit.

“This is a record. A very bad record. Every two minutes, someone runs away from our army. By the time you finish reading this post, another soldier will have put on skis. Ukraine will be weaker by one defender, and the enemy will become stronger by one,” he wrote, according to the New Voice.He stressed that these are just official figures, and that the real number is only likely to be higher.

Suddenly, the widely dismissed total of 400,000 doesn’t seem impossible, and if a Ukrainian soldier downs his tools every 2 minutes, it leaves quite a lot of time for 400,000 to be reached by the end of the year.

The news comes as a 28-point plan for a lasting peace (later condensed to 19 points) in Ukraine was recently proposed by the Trump Administration in an effort to capitalize on talks with Vladimir Putin held during a summit in Alaska, and to bring the Ukrainians back to the table. Both Putin and his Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov have admitted that within the proposed plan points lies the framework discussed between the leaders in Anchorage without actually endorsing it. Both also acknowledged the “long pause” between the summit and the completion of this new document.

On the other hand, Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev told Axios, that published a full version of the agreement last Thursday, that he was “optimistic” and that “we feel the Russian position is really being heard”.

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Were The Brits Behind Bloomberg’s Russian-US Leaks?

Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service warned earlier the same day as Bloomberg’s report that the Brits are hellbent on discrediting Trump in order to undermine his latest peace efforts for resolving the conflict from which they profit.

Bloomberg shared what it claimed to be the transcripts of calls between Trump’s Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Putin’s top foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov as well as between Ushakov and Putin’s other advisor Kirill Dmitriev about the Ukrainian peace process. The gist of the Witkoff-Ushakov call was Witkoff’s proposal to have Putin suggest a Gaza-like 20-point peace deal for Ukraine during an upcoming call with Trump while the Ushakov-Dmitriev one implied that the leaked draft was Russian-influenced.

Ushakov declined to comment on his talks with Witkoff but said that “Somebody tapped, somebody leaked, but not us” whereas Dmitriev flat-out described his purported call with Ushakov as “fake”. For his part, Trump defended Witkoff’s alleged “coaching” of Ushakov on how Putin should deal with him by reminding everyone “That’s what a dealmaker does. You got to say, ‘Look, they want this – you got to convince them with this.’ That’s a very standard form of negotiations.”

As regards the possibility that the draft framework was Russian-influenced, the notion of which has been pushed by the legacy media to discredit the proposed mutual compromises therein, that was already debunked. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who also serves as National Security Advisor, said that “The peace proposal was authored by the U.S. It is offered as a strong framework for ongoing negotiations It is based on input from the Russian side. But it is also based on previous and ongoing input from Ukraine.”

Therefore, neither transcript is scandalous even if their contents were accurately reported, yet the question arises of who might have tapped and leaked these calls. Intriguingly, earlier the same day that Bloomberg later published their report, Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service warned that the UK “aims to undermine Trump’s efforts to resolve the conflict by discrediting him.” Readers will recall the UK’s role in Russiagate, which they conspired with the CIA, FBI, and the Clinton camp to cook up to against him.

Seeing as how they can no longer collude in this way with their three prior conspirators, the UK might therefore have resorted to leaking those two calls with Ushakov that they might have tapped (possibly among many others) as a last-ditch attempt to discredit the latest unprecedented progress towards peace. This provocation might also have been meant to make Trump panic and fire Witkoff out of fear of another Russiagate 2.0 investigation if this scandal helps the Democrats flip Congress next year.

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