Tag: ukraine

‘We’re Impressed’: Zelensky Now Sings Trump’s Praises & CIA Director Breathes Sigh Of Relief

“They have to be able to defend themselves,” Trump said Monday, offering confirmation of his weapons to Ukraine policy U-turn. “They’re getting hit very hard. … We’re gonna have to send more weapons.”

A presidential aide to Volodymyr Zelensky has offered new insight into how Trump’s reversal came about, especially related to his phone call with the Ukrainian president held last Friday, after a prior ‘disappointing’ Putin call.

Yermak described that Trump’s decision to reverse course on the pause in weaponry was “very well received in Ukraine, especially after very substantial phone conversation” on Friday. He added in a NY Post interview that the US President clearly remains “fully supportive of continuation of the aid to Ukraine.”

“He was quite disturbed by recent strikes — they’ve been happening for more than three years — but by recent strikes, murders with drones and missiles that fall in Ukrainian cities, including the capital of Ukraine,” Yermak told the Post. “Absolutely, [Trump and Zelenskyy] are united in this. These two leaders definitely want peace, and they are absolutely against the killing.”

The latest Russian assault, being widely reported Wednesday morning, involved a staggering more than 700 drones, as well as at least a dozen cruise and ballistic missiles. Moscow indicated it is seeking to destroy military airfields and logistics hubs tied to foreign defense aid.

“We’re here to make things happen. Good deals — that’s what matters,” he said. “But let’s be honest: when Russia launches over a hundred Shahed drones almost every night, along with ballistic and cruise missiles, any delay in deliveries becomes a real concern.”

And then he hailed Trump, after his term in office started on a very rocky note with Zelensky. “We’ve seen President Trump’s recent messaging on Ukraine — and frankly, we’re impressed,” Yermak said. “No exaggeration. The clarity, the leadership, the determination — we truly appreciate it.”

Keep reading

Zelensky considers legalizing porn production

A petition demanding the legalization of pornography production in Ukraine has been forwarded to the country’s parliament for review, Vladimir Zelensky announced on Tuesday. The statement was published on his website after the initiative got more than 25,000 signatures, meeting the legal threshold that requires formal consideration.

The petition, authored by Ukrainian OnlyFans model Svetlana Dvornikova, calls for the decriminalization of adult content production, arguing that law enforcement resources should be directed toward investigating serious crimes rather than conducting “controlled purchases of intimate photos.” It requests legislative changes which would stop police from pursuing the individuals involved.

Pornography was banned in Ukraine in 2009, when then-President Viktor Yushchenko signed legislation that outlawed the possession, distribution, sale, and manufacture of such materials. 

Dvornikova’s petition, submitted on June 27, 2025, has quickly gained support. By early July, it had reached the required number of signatures, prompting Zelensky’s response.

In June, Dvornikova publicly urged Zelensky to support legalization. She claimed that her content had generated significant tax revenue for the state, yet she had faced two criminal cases — one for alleged tax evasion and another for the production of pornography. 

Keep reading

Peace In Ukraine Won’t End The West’s Hybrid War On Russia

Their refined Hybrid War model will involve efforts to win the “tech race”, a new Western division of labor for containing Russia in Europe, and AI-generated anti-Russian infowars.

Russia’s natural resource wealth and new role in accelerating multipolar processes incentivize the West to continue its Hybrid War on Russia even in the event of peace in Ukraine. The US’ neoconservative policymaking faction and the EU’s liberal-globalists (essentially one and the same at this point) continue to perceive Russia as an enduring rival to contain and ideally dismember.

That’s why they’re expected to refine their ongoing Hybrid War on Russia in the coming future through the following three means.

  • The first involves their efforts to win the “tech race”, specifically in terms of AI and the Internet of Things, which they envisage will enable them to lead the “Fourth Industrial Revolution” (4IR). The consequent economic and military edge that they anticipate is supposed to “leave Russia in the dust” as they see it. They believe that economic and then political instability will eventually follow in Russia. This could take the form of Color Revolutions, renewed terrorist insurgencies, and/or uncontrollable elite infighting.
  • The second aspect concerns the West’s division of labor in containing Russia. The US will “Lead From Behind” by providing back-end support for its European junior partners as it prioritizes containing China. Meanwhile, the UK wants a sphere of influence in the Arctic-Baltic, Germany just in the Baltic, Poland in Central & Eastern Europe, and France in Romania-Moldova. The EU’s associated €800 billion “ReArm Europe Plan”, which will likely lead to social spending cuts, is being spun as a ‘defense of democracy’.
  • And finally, the last element of the West’s refined Hybrid War on Russia will focus on AI-generated anti-Russian infowars, both to demoralize Russians and boost morale among Westerners. They’ll write entire articles, control more realistic bots on social media, create lifelike videos, and ultimately masquerade as policy experts and average folks alike. Years of secretly scraping Mainstream Media, Alt-Media, social media (including non-Western platforms), and YouTube for data will make these fakes very convincing.

For as compelling as these plans may be, they won’t destabilize Russia. Its economy has already proven itself remarkably resilient and China can help it catch up to the West in the tech race. As for conventional Western military threats, Russia’s military-industrial production far surpasses NATO’s, while Russia’s effective “Democratic Security” policies have preemptively neutralized infowar threats. The end result will be that Europe becomes more subordinate to the US without either of them subordinating Russia.

Keep reading

Russia Attacks Ukraine With 728 Drones Overnight, Trump Continues Weapons Flow, Medvedev Mocks

Russia launched its largest combined attack on Ukraine overnight, targeting it with nearly all missiles and drones. Ukraine’s Air Force says 728 drones and 13 missiles were used—an all-time record. 296 drones were shot down. 415 were jammed or lost via electronic warfare.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz declared, “Diplomatic options to end the war in Ukraine are exhausted.”

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said ,”The top American is riding his favorite political rollercoaster again.

“I am pleased with my conversation with Putin.” / “I’m very disappointed with the conversation with Putin.” / “We are not supplying new weapons to Ukraine.” / “We will send more weapons to Ukraine” for defense. 

“How should we treat this?

“Just like before. The way our warriors do. The way our Commander-in-Chief does.

“…Business as usual. 

“Push forward to achieve the goals of the Special Military Operation. 

“Reclaim our land.

“Keep working for our Victory.”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth didn’t look happy at the announcement, but CIA Director Radcliffe sure did.

Keep reading

Ukrainian Oligarchs Have Become Incredibly Rich From The War Writes Swiss Newspaper

Ukraine was widely recognized as the most corrupt country even before the Ukraine war, but since war broke out and tens of billions of euros have flowed into the country, corruption has flourished like never before.

Swiss newspaper Neue Züricher Zeitung details how a clique of oligarchs, many of them close to President Volodymyr Zelensky, have grown famously wealthy.

“These big businessmen are profiting enormously from the war, while also being patriotic, pro-Western and very discreet,” wrote the Swiss Neue Züricher Zeitung‘s (NZZ) Kyiv correspondent, Guillaume Ptak.

In other words, instead of showing off with sports cars, these new oligarchs know they have to keep their wealth hidden amid a devastating war. The paper details five individuals who have profited enormously.

“The war, which has entered its fourth year, is proving to be a profitable field for businessmen like Andri Stawnizer, Andri Kobolev, Oleksander Hereha, Andri Kolodyuk, and Vasil Khmelnitsky. The quintet has established itself in the war economy, investing in rebuilding what the Russian army destroys time and again. earns a fortune in strategic sectors such as logistics, energy, or construction materials. Typical war profiteers? Sure. But not entirely,” writes the Swiss paper.

They are making a fortune in strategic sectors. While this could be considered typical war profiteering it is also seen in a more positive light, since they ultimately support the army and the civilian population. According to the NZZ journalist, they are therefore“not like their classic predecessors, who recovered after the change of regime. They were mostly swept away by the war. The new generation does not buy TVs, newspapers or representatives, nor parties or private armies.”

NZZ writes that this new generation of oligarchs is not like the old one, and that “reins are held by President Volodymyr Zelensky.”

While Ukrainian authorities welcome most of the new oligarchs, this does not mean that they automatically have good relations with the presidential office. The paper notes that Kobolev, in particular, was known for his anti-corruption activities even before the war. He reportedly does not have the best relationship with Zelensky and has now been charged with corruption himself.

As for the other four, the paper does not make any allegations of corruption, but Ukraine is known as a country where corruption is entrenched from the top to the bottom of the system. Many leading officials have been charged with corruption, but skeptics claim that in many cases, these are only the officials who ran afoul of someone with more power, who wanted to remove a rival or settle a score.

Keep reading

Russia Army Captures Two More Settlements In 3rd Straight Month Of Advance In Ukraine’s East

Russia’s military announced on Sunday that its forces had taken control of two additional settlements in eastern Ukraine, specifically one in the Donetsk region and the other in Kharkiv.

The statements indicated the villages of Piddubne in Donetsk and Sobolivka in Kharkiv are now under Russian control, though the Ukrainian side has not yet acknowledged this.

Piddubne had an estimated pre-war population of about 500 and is located merely 4 miles from the Dnipropetrovsk oblast border.

As for, Sobolivka, it lies about two miles west of Kupiansk and is outside of areas previously claimed by Russia, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

Russia’s Defense Ministry said in a couple of social media posts that its troops had “liberated” the settlements, and made reference to “Poddubnoye” and “Sobolevka” – according to the Russian spellings.

According to analysis presented in AFP, this marks the third straight month of Russian forces’ advance in Ukraine’s east, after stagnant front lined during the winter.

“Russia’s military advance in June accelerated for a third consecutive month and made its largest advance since November, according to AFP’s analysis of data from US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW),” AFP writes.

“The Russian army took 588 square kilometers (227 square miles) of Ukrainian territory in June, compared with 507 square kilometers in May, 379 square kilometers in April, and 240 square kilometers in March, according to ISW data,” the publication adds.

Drone assaults from both sides continues to be a feature of the war, with Russia just days ago having unleashed an unprecedented 500 drones on Ukraine.

Kiev was targeted again overnight Friday, and the next day the city’s mayor Vitali Klitschko said the number of people killed had increased to two, with an additional 31 people wounded.

Keep reading

Trump says Ukraine will need Patriot missiles for its defense, chides Putin

U.S. President Donald Trump said Ukraine would need Patriot missiles for its defenses, after speaking with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Friday, and voiced frustration over Russian President Vladimir Putin’s failure to end the fighting.

Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that he had a good call with Zelenskiy, repeating that he was “very unhappy” about his call with Putin a day earlier, given what he called the Russian leader’s refusal to work on a ceasefire.

Asked whether the United States would agree to supply more Patriot missiles to Ukraine, as requested by Zelenskiy, Trump said: “They’re going to need them for defense… They’re going to need something because they’re being hit pretty hard.”

Trump touted the efficacy of the Patriot missiles, calling the weapon “pretty amazing.”

Asked about the prospects for a ceasefire, Trump said, “It’s a very tough situation… I was very unhappy with my call with President Putin. He wants to go all the way, just keep killing people – it’s no good.”

Zelenskiy said he had agreed to work on increasing Kyiv’s capability to “defend the sky” as Russian attacks escalate, adding in a message on Telegram that he discussed joint defense production, as well as joint purchases and investments with the U.S. leader.

Ukraine has been asking Washington to sell it more Patriot missiles and systems that it sees as key to defending its cities from intensifying Russian air strikes.

A decision by Washington to halt some shipments of weapons to Ukraine prompted warnings by Kyiv that the move would weaken its ability to defend against Russia’s airstrikes and battlefield advances. Germany said it is in talks on buying Patriot air defense systems to bridge the gap.

A source briefed on the Trump-Zelenskiy call told Reuters they were optimistic that supplies of Patriot missiles could resume after what they called a “very good” conversation between the presidents.

Keep reading

German MPs demand more money for Ukraine – Bild

A group of German lawmakers from the Green Party has called on Chancellor Friedrich Merz to urgently increase military aid to Ukraine, saying Berlin must contribute more in light of a slowdown in US arms deliveries, according to a letter obtained by Bild.

The letter, signed by Bundestag deputies Robin Wagener, Sara Nanni, Sebastian Schafer, and Anton Hofreiter, criticized the federal government’s recently announced increase in military assistance from €7.1 billion to €8.3 billion as insufficient.

The lawmakers pointed to the US decision to pause certain weapons shipments to Kiev as a critical factor, arguing that Berlin should raise the figure to at least €8.5 billion and commit to maintaining that level through 2029.

The Green MPs, who have been among Kiev’s most vocal supporters in the Bundestag, reportedly said the government still has room to maneuver within the approved budget framework, and argued that the constitutional limits on debt spending could be sidestepped through special exemptions.

Keep reading

German government expands arms cooperation with Ukraine

While the US government is scaling back its military aid to Ukraine, and even halting previously promised arms shipments, the German government is intensifying its military cooperation with Kiev.

This was the central aim of Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul’s (Christian Democrat, CDU) inaugural visit to Kiev this past Monday. Wadephul was accompanied by “high-ranking representatives of German arms companies,” who reportedly even participated at times in a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

The names of the participating corporate executives are being carefully withheld, and details of the arms deals remain undisclosed. Given growing public opposition to militarization, the weapons cooperation is evidently intended to proceed as quietly as possible, behind the backs of the public. It is already well known, however, that the arms manufacturer Rheinmetall operates a tank factory in western Ukraine. Its CEO, Armin Papperger, has made repeated public appearances in Kiev.

Which other arms and industrial companies were represented, and by whom? Could it be that Sigmar Gabriel was also part of the delegation—the former Social Democratic Party (SPD) minister who now sits on the supervisory board of Rheinmetall and serves as chairman of the Atlantik-Brücke (Atlantic Bridge)?

VW recently announced plans to “enter the arms business” and has initiated a collaboration with Rheinmetall to convert its Osnabrück plant for military vehicle production. Furthermore, the Bombardier plant in Görlitz—traditionally involved in railway carriage construction and taken over by Alstom in 2021—has been sold to arms manufacturer KNDS. The IG Metall union has actively supported all these deals.

Keep reading

Ukrainian Nationalists Will Not Let Zelenskiy Make Peace, Even If He Wanted To

CDM has long had reporting teams on the ground inside Ukraine. It is why we were deplatformed so heavily in 2021 by the ‘Trusted News Initiative’ — due to our reporting on the Biden crime family and accomplices’ dirty work in-country. Our lawsuit initiated with RFK, Jr. and CHD against this suppression and censorship is making its way through the courts. DOJ will enter a ‘statement of interest’ in the case by mid-month.

Recently, we had long discussions with sources in the Kyiv area. We can report that Ukrainian nationalists are open to a ceasefire and permanent peace but only at the 2022 borders, which means, the lines of battle prior to the Russian invasion. Parts of Donetsk, Lugansk and Crimea would stay in Russian control.

While this may have been possible years ago, it does not seem possible now.

The situation politically in the U.S., and on the ground in Ukraine, in other words — reality, has shifted in favor of the Russian Federation.

Our sources tell us that even if Ukrainian President Zelenskiy wanted to negotiate for peace at this time, he cannot because he would be removed from power by nationalist forces that are now in control of Ukraine, and possibly killed.

One important point is that these Nazi elements inside Ukraine were funded and developed by Western intelligence agencies. In other words, it is likely these elements still are in control of these brownshirts.

President Trump is not just fighting Russian President Putin and Ukrainian President Zelenskiy for a negotiated settlement for peace in the Ukraine war, he is fighting elements of the U.S. intelligence community.

Keep reading