Aletho News

EU’s Kallas returns to idea of stealing Russian assets

RT | February 24, 2026

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has suggested resurrecting the previously rejected plan to use frozen Russian assets for Ukraine, after Hungary vetoed a €90 billion ($106 billion) loan for Kiev on Monday.

Kiev’s Western backers froze $300 billion in Russian central bank assets after the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022. The majority is held at the Belgian-based Euroclear depository.

In December, the EU failed to agree on using the funds as collateral for a ‘reparations loan’ for Ukraine due to opposition from Belgium and other member states. As a compromise, it decided to fund Kiev through common debt, approving a €90 billion loan backed by the bloc’s budget.

The loan, however, was vetoed by Hungary on Monday after it accused Kiev of deliberately cutting off oil supplies to the country.

Hungary vetoes €90 billion EU loan for UkraineREAD MORE: Hungary vetoes €90 billion EU loan for Ukraine
“If [the loan] doesn’t work, we can always go back to using the frozen assets,” Kallas told journalists on Monday, as cited by Euroactiv, calling it the EU’s original “plan A.” … Full article

Zelensky Refused to Discuss Druzhba Pipeline Issue – Fico

Sputnik – 24.02.2026

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said he wanted to discuss the situation around the Druzhba oil pipeline with Volodymyr Zelensky, but the Ukrainian side was only ready to talk after February 25.

“I was interested in speaking with the Ukrainian president by phone and getting an answer to the question of when and whether oil supplies to Slovakia would be restored. We received a message that the Ukrainian president was ready to talk after February 25,” Fico said in a video message on Monday.

Fico noted Slovakia has information that the Druzhba pipeline is operational, but the Ukrainian side, in turn, has not allowed the Slovak ambassador to Ukraine to visit the part of the infrastructure that is allegedly damaged. … continue

Epstein-linked former Norwegian PM hospitalized after suicide attempt – media

RT | February 24, 2026

Former Norwegian Prime Minister Thorbjorn Jagland was hospitalized last week after a suicide attempt, days after being charged with gross corruption over his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, Norwegian outlet iNyheter has claimed.

Citing a “rock-solid source,” iNyheter wrote that Jagland’s condition is serious. The facility treating the 75-year-old statesman has not been disclosed.

Jagland is one of Norway’s most prominent political figures, having served as prime minister, parliament leader, foreign minister, and Secretary General of the Council of Europe. He also chaired the Norwegian Nobel Committee from 2009 to 2015.

Earlier this month, Jagland was charged with gross corruption following the release of the latest batch of Epstein files by the US Justice Department. Norway’s anti-corruption agency carried out extensive searches of Jagland’s properties in Oslo and Risor.

According to the agency’s letter to the Council of Europe seeking to lift his immunity, Jagland and his immediate family used Epstein’s private apartments in Paris and New York multiple times between 2011 and 2018, and stayed at his villa in Palm Beach, Florida. Jagland also allegedly asked Epstein for assistance with a bank loan.

If convicted, Jagland could face up to 10 years in prison. He has denied wrongdoing. … Full article

Ukraine corruption on par with rest of Europe – Zelenksy

RT | February 24, 2026

Ukraine is no more corrupt than any other European country, Vladimir Zelensky has claimed, describing suggestions to the contrary as “lies” while praising his government’s anti-graft efforts.

The remarks come as Kiev has been rocked by a series of high-profile corruption scandals implicating the Ukrainian leader’s inner circle.

In an interview with the BBC published on Monday, Zelensky acknowledged that corruption exists in Ukraine but insisted it is present “in every country in Europe.”

“It is a lie that there is more corruption in Ukraine than in any other European state,” he said. “We want to acknowledge our weak points, but without losing our dignity and without saying that we have it and others do not. The fact that we are fighting it, I believe we are doing a great job.” … Full article

Drug traffickers trained in Ukraine attack state forces in Mexico

By Lucas Leiroz | February 24, 2026

In recent days, Mexico has made headlines worldwide due to the increase in internal violence in the country. After the local government launched an offensive against drug trafficking and eliminated a major criminal leader, the country’s main drug cartel began a series of attacks against state forces, killing several soldiers and civilians, destroying military equipment and infrastructure.

The combat capacity of the criminal forces is surprising world public opinion, but little has been said about how the professionalization of organized crime in Mexico is directly related to the current situation in the Ukrainian conflict. … continue

The tragic reality of Brazilian mercenaries in the Ukrainian conflict

By Lucas Leiroz | Strategic Culture Foundation | February 23, 2026

The episode involving the death of Bruno Gabriel Leal da Silva, a 28-year-old Brazilian who served as an international mercenary in the so-called “International Legion” in Kiev, exposes a dark and rarely discussed side of the war in Ukraine. According to reports from the Kiev Independent, Leal da Silva died after being severely beaten by fellow soldiers, in a systematic practice of physical punishment that, according to local sources, included torture, burns, simulated drowning, and even sexual assault. The incident occurred in the Advanced Company, a unit under the command of another Brazilian, Leanderson Paulino, and reportedly lasted around 40 minutes, with witnesses present who were unable to intervene.

This case highlights a reality often overlooked in Western analyses of the conflict: the presence of individuals with violent histories or psychological instability being incorporated into Ukrainian neo-Nazi ranks. The fact that Leal da Silva had not yet formalized his contract and planned to leave Ukraine makes the episode even more concerning, revealing a culture of impunity within certain units that appear to operate above basic rules of combatant safety and protection. … continue

New US strike kills 3 on alleged drug vessel in Caribbean

Al Mayadeen | February 24, 2026

US Southern Command said three men were killed in a strike on a vessel in the Caribbean Sea that it claimed was transporting narcotics, as scrutiny grows over the administration’s expanding military campaign. […]

The strike comes less than a week after 11 people accused of drug smuggling were killed in separate operations in Latin American waters, part of a broader campaign by the administration of US President Donald Trump targeting what it calls “narcoterrorists”. […]

Since last year, when the administration began striking small vessels suspected of trafficking, at least 148 people have been killed in similar operations, according to official figures. … Full article

Israel designates five Palestinian media outlets as ‘terrorist organizations’

The Cradle | February 23, 2026

Israel’s Defense Ministry has designated five Palestinian news platforms in occupied East Jerusalem as “terrorist organizations,” alleging “incitement” and links to the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas, Israel’s Channel 12 reported on 22 February.

“Defense Minister Israel Katz signed an order designating these platforms as terrorist organizations, and the Attorney General confirmed that there is no legal obstacle,” Channel 12 reported, adding that the outlets “are accused of incitement by focusing on developments in (East) Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque,” it added.

The order targets Alasima News, M3raj Network, Al-Quds Albawsala Network, Maydan Al-Quds, and Plus Quds Network, none of whom maintain offices in occupied East Jerusalem.

Alasima News said it was suspending all media activities until further notice, while the other four platforms issued no immediate comment.

“In a new step added to Israel’s record of repression and gagging, the occupation has banned the work of several Jerusalem-based news networks in an attempt to isolate Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa, monopolize them, and suppress their news from the world,” Alasima said in a statement. … continue

Israel, not America, first: Carlson’s Huckabee interview lays bare US foreign policy priorities

By Maryam Qarehgozlou | Press TV | February 23, 2026 

In a recent interview with the US ambassador to the Israeli-occupied territories, Mike Huckabee, prominent US journalist and commentator Tucker Carlson confronted an Israeli-led system of intimidation, censorship, and foreign influence shaping American policy.

In a blistering monologue before his sit-down with the controversial American diplomat, Carlson framed his trip to Israeli-occupied territories not as a routine diplomatic media engagement, but as a revealing encounter with an entrenched apparatus exerting sway over American power.

The interview, conducted at the high-security Ben Gurion Airport, 20 kilometers to the south of Tel Aviv, itself began with a public challenge on Twitter from Huckabee, who suggested that if Carlson was addressing Christians in West Asia, he should speak to him as well.

Carlson initially hesitated. Having known Huckabee for decades, he admitted that interviewing him would require “a lot of self-control,” noting that the hawkish former Baptist minister’s genial, grandfatherly persona makes it difficult to press hard without appearing hostile.

Still, Carlson concluded that the moment demanded it. The stakes, he said, were enormous.

The United States, he noted, is moving toward a war with Iran – and Israel is “driving that.”

The US, he stated bluntly, is acting “at the behest, at the demand of” the Israeli regime’s premier Benjamin Netanyahu, who has presided over the modern-day holocaust in Gaza. … continue

Mosque entrance set on fire, racist graffiti sprayed in West Bank village

MEMO | February 23, 2026

Israeli settlers set fire to the entrance of a mosque and sprayed racist slogans on its walls in the occupied West Bank, Nablus, on Monday, Anadolu reports.

In a statement, the Palestinian Ministry of Awqaf said settlers attempted to torch a mosque in the village of Tel, near Nablus.

The statement added that the arson attempt targeted the Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq Mosque. … Full article

Soldiers Shoot A Palestinian Near Bethlehem

IMEMC | February 24, 2026

A Palestinian man was injured on Monday evening after Israeli forces opened fire in the Wadi al-Hummus area, northeast of Bethlehem, in the occupied West Bank.

Mohammad Allan, head of Ambulance Services in al-‘Ubeidiya town, said his team treated a man in his thirties who had been shot with live ammunition in the thigh and both legs.

He added that the man suffered fractures and additional wounds across his body before Palestinian medics transferred him to a hospital for treatment. … Full article

Settlers served lavish lunch in Israeli prison holding fasting Palestinians

Press TV – February 23, 2026

A group of Israeli settlers has been offered a lavish meal during a rare visit to a high-security prison where Palestinian detainees face harsh conditions, including restrictions during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

The visit was reportedly organized by Israel Prison Service Commissioner Kobi Yaakobi, who hosted more than 20 settlers from Har Homa, an illegal settlement in the occupied Quds, the Middle East Eye reported on Monday.

According to the report, the group was transported to Nitzan Prison near Ramla for what was described as a “safari tour”. … Full article

One killed, eight injured amid deepening humanitarian crisis in Gaza

Al Mayadeen | February 23, 2026

One Palestinian was killed and eight others were injured over 24 hours as Israeli attacks on the besieged territory continue, the Ministry of Health in Gaza announced. […]

Meanwhile, Israeli occupation forces blew up an abandoned armoured vehicle into a residential block east of Gaza City, the Quds News Network reported, citing local sources. The Israeli occupation army had already withdrawn from the area where the explosion took place.

Furthermore, the IOF demolished residential buildings in the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. – Full article

Israeli troops executed Palestinian aid workers at ‘point blank range’: Report

The Cradle | February 23, 2026

Israeli soldiers massacred 15 Palestinian aid workers, targeting them with nearly a thousand bullets, including at least eight at point-blank range, in Tal al-Sultan in southern Gaza on 23 March 2025, a joint investigation by the independent research groups Earshot and Forensic Architecture has shown.

The report, based on eyewitness testimony and audio and visual analysis, shows that Israeli troops executed many of the aid workers, including shooting one from as close as a meter away.

The victims included eight aid workers with the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS), six from the Palestinian Civil Defense, and a UN relief agency staffer.

After ambushing the aid workers, the Israeli troops crushed the ambulances and buried them along with the bodies in a mass grave.

The report by Earshot and Forensic Architecture reconstructed the details of the massacre using video and audio recordings taken by the aid workers before their deaths, open-source images and videos, satellite imagery, social media posts, and other materials, as well as in-depth interviews with two survivors.

On 23 March 2025 at 3:52 am, the PRCS dispatched two ambulances from two different areas to the scene of an Israeli airstrike in Al-Hashashin near Rafah on the Egyptian border.

Israeli soldiers ambushed the Palestinian aid workers, firing at them 910 times in a near continuous assault lasting over two hours. … continue

‘Israel’ steps up ground incursions, raids across southern Syria

Al Mayadeen | February 23, 2026

An Israeli military patrol stormed the outskirts of Sayda al-Golan in Syria’s Quneitra countryside at dawn on Monday, according to local reports.

Residents said Israeli occupation forces moved through the area before later withdrawing to positions inside the occupied Syrian Golan Heights.

The incursion came despite a joint statement issued last month by the United States, “Israel”, and Syria announcing strategic understandings aimed at enhancing “security and stability” following talks held in Paris. … Full article

Why Israel Is Escalating Its War Crimes Against Lebanon

By Robert Inlakesh | The Palestine Chronicle | February 23, 2026

Key Analytical Points

• Israel’s pattern of ceasefire violations suggests a deliberate attempt to reshape deterrence rules in Lebanon rather than isolated tactical operations.
• Provocations aimed at Hezbollah appear designed to trigger a response that would justify a broader Israeli escalation under new “rules of engagement.”
• Hezbollah’s restraint signals long-term strategic patience rather than weakness, indicating preparation for a larger confrontation tied to regional dynamics.
• The northern front is increasingly linked to US–Iran tensions, raising the likelihood that Lebanon could become either a preemptive battlefield or a secondary theater in a wider war.
• The balance of power on the ground—particularly Hezbollah’s missile capabilities and ground forces—creates significant deterrent risk for Israel, limiting its escalation options despite mounting pressure.

Continue

Iran war What if today’s Iran is resigned to a long, hellish war with the US?

By Sajjad Safaei | Responsible Statecraft | February 23, 2026

Trump’s decision in June 2025 to bomb Iran’s nuclear facilities in the final days of Israel’s war on Iran removed any lingering doubts about his administration’s willingness to cross the longstanding U.S. red line of directly attacking Iran’s nuclear program.

As a result, every subsequent American military threat, against Iran as well as the rest of the world, was imbued with a credibility that only the precedent of naked aggression can impose. The U.S. military’s abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in January only reinforced that credibility.

But the U.S. strike on Iran, or Operation Midnight Hammer, has also set in motion two consequences that run directly counter to his vision of coercing Iran into submission. … continue

Iran in the face of the armed diplomacy of imperialism

By Sayid Marcos Tenorio | MEMO | February 23, 2026

The ongoing negotiations between the United States and Iran, mediated by Oman and recently held in Geneva, have been presented by Western diplomacy as a technical effort to contain nuclear risks. This version is a carefully constructed farce.

What is at stake is not the so-called “non-proliferation”, but a direct dispute between national sovereignty and imperial domination, conducted in order to preserve the regional hegemony of “Israel” and to keep the Middle East under the strategic tutelage of the US–Zionist axis.

The United States does not negotiate in the name of peace or international security. It negotiates as the diplomatic and military arm of the Zionist regime, tasked with neutralising any regional power that escapes the colonial control imposed after the Second World War. … continue

The US build-up around Iran constitutes strategic war option, not ‘deterrence’

By Amro Allan | Al Mayadeen | February 23, 2026

The confrontation forming around Iran is increasingly defined not by diplomacy or de-escalatory statecraft, but by infrastructure: aircraft, tankers, ships, interceptors, forward bases, and the logistics that bind them into a usable strike system. What is being assembled around Iran is coercion by force posture—a regional arrangement designed to make the use of violence not only possible, but administratively routine.

The danger is not simply that the United States is “sending a message.” It is those messages, once backed by operational capability and sustained logistics, that develop their own momentum—especially in a region where a single incident, whether staged, misattributed, or opportunistically interpreted, can push escalation beyond the point where political actors can plausibly reverse it. That is how wars become “inevitable”: not because they must happen, but because the architecture is built until restraint begins to look like an admission of weakness.

What is underway is best understood as a transition from episodic pressure to a posture designed to make sustained operations feasible. Deterrence theatre is reversible: it can be intensified, paused, or theatrically concluded. War-enabling posture is different. It organizes the region for a campaign that could last weeks, not hours—requiring refuelling depth, airborne command, electronic warfare, forward munitions, missile defense, and a permissive regional geography. In other words, it is not the language of crisis management; it is the language of readiness for force. … continue

Only 20 percent of US adults support Trump’s war on Iran: Poll

The Cradle | February 23, 2026

A University of Maryland Critical Issues Poll released on 15 February revealed that a mere 21 percent of adults in the US support President Donald Trump’s plans of war against Iran, while 49 percent of respondents oppose it.

The study was led by Shibley Telhami and conducted by SSRS between 5 and 9 February among 1,004 adults in the US.

When asked, “Do you favor or oppose the United States initiating an attack on Iran under the current circumstances?” 21 percent of respondents favored an attack, 49 percent opposed it, and 30 percent said they did not know. … Full article

Iran to US: Sanctions and war failed; try diplomacy and respect

Press TV – February 23, 2026

A top Iranian diplomat says the time is ripe for the United States to abandon its “fruitless” sanctions and failed policy of war against Iran, urging genuine respect for diplomacy as the only viable path forward.

“Iran’s enemies may start a war, but they will not be able to determine the end,” Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Kazem Gharibabadi said in an address to the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland, on Monday.

“You have tried sanctions and war in relation to Iran and got nowhere. Now it is time to experience diplomacy and respect,” he said.

He said Iranians do not seek aggression against other countries but will firmly stand against any military or political conspiracy against the Islamic Republic and will defend their homeland. … continue

China supplies Iran with radar, surveillance tech to track US stealth aircraft: Report

The Cradle | February 23, 2026

China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS) has provided Iran with new technology in an effort to prevent infiltration by US and Israeli intelligence, and to help Tehran defend itself from advanced US and Israeli warplanes in the case of a renewed war, according to a 10 February report by Modern Diplomacy.

The report states that Beijing is urging its ally, Tehran, to abandon US and Israeli-made software and replace it with closed, encrypted Chinese systems that are difficult to penetrate.

This includes supplying Iran with advanced Chinese sensor systems and radars, such as the YLC-8B, capable of tracking stealth aircraft and conducting electronic surveillance.

Defense Security Asia stated that according to one analyst, the “YLC-8B is one of the few radars of its type in the world which can continuously detect and track a Western fifth-generation (stealth) aircraft at long range.” … continue

Rival Demonstrations in Caracas

By Craig Murray | February 23, 2026

There are two things which are extremely difficult to find in Venezuela – government repression and opposition support. I am pretty long in the tooth and very experienced in understanding politics and people around the world, and I have found it difficult to locate either.

I would particularly warn you against accepting the political prisoners narrative. There have been excesses, particularly after the unrest following the last disputed elections, but the large majority of those claimed to be political prisoners have been involved in actual, physical attempts to overthrow the government by force, or are involved in drugs related gangs. A combination of credulity, disinformation and the activity of NGOs supported by Western security agencies has presented you with an entirely false picture. I am sorry to say that generally decent organisations like HRW and Amnesty have been particularly credulous.

I absolutely do not support the claim that the opposition achieved two thirds of the vote at the last election. It is an absurdity. There were one million people at Maduro’s closing rally and 50,000 people at the opposition closing rally. Many of the alleged voting tallies the opposition published were obviously fake. There simply is no groundswell of anti-government opinion here, below or above ground.

The bars in which I spend my evenings generally cater to the wealthier and are in the opposition heartlands of Altamira and Las Mercedes. People naturally assume a westerner is anti-Chavismo. The wealthy speak English so they are more or less the only people I can relax into conversation with. Talking to people in bars is my natural milieu. There is no domestic appetite for regime change and literally not one person has ever expressed enthusiasm for Machado. … continue

Putin vows to bolster Russia’s nuclear triad

RT | February 23, 2026

Russia will continue to improve its military and technological capabilities, and the nuclear triad is an “unconditional priority” in this regard, President Vladimir Putin has said. […]

“The development of the nuclear triad, which guarantees Russia’s security and enables us to effectively ensure strategic deterrence and balance of power in the world, remains our unconditional priority,” he said.

The address came less than a month after the expiration of the New START Treaty – the last remaining nuclear arms control agreement between Russia and the US. The deal, signed in 2010, limited both sides to 1,550 deployed strategic nuclear warheads on 700 delivery systems and required regular on-site inspections.

Despite the expiration of the treaty, Moscow stressed that it has no intention of being “the first to take steps towards escalation” and increasing the number of warheads, on condition that the US takes the same approach.

The New START Treaty expired after the administration of US President Donald Trump signaled that it wants future nuclear arms control deals to include China – which has rejected the idea as “neither fair nor reasonable,” arguing that its arsenal is vastly inferior to that of Russia and the US. – Full article

Zelensky rejects territorial concessions to Russia

RT | February 23, 2026

Kiev will never rescind its territorial claims on formerly Ukrainian regions lost to Russia and is set on seizing them back in the future, Vladimir Zelensky has stated, once again ruling out withdrawing from Donbass.

In an interview with the BBC published on Monday, Zelensky reiterated his refusal to withdraw from the areas of Donbass still under Ukrainian control, claiming such a move would only “divide” the country’s society.

A withdrawal has been one of the key Russian demands and the main issue of the ongoing US-mediated talks between Moscow and Kiev. Moreover, the Ukrainian leader said the country remains set on getting back all the territories it has lost to Russia.

“We’ll do it. That is absolutely clear. It is only a matter of time,” he stated.

Zelensky admitted that Ukraine is currently unable to accomplish this because it lacks both sufficient funds and troops.

“To do it today would mean losing a huge number of people – millions of people – because the [Russian] army is large, and we understand the cost of such steps,” he said. “And we also don’t have enough weapons. That depends not just on us, but on our partners.” … continue

Hungary Blocks 20th Package of Anti-Russia Sanctions, $106B Loan to Ukraine – Szijjarto

Sputnik – 23.02.2026

Hungary blocked the 20th package of anti-Russia sanctions, as well as the 90 billion euro ($106 billion) loan to Ukraine, due to Kiev’s shutdown of the Druzhba oil pipeline, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on Monday.

“At today’s meeting, I made it clear that we do not support the 20th package of sanctions and do not give permission for this. And I made it clear that we would not agree to Ukraine receiving a military loan of 90 billion euros. Because the Ukrainians cannot blackmail us, they cannot jeopardize the security of Hungary’s energy supply by conspiring with Brussels and the Hungarian opposition,” Szijjarto told reporters, following a meeting of the EU Council of Foreign Ministers.

Hungary considers Ukraine’s suspension of Russian oil transit through Druzhba as encroachment on its sovereignty, Szijjarto concluded.

The termination of Russian oil supplies via Druzhba pipeline was the result of collusion between Kiev and Brussels, Szijjarto said.

“It turned out to be a shocking fact that Ukraine is really colluding with Brussels, really colluding with the European Commission headed by von der Leyen in terms of blocking the supply of [Russian] oil [via Druzhba pipeline]. It was finally revealed and proven today,” Szijjarto told reporters, following a meeting of the EU Council of Foreign Ministers. … continue

German leader of EU’s largest faction sounds the alarm of possibility of right-wing forces coming to power in France, Poland

Manfred Weber, a vocal critic of any EU state that pushes back against a more powerful Brussels, has openly embraced Orbán’s opponent in Budapest

Remix News | February 23, 2026

German politician Manfred Weber, the leader of the European People’s Party (EPP), spoke on ZDF about a common European army, saying, among other things, that the European Union must “draw conclusions from its own experiences, including in military matters.”

Weber spoke about the danger to the EU establishment posed by the presidential elections in France and the parliamentary elections in Poland, both to be held in 2027. Weber is concerned that there is a high probability of victory for forces that do not support the continuation of the EU’s centralization; forces that instead advocate for a Europe of sovereign nations. He said that EU must have the strength necessary, even by way of a common military, to presumably counter such possible outcomes.

Specifically mentioning Poland’s Law & Justice (PiS) leader, Jarosław Kaczyński, and France’s National Rally (RN) leader, Jordan Bardella, he said: “I hope that we now have the strength… to create a Europe that cannot be destroyed and that will weather the storms of the world order together… Now we need the same approach on the military front. We must prepare for scenarios in which Bardella becomes president of France and Kaczyński returns to power in Poland.” … continue

NATO Must Return to 1997 Borders for Peace in Ukraine – Finnish Politician

Sputnik – 23.02.2026

NATO must revert to its 1997 borders to secure lasting peace in Ukraine, while European leaders pursue de-escalation and respect the alliance’s pledge against eastward expansion “one inch” toward Russia, Armando Mema, member of the Finnish national-conservative party Freedom Alliance, said on Monday.

“In order to achieve a lasting Peace in Ukraine and Europe, NATO must return to 1997 borders … The EU leaders must work in the coming years for a de-escalation, respect NATO historical promises of not expanding to one inch toward Russia,” Mema said on X.

NATO’s “disastrous policies of enlargement” will exact a heavy toll on Europeans, as well as Europe’s rapid rearmament and its “disastrous policies in Ukraine” send dangerous signals for the future, the politician said.

“Finland and Sweden should be among first countries to exit NATO as soon as possible,” he added.

In recent years, Russia has raised concerns about unprecedented NATO buildup along its western borders. The Kremlin argues that Russia poses no threat to anyone, but will not ignore actions potentially dangerous to its interests. In an interview with US journalist Tucker Carlson, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russia had no intention of attacking NATO allies and accused Western politicians of scaremongering.

Astroturf Alert: $2 Billion in Foreign Cash Behind America’s “Grassroots” Climate Movement?

By Charles Rotter | Watts Up With That? | February 19, 2026

Well, well, well.

For years, climate skeptics have been told they are nothing more than the paid mouthpieces of “Big Oil.” The accusation has been repeated so often that it has hardened into something resembling doctrine. Any challenge to prevailing climate narratives is brushed aside with a knowing smirk and the word “funded.” The implication is clear: dissent is artificial. Manufactured. Astroturf.

And yet, the latest development out of Montana suggests that the truly industrial-scale astroturf operation may be sitting on the other side of the political aisle.

Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen, joined by 18 other state attorneys general, has formally urged the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate more than 150 U.S.-based climate organizations for potential violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). The request follows a report detailing nearly $2 billion in funding from five foreign climate foundations flowing into American activist networks over roughly the past decade.

The foundations named include the Oak Foundation (Switzerland), the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (United Kingdom), the Quadrature Climate Foundation (United Kingdom), the KR Foundation (Denmark), and the Laudes Foundation (Switzerland). According to the report cited by the attorneys general, these entities have collectively poured extraordinary sums into U.S. groups engaged in litigation, regulatory advocacy, public relations campaigns, and organized pressure efforts aimed at reshaping American energy policy.

FARA exists for a reason. It requires individuals or entities acting “for or in the interest of” foreign principals in a political capacity to disclose that relationship. Transparency is not optional under the statute. If organizations are advancing policy goals aligned with foreign funders, the public has a right to know.

The letter from the AGs does not assert guilt. It requests investigation. That distinction matters. Skepticism demands suspension of judgment pending evidence. But the scale of the funding alone raises legitimate questions.

If a comparable sum had flowed from domestic oil companies into policy think tanks questioning renewable mandates, it would dominate headlines for months. Congressional hearings would be scheduled before the ink dried. Editorial pages would thunder about corruption and capture.

Instead, much of this foreign-sourced funding has operated under the halo of philanthropy.

That halo deserves examination. … Full article

Israeli FOIA Data Reveals Massive Heart Injury Spike in Children Immediately After mRNA Shot Rollout

By Nicolas Hulscher, MPH | Focal Points | February 20, 2026

For years, the public was told that COVID-19 mRNA injection–induced cardiac injury in children was rare. That reassurance formed the backbone of adolescent vaccination campaigns across the world. But what if the underlying safety data were never fully processed or disclosed?

What if hundreds of adverse event reports submitted by frontline clinicians were simply left unanalyzed during the very period when policymakers were declaring the injections safe for teens?

According to Israel’s State Comptroller, approximately 279,300 adverse event reports submitted during the vaccination campaign by Clalit Health Services — Israel’s largest health provider — were never processed by the Ministry of Health.

These reports were not publicly examined during mid-2021, when vaccine eligibility was expanded to adolescents. They were not incorporated into real-time risk–benefit assessments. They were not disclosed to parents deciding whether to vaccinate their children.

Only years later, following repeated Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, the raw dataset — containing 294,877 adverse event reports — was released.

We analyzed that dataset using a deliberately conservative methodology. Our findings have now been peer-reviewed and published in the International Journal of Cardiovascular Research & Innovation… continue

What is Zionism? And what is anti-Zionism?

By David Miller | Tracking Power | January 25, 2026

I am asked to give definitional answers to this question quite often. So, here, for the record are the key extracts from my witness statement written in August 2023 (some weeks before the launch of Al Aqsa Flood by the Palestinian Resistance ion 7 October of that year.

Glancing over the statement at this distance I am struck by how long and detailed it is – 97 pages – and how, even then I was naive about malevolence of Zionism. If you look below you will see that I refer to Zionism as being inherently genocidal. This was not a popular view then, but it has certainly been more than amply borne out by the events since.

I should note that it was on the basis of my statement and my testimony under cross examination that the Tribunal determined that my anti-Zionist views were worthy of respect in a democratic society which is the legal test for philosophical beliefs to be protected under the Equality Act 2010. The definition of Zionism I have used is thus of greater import than just my own views and beliefs it has been accepted by the court as satisfying the five key elements of the so-called ‘Grainger’ test of which being worthy of respect is the fifth. … continue

Over 1,000 UK councilors pledge support for Palestine ahead of May local elections

MEMO | February 21, 2026

More than 1,000 councilors across England have pledged their support for Palestinian rights ahead of the crucial local elections in May, as campaigners aim to make Palestine a central electoral issue, Anadolu reports.

The Councillor Pledge for Palestine, launched by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) in December and backed by the Vote Palestine 2026 coalition, commits elected representatives to act to uphold Palestinian rights and ensure their councils are not complicit in Israel’s violations of international law.

Measures include divesting council pension funds from companies implicated in these violations.

Thirty-one councils have already passed motions or issued statements supporting pension fund divestment, a position backed by 46% of voters and opposed by just 14%, according to data by PSC.

“The mass movement for Palestine – which has brought millions onto Britain’s streets – is not going away. Vote Palestine will take our demands into the May elections and deliver a message to those seeking office: if you want our votes, stand up for Palestine,” Dan Iley-Williamson, political organizer at PSC, said in a statement on Saturday. … Full article

Zionist Forces Kill Palestinian Teen in Nablus Amid West Bank Arrest Campaign

Al-Manar | February 22, 2026

A Palestinian youth, Mohammad Hannini, was fatally shot, and a 16-year-old was injured as Israeli occupation forces unleashed a violent crackdown in Beit Furiq, east of Nablus, part of a broader wave of raids and arrests across the occupied West Bank.

The Palestinian Red Crescent reported that Hannini, 20, was shot in the head and later succumbed to his injuries. Another teenager, 16, was shot in the leg during the Israeli incursion.

The town of Beit Furiq had been under Israeli military raids since Saturday afternoon, following an attack by settlers on the local Officers’ Neighborhood. Soldiers reportedly fired at vehicles and smashed windows during the raid, while a 14-year-old was also wounded by live fire while attempting to resist the assault.

Israeli forces carried out extensive overnight and morning operations across the West Bank on Sunday, involving house raids, searches, and harassment of residents, including on-site interrogations after hours of detention. Operations were particularly focused in Qalqilya and Al-Arroub refugee camp in Hebron. … Full article

Palestinian woman killed by Israeli gunfire in Gaza

Palestinian Information Center – February 22, 2026

GAZA – A Palestinian woman was martyred by Israeli gunfire in northern Gaza on Sunday, amid ongoing ceasefire violations in different areas of the war-ravaged coastal enclave.

Palestinian media sources reported that 27‑year‑old Basma Banat was killed after being shot by Israeli forces near the square of Beit Lahia town in northern Gaza.

Meanwhile, eyewitnesses reported that Israeli warplanes targeted the eastern areas of Rafah in southern Gaza.

Israeli armored vehicles also opened heavy fire towards the eastern parts of Khan Yunis, while gunboats fired at the city’s shoreline.

In Gaza City, warplanes launched raids on eastern neighborhoods, amid concurrent artillery shelling in the area.

Overnight, Israeli forces carried out demolitions in the eastern part of the Gaza Strip, while also targeting areas sheltering displaced people.

Hezbollah has ‘no choice’ but to defend itself after deadly Israeli strikes: Official

Press TV | February 22,2026

A senior Hezbollah official says the Lebanese resistance movement “has no longer any option” but to defend itself after the deadliest Israeli strikes in weeks hit the Beqaa Valley in eastern Lebanon and killed eight members of the group, including high-profile commander Hussein Mohammed Yaghi.

“What happened yesterday in the Beqaa is a new massacre and a new aggression, exceeding all the previous levels of aggression against Lebanon,” Mahmoud Qamati, deputy head of Hezbollah’s political council, stated in a speech broadcast by Hezbollah’s al-Manar television network during a protest in the capital Beirut on Saturday.

“What option do we have left to defend ourselves and our country? What option do we have other than resistance?” he noted.

The remarks came as two officials with Hezbollah said earlier on Saturday that eight members were killed in strikes near the village of Rayak in northeast Lebanon late on Friday. … Full article

Iran’s layered arsenal primed to deter – and decimate – US warships in Persian Gulf

By Ivan Kesic | Press TV | February 22,2026

… Iran’s capability to threaten a US aircraft carrier does not rest on a single magic bullet but on a diverse and layered portfolio of weapons systems, each designed to complicate the defensive calculus of a Carrier Strike Group.

The backbone of this naval strike capability remains its family of anti-ship cruise missiles. Advanced systems like the Noor and its upgraded variants, the Qader and Ghadir, have been developed over the years, extending their reach from 120 kilometers to an estimated 300 km.

These missiles are designed for sea-skimming flight, traveling mere meters above the wave tops to delay radar detection and compress reaction times for point-defense systems.

They form the high-volume, coastal-defense layer of Iran’s maritime shield. Building on this foundation, Iran has pushed the technological envelope with longer-range systems.

The Abu Mahdi cruise missile, with a reported range exceeding 1,000 kilometers, represents a paradigm shift. Equipped with artificial intelligence and a dual-mode seeker, it can be launched from deep within Iranian territory and is designed to resist jamming while striking moving vessels at sea. Similarly, the Qader-380 extends this reach, described by Iranian commanders as a weapon capable of creating insurmountable challenges for enemy vessels far from Iran’s immediate coastline.

Beyond the cruise missile arsenal, Iran has invested heavily in the more complex realm of anti-ship ballistic missiles. This class of weapon, exemplified by the Khalij Fars, fundamentally alters the engagement dynamics.

Unlike low-flying cruise missiles, ballistic missiles travel at supersonic or hypersonic speeds, arcing high into the atmosphere before descending at steep, nearly vertical angles.

This trajectory makes them exceptionally difficult to intercept with traditional anti-air systems. The Khalij Fars (Persian Gulf), with a range of 300 kilometers, is equipped with an optical seeker for terminal guidance, allowing it to home in on a large heat source like a carrier’s superstructure.

This is followed by the Hormuz family of missiles, some variants of which are designed as anti-radiation weapons, specifically programmed to target the powerful radar emissions of Aegis-equipped warships, effectively blinding the enemy’s primary sensor before a larger strike unfolds.

The Zolfaghar Basir extends this threat envelope to 700 kilometers, pushing the potential engagement zone well into the Gulf of Oman and the northern Arabian Sea, areas once considered safe sanctuaries for American power projection in the region.

At the apex of this technological pyramid stand Iran’s hypersonic missiles, the Fattah-1 and Fattah-2. While the full extent of their operational deployment remains a matter of strategic ambiguity, their stated capabilities—speeds reaching Mach 15 and extreme maneuverability—are designed to defeat even the most advanced missile defense systems. The very existence of such weapons forces US naval commanders to account for a threat that can change course unpredictably at velocities that leave virtually no margin for error or reaction.

The missile potential, however, is only one dimension of Iran’s multi-layered strategy. Under the waters of the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, a different kind of danger lurks.

Iran operates a mixed submarine force, including Russian-built Kilo-class boats and a range of smaller, indigenous midget submarines like the Ghadir and Nahang classes.

These vessels are optimized for the region’s shallow and acoustically complex waters. Their primary mission in the event of a war would not be to engage in open-ocean fleet actions but to conduct ambushes and, critically, to lay naval mines.

Iran is assessed to possess one of the largest mine inventories in the region, numbering in the thousands, including advanced influence mines that can be triggered by a ship’s magnetic field or acoustic signature.

Even the mere suspicion of a minefield in the choke point of the Strait of Hormuz would have a catastrophic effect on global energy traffic and would force the US Navy into a slow, dangerous, and resource-intensive mine countermeasure campaign, all conducted under the umbrella of Iranian coastal missiles.

Complementing this is the Hoot torpedo, a supercavitating weapon of extraordinary speed of 360 km/h that, once launched, is nearly impossible for a target to outrun or outmaneuver.

In the realm above the surface, Iran’s drone program adds a critical layer of intelligence and attack capability. Recent events have demonstrated Iran’s ability to maintain persistent surveillance on US naval assets in the region. … Full article

Hungary’s Blocking of EU Loan to Ukraine May Jeopardize IMF Funding – Reports

Sputnik – 22.02.2026

Hungary’s blocking of a 90 billion euro ($106 billion) EU loan to Kiev could impact a loan to Ukraine worth over $8 billion from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that has not yet been approved, the Financial Times newspaper reported on Sunday.

On Friday, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said that Budapest would block the EU’s loan as Kiev failed to restore oil transit via the Druzhba pipeline. On Saturday, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said that Budapest, following Bratislava, was weighing cuts to electricity supplies to Ukraine.

According to the report, the IMF loan depends on plugging Ukraine’s anticipated budget shortfall, which was slated for closure by April using EU funds.

“Without that [EU and IMF] support, Ukraine’s economy would most likely collapse,” Maksym Samoiliuk, an economist at the Kiev-based Centre for Economic Strategy, was quoted as saying by Financial Times. … Full article

West, Global Corporations Now Control Nearly All Ukrainian Assets – Ex-Prime Minister

Sputnik – 22.02.2026

Foreign corporations and Western countries have seized nearly complete control of Ukraine’s lands and subsoil, former Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov told Sputnik.

“The share is almost 100%. All the land under various types is owned by the largest agricultural corporations like [US’s] Monsanto,” Azarov said.

Volodymyr Zelensky had given away the mineral resources of Ukraine to the United Kingdom and the United States for free under relevant agreements, the official said. In modern Ukraine, the population owns nothing, he added.

“I cannot understand why people are dying. For Zelensky to fill his pockets?” Azarov said.

On April 30, 2025, the United States and Ukraine signed an agreement on rare earths, which envisaged the creation of an investment fund in Ukraine with a 50/50 distribution of management and contributions between the parties. The document stipulated investment in the development of Ukraine over 10 years, as well as Kiev receiving military aid from the US, which will be counted as Washington’s contribution to the fund.