RT | November 26, 2025
The EU remains intent on funneling frozen Russian assets into Ukraine’s war effort, despite internal opposition from Belgium, the bloc’s top executive has said.
EU leaders want to issue a ‘reparation loan’ to Kiev by using Russian funds frozen in the West as collateral. However, Belgium, where the bulk of the holdings are kept, has refused to greenlight the plan unless other EU nations share the legal and financial risks of what Moscow has denounced as blatant theft.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen reaffirmed the policy on Tuesday while pledging continued EU support for Kiev, even as Washington promotes a new peace initiative that reportedly demands major concessions from Ukraine.
Europe, von der Leyen said, will “stand firmly by Ukraine” throughout any future discussions, adding that “a central point is the question of financing for Ukraine, including the use of the immobilized Russian sovereign assets.”
“Ukraine’s interests are our interests,” she said. “They are inseparable.”
Politico previously reported that pro-Kiev officials in the bloc have floated a temporary “bridge loan,” taken out collectively by EU member states, which would keep Ukraine solvent for several months. Supporters hope that once Belgium is persuaded, the larger reparation loan could later be approved and used to repay this interim debt.
“We hope to be able to solve their hesitation,” one EU diplomat told the outlet. “We really do not see any other possible option than the reparations loan.” Another official said, “if we don’t move, others will move before us.” Both spoke on condition of anonymity.
Russian officials have accused Brussels of trying to prolong the conflict for domestic political gain and to justify soaring defense budgets that benefit European arms makers.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt suggested that critics of the US peace proposal are either misinformed or “pushing their own agenda,” adding that some “don’t want to see this war come to an end” and may be “profiting off of it.”
Sputnik – 26.11.2025
MOSCOW – Several Western European countries are frantically trying to prevent Russia and the United States from reaching an agreement on Ukraine, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told Sputnik on Wednesday.
“We find ourselves in a situation where, especially in a number of Western European countries, a phenomenon already well-known from previous periods is occurring: frantic activity aimed at preventing agreements. They have completely exposed themselves as the main opponents of any agreements,” Ryabkov stated.
Moscow has seen numerous attempts to hinder progress between Russia and the US on negotiations regarding Ukraine, Ryabkov highlighted.
In the talks with the United States on Ukraine, Russia deems it crucial not to deviate from the understandings reached at the Putin-Trump summit in Anchorage, the senior Russian diplomat added.
“We are ready to continue the dialogue. When the American side officially declares its readiness, we will naturally reciprocally engage in the dialogue,” Ryabkov said.
There can be no talk of concessions on key issues for Russia in relation to the settlement of the Ukrainian conflict, Sergey Ryabkov said.
“There can be no talk of any concessions or surrender of our approaches to the key aspects of resolving the challenges we are facing, including in the context of the special military operation. I emphasize that the various elements of Anchorage in themselves represent compromise solutions,” Ryabkov told reporters.
Russia is ready to act within the framework of the Anchorage agreements, in accordance with the guidelines laid out at the meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump, Ryabkov said, commenting on the US plan for Ukraine.
“We are committed to the results of Anchorage and will continue to act within this framework, correlating what is happening now with the fundamental guidelines formulated there by the two presidents,” Ryabkov told reporters.
Russia is not ready to publicly discuss the details of US President Donald Trump’s plan for a Ukrainian settlement, Sergey Ryabkov said.
“We are not prepared to publicly discuss certain details of what is happening, including the various versions of this peace plan. Ultimately, time and attention are needed for the dialogue process to continue,” Ryabkov told reporters.
At the same time, Russia is ready to work with the material it has, the senior diplomat said.
The Russian side is ready to continue dialogue with the United States on the entire bilateral agenda, but only taking into account Moscow’s interests, Sergey Ryabkov said.
“There are plenty of unresolved issues in our interaction and dialogue with Washington, but we are prepared to continue it across the entire bilateral agenda, with the understanding that it will be built strictly on the basis of taking into account Russian interests,” Ryabkov told reporters.
At the same time, Ryabkov noted that there has been no progress in dialogue with the US on priority issues for Russia, such as air travel and the return of diplomatic property.
The situation in the strategic arms sphere will worsen if the United States rejects Russia’s New START proposal, Ryabkov said.
“I would like to emphasize once again the timeliness and validity of our initiative in the post-New START sphere. If the American side, for whatever reason, rejects it and begins to build up its capabilities in this area, the strategic situation will worsen, tensions will increase, predictability will decline sharply, or even be lost entirely,” Ryabkov told reporters.
Relations between Russia and the United States are in the early stages of normalization, Ryabkov noted.
“Our relations with the United States are still in the early stages of the normalization process, and the overall success of this process is not guaranteed,” Ryabkov told reporters.
US businesses are demonstrating a desire to return to Russia, but Moscow will consider each case individually, taking into account the interests of Russian entrepreneurs,Sergey Ryabkov said.
There are currently no agreements regarding contacts between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Deputy FM Ryabkov told Sputnik on Wednesday.
“They [contacts between Lavrov and Rubio] can be arranged as quickly as necessary. As of now, there are no specific agreements,” Ryabkov said.
MEMO | November 25, 2025
The Russian permanent representative to the United Nations, Vasily Nebenzya, said that Israel’s construction of fortifications and barriers in Gaza signals plans for a long-term occupation, urging a clear timetable for withdrawal and the transfer of governance to the Palestinian Authority (PA).
He told a UN Security Council session that Israel is imposing restrictions on humanitarian aid in Gaza, stating: “There still remain significant restrictions on the delivery and distribution of humanitarian aid in the strip.”
Warning about Israel’s construction of barriers and fortifications in Gaza, Nebenzya said: “The construction of barriers and fortifications on the Israeli-controlled side indicates that the occupation of the sector is long-term in nature,” stressing that “it is also important to define as soon as possible a clear timeline for transferring authority in the enclave to the PA, as well as for the withdrawal of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) units from the strip.”
He added that reports claiming Israel is supporting armed groups fighting Hamas in Gaza were worrying.
Western officials are trying to torpedo Washington’s mediation efforts, the top Russian diplomat has said
RT | November 25, 2025
The leak of a US proposal for ending the Ukraine conflict was designed to derail President Donald Trump’s peace efforts, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday.
Reports that the White House had drafted a document outlining a path towards ending Kiev’s hostilities with Russia initially came from the US media, with a Ukrainian MP and Axios later publishing what they said were the full 28 points of the roadmap.
“It was leaked on purpose to fan the media hype,” Lavrov said. “Those who direct this hype certainly want to undermine Donald Trump’s efforts, to distort the plan according to their wishes.”
He said the diplomatic sabotage appears to be coming from European leaders backing Kiev, particularly French President Emmanuel Macron, who he argued do not have “the best intentions.”
Lavrov said Moscow never received any texts from Washington through official channels, but obtained it unofficially. Regardless, Russia will only discuss whatever the US eventually submits, and will do so confidentially, without resorting to “megaphone diplomacy,” the minister added.
Macron and other Western officials have rejected any agreement that would cross what Kiev proclaimed as its red lines, such as its bid to join NATO, its ability to host foreign troops, or territorial claims.
Lavrov noted that Moscow is willing to discuss “specific wording” of a possible peace deal, but will not compromise on any of the core objectives that President Vladimir Putin outlined to Trump personally during their meeting in Alaska earlier this year. Should “the spirit of Anchorage be erased” from the proposal that the US shares with Russia, “the situation would be radically different,” he added.
John Mearsheimer | November 22, 2025
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RT | November 23, 2025
The EU has reportedly rejected the Ukraine peace deal drafted by the White House, putting forward its own set of conditions for a potential agreement.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen made the announcement on Sunday as US officials were discussing Washington’s proposal with EU and Ukrainian representatives in Geneva, Switzerland.
The US had submitted its plan to both Moscow and Kiev earlier this week. The contents of the document have not been officially disclosed to the public.
Media outlets have claimed that, among other things, it calls upon Kiev to withdraw troops from the part of Russia’s Donbass it still controls, downsize its military, and shelve its NATO aspirations in exchange for Western security guarantees.
In a statement published on X, von der Leyen specifically rejected all those conditions. “We have agreed on the main elements necessary for a just and lasting peace and Ukraine’s sovereignty,” she stated, adding that Ukraine’s borders cannot be changed “by force” and that no limitations can be placed on Kiev’s military.
The European Commission president also demanded that the EU play a central role “in securing peace for Ukraine” and that Kiev be allowed to join it.
Tales of the American Empire | November 20, 2025
The Ukraine War is rarely covered by western corporate media anymore except for occasional stories about evil Russians killing civilians with missile strikes. Western politicians describe the war as a stalemate, even though Russian forces advance several kilometers at several places each week. Russian forces recently captured four small cities and have nearly surrounded four more. Thousands of trapped Ukrainian soldiers have surrendered the past two months.
Russia’s war industry outproduces NATO nations while Ukraine has shortages of air defense missiles and artillery munitions. Russian losses are manageable and the war enjoys strong support at home. President Putin seems to enjoy this slow war because he is winning, while NATO nations suffer from energy shortages, budget deficits, and popular unrest.
In October, Russia began striking Ukrainian energy facilities with missile and drone attacks, knocking out half the power in Ukraine. This is huge problem in winter and affects Ukraine rail system since most is electric rail. Heat and food shortages prompted a new wave of Ukrainians fleeing to Western Europe. This caused major political headaches since Europeans are angry at the cost to support this mindless war and housing millions of refugees. Poland recently announced that it has over a million Ukrainian refugees and can accept no more. 2026 will be an interesting year in Europe that hopefully allows a rational settlement of this conflict.
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• A Resurrection of the Austro-Hungarian Emp… / @militarysummary • Russian Invasion of Ukraine: Pokrovsk Offe… • The Anglo-American War on Russia
By Eva Bartlett | Reverse | November 20, 2025
Since Russia began its SMO in 2022, Western media have repeatedly accused Russia of an “unprovoked invasion” and of “war crimes”.
Honest observers, however, state that Russia has acted with considerable restraint in Ukraine—targeting military and logistics sites, not civilians—and remind of Ukraine’s eight years of warring on the civilians in the Donbass prior to the commencement of the SMO in 2022. Further, they emphasize that once again, in December 2021, Russia made clear its concerns in hopes of a diplomatic solution. These were, again, steadily ignored by Western governments and media.
Likewise ignored is Ukraine’s deliberate, shelling and drone striking of medical and rescue personnel. Under international law, medical and rescue personnel and their vehicles are protected and must not be targeted. Ukraine and its ally Israel are guilty of routinely, deliberately, targeting medics and other rescuers, maiming and killing them. These are war crimes, but the West remains mute, instead concocting stories of “Russian war crimes” in the face of Ukraine’s very real ones.
In September 2019, when I first visited the Donbass, in a village in the Gorlovka region I met an elderly resident of living alone in a home falling apart from previous Ukrainian shelling. During our conversation she said that ambulances wouldn’t be able to reach her if she was injured by the shelling, it would be too dangerous for them to try.
I was likewise told by Zaitsevo administration that ambulances could not reach the villagers.
“The paramedics don’t go farther than this building; it’s too dangerous. If somebody needs medical care near the front lines, someone has to go in their own car and take them to a point where medics can then take them to Gorlovka. The soldiers also help civilians who are injured.”
A woman died due to huge blood loss because no one could reach her house to take her away in time. She was injured in the shelling and bled to death.
This is one sordid reality for civilians living in villages heavily bombarded by Ukraine.
But the medics heroically do go to potentially dangerous areas to rescue civilians, and they have for years been deliberately targeted by Ukrainian forces when doing so.
In 2022, I interviewed numerous medics and Emergency Services workers in Donetsk regions, and subsequently made a short video about Ukraine’s deliberate targeting of rescue personnel.
Speaking with Emergency Services in Donetsk’s Kievsky district, for the two hours I was there we came under heavy Ukrainian shelling.
The windows of the building had already been blown out and were sand-bagged to attempt to protect the workers. The Chief of the centre, Andrey Levchenko, told me how five days prior his officehad been impacted with shrapnel from the shelling. He thankfully had just stepped of his office before the blast and was not injured or killed.
The day prior to my visit, when out on a call to rescue civilians trapped in a building set ablaze by Ukrainian shelling, rescuers were shelled, resulting in one of them being hospitalized in critical condition.
The survivors told me that, prior to the shelling, they saw a drone overhead, which makes it credible to believe that Ukraine deliberately targeted the rescuers.
Levchenko told me that Ukraine routinely double and triple strikes rescuers.
“As soon as we go out to help people the shelling resumes.” The double or triple strike tactic often means that rescuers who have come to help those injured in the first strike are then themselves targeted, depriving civilians in need of urgent medical assistance as a result.
I also spoke with Sergei Neka, Director of the Department of Fire and Rescue Forces of the Ministry of Emergency Situations. He reiterated what I’d been told.
“Our units arrive at the scene of the accident and Ukraine begins to shell it. A lot of equipment has been damaged and destroyed.”
Two female medics I interviewed told me coming under repeated Ukrainian shelling is normal. They spoke of their fear, bu said, “How about the patients? They’re hurt and even more scared, they’re waiting for our help. If I don’t help, who will help if everyone runs away?”
WATCH CLIP ON X
By September 2022, Ukrainian forces targeted and killed 19 Donbass rescuers, injuring over 50 more.
Ukraine continues killing medics
Fast forward to the present. Following are just some of Ukraine’s more recent attacks on medics and other rescue workers.
On August 11, a Ukrainian drone targeted an ambulance in Gorlovka, killing two medics and seriously injuring the driver.
In May, a Ukrainian drone strike killed two Emergency workers who had come to the site of a first drone strike in Lugansk. In an Israeli-style second strike, Ukraine targeted the rescuers deliberately after the arrived at the scene.
In March, Russian Emergencies Ministry employees came to extinguish a car on fire following a Ukrainian drone strike in Gorlovka. A Ukrainian drone targeted them, injuring the deputy head of the firefighting service and damaging a fire truck.
There are tragically many more such instances which I could list. However, the point is that it is beyond clear that Ukraine’s shelling and drone targeting of Russian medics, firefighters and other rescuers has been a deliberate policy since before 2022.
It is also clear that Western concern for medics allegedly targeted elsewhere (think the fake rescuers of the al-Qaeda aligned White Helmets in Syria during the global war on Syria) will never extend to any concern for Russian rescuers actually targeted by Ukraine.
VIDEO: –More Ukrainian War Crimes: Killing & Maiming Heroic Donbass Medics & Emergency Workers
Sputnik – 22.11.2025
Donald Trump’s 28-point peace plan for Ukraine has brought Europe to a decisive crossroad, warned Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
Europe’s hardliners are staring at “two paths,” Viktor Orban wrote in a post on X.
“Brusselian bureaucrats” can still reverse course from a “dead end” and rally behind Trump’s peace initiative.
According to him, this would require pro-war politicians to finally confront an uncomfortable truth: that the past 3.5 years have been spent pouring Europeans’ hard-earned money into a conflict “that cannot be won on the battlefield.”
The second option, he warned, “leads straight into war.”
If Europe’s warmongers choose to keep funneling money and weapons to Ukraine without US backing, they will “pave the way for a European–Russian conflict.”
Orban reminded that Europeans “know all too well where that road leads”—and that history’s verdict on such choices has often been tragic.
For Hungary, he said, the decision is already settled, as it will take “the path of peace.”
“This is the mandate given to us by the Hungarian people, and it is what morality and common sense demand,” Orban noted.
He added that he is sending a letter to the President of the European Commission to formalize Hungary’s position.
Sputnik – 21.11.2025
US President Donald Trump’s new peace plan could form the basis for a final settlement in Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday.
Earlier this week, the Financial Times published a 28-point US peace plan for Ukraine that includes a reduction in US military aid, official recognition of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church, granting the Russian language state status in Ukraine, reducing Ukraine’s armed forces, and banning foreign troops and long-range weapons on Ukrainian soil.
“I believe that it [Trump’s plan] can be the basis for a final peaceful settlement,” Putin said during a meeting with permanent members of the Russian Security Council today.
He also mentioned that Russia has the text of US President Donald Trump’s plan for Ukrainian settlement.
“We received it through the existing channels of interaction with the US administration,” Putin said.
Russia agreed to show flexibility in its approach to the Ukrainian settlement during the Anchorage meeting, Putin added.
“The main point of the meeting in Alaska, the main purpose of the meeting in Alaska, was that during the negotiations in Anchorage we confirmed that despite certain difficult issues and difficulties on our part, we nevertheless agree with these proposals and are ready to show the flexibility offered to us,” Putin said at a meeting with the permanent members of the Russian Security Council.
The United States, during discussions on the settlement in Ukraine, asked Russia to make certain compromises, Putin added.
“President Trump’s peace plan to resolve the situation in Ukraine was discussed before the Alaska meeting. And during this preliminary discussion, the American side asked us to make certain compromises, to show, as they said, flexibility,” he elaborated.
He added that after his talks with Trump in Alaska, the United States took a pause caused by Ukraine refusing the deal.
The US plan for the settlement in Ukraine has not been discussed publicly, only in general terms, he noted.
“We have hardly discussed it publicly [the US plan to resolve the conflict in Ukraine], only in the most general terms,” Putin said at a videoconference meeting with permanent members of the Russian Security Council.
He did note, however, that the United States has so far failed to secure the consent of the Ukrainian side on a peace settlement plan.
“The reason, I believe, is the same — the US administration has so far failed to secure the consent of the Ukrainian side. Ukraine is against it. Apparently, Ukraine and its European allies are still under illusions and dream of inflicting a strategic defeat on Russia on the battlefield,” Putin said.
Neither Ukraine nor Europe understands what a lack of understanding of the situation on the front line can lead to, he noted.
“This position is due to the lack of objective information about the situation, the real state of affairs on the battlefield. And, apparently, neither Ukraine nor Europe understands what this may eventually lead to,” Putin said, adding that Kiev has no objective information about the real situation on the battlefield, which is why it refuses a peaceful settlement.
If Kiev does not want to discuss Trump’s proposals, then they and Europeans should understand that events like in the city of Kupyansk will be repeated, Putin said.
Meanwhile, all of Russia’s friends and partners, including China, India, North Korea, South Africa, Brazil, and the countries of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), support the potential agreements between Russia and the United States on a Ukrainian settlement, which were discussed at the Anchorage summit, Putin added.
“We have thoroughly briefed all of our friends and partners in the Global South on all these issues, including China, India, North Korea, South Africa, Brazil, and many other countries, as well as the CSTO countries, of course. All of our friends and partners — I want to emphasize this, every single one of them — all supported these potential agreements,” he said.
RT | November 21, 2025
Vladimir Zelensky has said Ukraine must brace for a tough choice between accepting the “28 difficult points” of the US peace plan or risk losing a key backer. His comments come after the submission of a proposal and the leaking of its purported text by a Ukrainian MP.
According to Reuters, the administration of US President Donald Trump has threatened to cut off Ukraine from intelligence and military aid, should Kiev reject it.
In a video address to Ukrainians on Friday, Zelensky stated that the country is going through “one of the most difficult moments in our history.”
While not directly mentioning the US-proposed peace roadmap, he said that failure to accept the “difficult 28 points” would likely result in the “most difficult… winter” for Ukraine since the escalation of the conflict with Russia in February 2022. Kiev confirmed receiving the newly proposed peace plan from Washington on Thursday, but stopped short of revealing its contents.
According to media reports, the roadmap features 28 points, including but not limited to the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the parts of Russia’s Donbass it still controls, downsizing the country’s military, and giving up on NATO aspirations. Kiev would also reportedly be required to make Russian an official language. In exchange, it would presumably be offered Western security guarantees.
In his Friday address to the nation, Zelensky said that Kiev would be working “calmly” and “quickly” with Washington and its European backers to ensure that “Ukraine’s national interests are taken into account.”
The Ukrainian leader vowed to present unspecified “alternatives,” while trying to avoid the impression that he “does not want peace.”
Zelensky also mentioned his latest phone call with a number of EU leaders, expressing confidence that “Europe will be with us.” He further claimed that Ukraine is “now the only shield” protecting Europe from Russia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly dismissed as “nonsense” claims made by some EU officials, who have accused Moscow of planning an attack on the bloc’s members.
In recent months, Russian forces have been steadily advancing in the Donetsk People’s Republic, making significant gains. The Ukrainian military, by contrast, is facing severe personnel shortages.
While Zelensky stopped short of directly acknowledging this in his latest speech, he did say that although Ukrainians are “made of steel… any metal” may eventually break under pressure.
RT | November 21, 2025
An Italian historian has spoken out after a proposed public lecture on Russophobia was censored by a local political party, due to his views on the situation in Russia’s Donbass.
The renowned anti-fascist intellectual at the University of Turin told told RT (video report) on Thursday that it is essential to look beyond a “binary” narrative that blames only Russia while casting Ukraine and the West as innocent.
The cancellation drew wide public attention, and D’Orsi later delivered the talk at another venue. Hundreds attended in person, with more listening outside on speakers. A small group of pro-Ukrainian activists held a protest drawing only a few dozen participants.
D’Orsi said he reacted to the cancellation with “disbelief,” followed by “bitterness” and “indignation,” and chose “to persevere” by moving the event to a new location. “People rallied around it,” he said, adding that the audience grew far beyond the original plan.
“Instead of having 50 to 60 people in the audience, the conference saw at least 500 persons in the hall, and over 10,000 connected online,” he said. “So, this way I turned a defeat into a resounding victory.”
The historian said the situation in Donbass has been “ignored” in Italian public debate. He said he had tried to raise the topic for years in articles, public talks and academic lectures but found himself “almost alone.” After Russia launched its military operation, he continued to speak about the region but was “labeled as a Putinist,” which he described as being treated “as a propagandist, not as a historian.”
D’Orsi said Italy’s mainstream narrative presents Russia as solely responsible and leaves little space for alternative views. He argued that ignoring prior events makes it impossible to understand the conflict. He was referring to the Western-backed coup in Kiev in 2014, after which the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) and the neighboring Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR) broke away from Ukraine. Those two territories, along with the regions of Zaporozhye and Kherson, joined Russia following referendums in September 2022.
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