The European Commission must find other ways to continue aiding the Kiev regime, Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis has said
The Czech Republic will not take part in any financial support of Ukraine, Prime Minister Andrej Babis has said, adding that the bloc must find other ways to continue funding Kiev.
The right-wing Euroskeptic politician, who was appointed prime minister earlier this week, campaigned on prioritizing domestic issues. He has long criticized the extensive aid to Kiev under his predecessor Petr Fiala, whose cabinet launched a major international munitions procurement scheme for Ukraine.
In a video posted to his official Facebook page on Saturday, Babis said he had spoken with Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever, a vocal opponent of the European Commission’s plan to fund Kiev through a so-called “reparations loan” tied to about $200 billion in Russian assets frozen in the bloc. The Commission aims to reach a deal on the scheme next week, but De Wever – whose country hosts the financial clearinghouse Euroclear, where the bulk of the assets are held – has called it tantamount to “stealing” Russian money.
“I agree with him. The European Commission must find other ways to finance Ukraine,” Babis said.
Belgium, fearing legal retaliation from Russia, has demanded guarantees from other EU members to share the burden if the funds must eventually be returned. According to Czech media, this could cost Prague about $4.3 billion. Babis said the country simply cannot afford it.
“We, as the Czech Republic, need money for Czech citizens, and we don’t have money for other countries… we’re not going to guarantee anything for [the Commission], and we’re not going to give money either, because the coffers are simply empty,” he stated.
In what is seen as the first step toward advancing the “reparations loan” scheme, the bloc on Friday approved controversial legislation replacing the six-month consensus renewal of the Russian assets freeze with a longer-term arrangement that could shield it from vetoes by opposing states. The move has raised concerns about undermining the EU’s core principle that major foreign policy and financial decisions require unanimous consent, with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban condemning it as “unlawful.”
Multiple EU states have raised concerns over the loan scheme, citing legal and financial risks. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico on Friday warned that further funding for Kiev would only prolong the conflict.
Moscow has condemned the “reparations loan” plan as illegal, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov calling it “a grand scam.”
Three other service members were injured in the attack, the Pentagon has said
US military and civilian personnel have been ambushed by a “lone ISIS gunman” in Syria, with three killed and three others injured in the attack, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Saturday.
The gunman was “engaged and killed” during the attack, according to the US military. CENTCOM did not elaborate on where exactly the incident occurred and did not reveal the identities of the victims in accordance with the Pentagon’s policies.
US President Donald Trump has vowed a “very serious retaliation” for the attack and pinned the blame on the terrorist group Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS).
“This was an ISIS attack against the US, and Syria, in a very dangerous part of Syria that is not fully controlled by them. The president of Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa, is extremely angry and disturbed by this attack,” Trump wrote in a post on his Truth Social platform.
According to local media reports, the attack occurred near the central Syrian town of Palmyra, where a joint patrol of the Syrian government forces and US troops came under fire. At least two Syrian servicemen were injured in the attack.
Traffic along the Damascus-Deir ez-Zor highway was temporarily halted after the attack, and the area around Palmyra was cordoned off. Multiple US military aircraft were seen flying at a low altitude in the area, footage circulating online suggests.
The Syrian Interior Ministry claimed it had forewarned the US-led coalition of a “possible” attack by IS. The prior warnings of “possible IS infiltration,” however, ended up ignored by the “partner forces,” ministry spokesman Anwar al-Baba claimed in a televised speech.
The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which remain in control of Syria’s northeast, extended their “deepest condolences” to the US over the incident. The SDF, a longtime ally of Washington in the region, reaffirmed its commitment to “combat terrorism” and pledged a “decisive and direct” response “against those responsible for the attack and those who support them.”
In its statement, the SDF did not mention the government in Damascus, ties with which remain strained. Damascus has been seeking to put the SDF-held territories under its direct control for months already, yet no breakthrough has been achieved.
The US has long maintained a military presence in Syria, propping up the SDF in the northeast and minor insurgent groups in the south of the country. After the abrupt collapse of the Bashar al-Assad government late last year and the Islamist takeover, led by al-Sharaa, the Pentagon extended military cooperation to the new authorities as well.
In recent months, US and Syrian security forces have conducted multiple joint operations, purportedly aimed at the IS holdouts. The US had deployed as many as 2,000 troops to Syria, but the Trump administration announced earlier this year it was seeking to downsize the military presence and reduce the number of bases the Pentagon maintains in the country.
The US president could exploit the Ukrainian leader’s “weakness” following a major corruption scandal to push him into concessions, the report says
US President Donald Trump is pressuring Vladimir Zelensky to cede territory to Russia in an effort to end the conflict between Kiev and Moscow, Bild has claimed, citing anonymous sources.
On Saturday, the German outlet reported that the White House is “exerting intense pressure on [the Ukrainian leader] to extract concessions.” According to the publication, the US president could “exploit [Zelensky’s] domestic weakness following a corruption scandal.”
Last month, Ukraine’s Western-backed anti-graft agencies announced preliminary findings from a probe into the alleged extortion of about $100 million in the energy sector by figures linked to Zelensky’s inner circle. Energy Minister Svetlana Grinchuk and Justice Minister German Galushchenko stepped down amid the scandal, followed by Zelensky’s top aide and close associate Andrey Yermak.
Bild claimed that US-mediated peace negotiations are at their most advanced stage since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022. Trump is said to be seeking a deal between Moscow and Kiev in the near future, with Christmas reportedly set as a deadline.
Kiev has previously ruled out recognizing former Ukrainian Donbass regions as part of Russia. The Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics voted to join Russia in referendums held in 2022. However, Zelensky has conceded that Ukraine may hold a referendum on possible territorial concessions.
Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov said in response that Donbass is sovereign Russian territory and that Moscow will sooner or later establish control over parts of the region still occupied by Ukraine. He added that Zelensky has so far opposed the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the region, despite this being among Washington’s peace proposals.
On Thursday, Trump told journalists at the White House that “other than President Zelensky, his people loved the concept of the [peace] deal” he submitted last month. The American president added that the process was a “little bit complicated because you’re cutting up land in a certain way.”
In an interview with Politico on Monday, Trump said Zelensky was “gonna have to get on the ball and start accepting things.”
Meanwhile, Russian forces continue advancing in Donbass, having recently liberated the stronghold of Seversk.
Economy Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis has called the case “speculative,” insisting that the bloc is acting within its legal prerogatives
EU Economy Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis has dismissed a lawsuit filed by the Russian central bank against Euroclear, the Brussels-based depository which holds most of Russia’s frozen sovereign assets, calling it “speculative.”
Kiev’s Western backers froze around $300 billion in Russian central bank assets under Ukraine-related sanctions, most of it held at Euroclear.
Moscow has long condemned the move. The Bank of Russia announced on Friday that it is filing a lawsuit seeking compensation from Euroclear for damages stemming from its “inability to manage” the assets. This comes amid a dispute between EU nations that are pushing to use the assets as collateral for a ‘reparations loan’ for Kiev, and those that are opposed. A vote on the plan is expected next week.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, Dombrovskis said the assets were frozen “in line with EU sanctions and international law,” claiming they were “not seized” and that “the principle of sovereign immunity is respected.”
“We can expect that Russia will continue to launch speculative legal proceedings to prevent the EU from upholding international law,” he said, adding that the frozen assets fall under EU jurisdiction.
Dombrovskis insisted that European institutions holding Russian assets will be “fully protected” from legal action by the sanctions regime, which allows them to “offset” any losses.
His remarks come after the bloc approved controversial legislation on Friday changing the mechanism for keeping the assets frozen, replacing the current system with a long-term arrangement that could keep the freeze in place indefinitely and shield it from vetoes by opposing states. The move is seen as the first step toward advancing a ‘reparations loan’.
Some EU states, including Belgium, have raised concerns over the scheme, citing legal and financial risks. Euroclear has criticized it as “fragile” and overly experimental.
Russia has condemned the idea of using its assets to aid Ukraine. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called it “a grand scam.”
Some analysts view the lawsuit against Euroclear as the opening round in Russia’s fight against the legislation. Although the case was filed in a Russian court, they warn that if it spreads to other jurisdictions, it could trigger lengthy litigation harmful to both Euroclear and the EU, creating logistical hurdles, reputational risks, and damaging the bloc’s investment climate.
Kiev could receive assurances as part of a peace deal if it agrees to territorial concessions, the report says
The administration of US President Donald Trump is willing to offer Kiev NATO-style and Congress-approved security guarantees if it agrees on territorial concessions to Russia, Axios reported on Saturday, citing sources. Ukraine has rejected any concessions and has called instead for a ceasefire – a proposal Moscow has dismissed as a ploy to win time and prolong the conflict.
The outlet cited unnamed US officials as saying that negotiations on security guarantees from the US and EU nations to Ukraine had made “significant progress.” An Axios source claimed that Washington wanted a guarantee “that will not be a blank check … but will be strong enough,” adding: “We are willing to send it to Congress to vote on it.”
The package proposal, the official continued, would entail territorial concessions, with Ukraine “retaining sovereignty over about 80% of its territory” and receiving “the biggest and strongest security guarantee it has ever got,” alongside a “very significant prosperity package.”
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said that Moscow is open to discussing a security guarantees framework on condition that it will not be aimed at Russia. He added that Moscow believes Washington to be “genuinely interested in a fair settlement that… safeguards the legitimate interests of all parties.”
The Axios report also said the US viewed as “progress” recent remarks by Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky suggesting Ukraine could hold a referendum on territorial concessions, particularly those concerning Donbass.
Moscow, however, has stressed that Donbass – which overwhelmingly voted to join Russia in 2022 – is sovereign Russian territory, and Ukrainian troops will be pushed out of the region one way or the other. It also suggested that Zelensky’s referendum play was a ploy to prolong the conflict and gain time for patching up the Ukrainian army.
Moscow insists that a sustainable peace could only be reached if Ukraine commits to staying out of NATO, demilitarization and denazification, limits the size of its army, and recognizes the new territorial reality on the ground.
The EU’s ‘reparations loan’ for Kiev would lead to the “senseless killing” of hundreds of thousands of Russians and Ukrainians, the PM has said
Slovakia will vote against anything that would allow frozen Russian assets to be used to arm Ukraine, Prime Minister Robert Fico has said. He warned that further military aid would lead to the “senseless daily killing of hundreds of thousands of Russians and Ukrainians.”
Kiev’s Western backers froze around $300 billion in Russian central bank assets after the conflict escalated in 2022, most of it held in the EU. A dispute has since emerged between the nations that seek to use the assets as collateral for a ‘reparations loan’ for Kiev, and those that oppose it. EU members are set to vote on the plan next week.
Fico, a long-time opponent of the scheme, detailed his stance in a letter to European Council President Antonio Costa earlier this week. In an X post on Friday, he wrote that he later spoke with Costa and reiterated his opposition to arming Kiev. Fico said he warned that continued funding would prolong the conflict and raise the death toll, while Costa “spoke only about money for the war.”
“If for Western Europe the life of a Russian or a Ukrainian is worth s**t, I do not want to be part of such a Western Europe,” Fico said. “I will not support anything, even if we have to sit in Brussels until the New Year, which would lead to support for Ukraine’s military expenditures.”
Some EU states have raised concerns over the loan scheme, citing the legal and financial risks. According to Politico, Italy, Belgium, Bulgaria, and Malta urged the European Commission on Friday to explore alternatives to seizing the assets, such as an EU loan facility or bridge mechanisms. Hungary, Germany, and France have also expressed objections.
The European Commission approved controversial legislation on Friday that could keep Russian assets frozen indefinitely, framing the issue as an economic emergency rather than a sanctions policy. The move is seen as the first step toward advancing the ‘reparations loan’, allowing the commission to enable decisions by a qualified majority instead of unanimity – effectively bypassing vetoes from opposing states.
Moscow has condemned any attempt to use its assets as illegal. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said this week that by pushing the ‘reparations loan’ scheme, Europe is “acting suicidal.” Commenting on Friday’s vote, she called the EU “swindlers.”
Caracas has accused the US of seeking to overthrow the government under the guise of an anti-drug campaign
The US could begin land strikes targeting alleged Venezuela-linked drug operations “pretty soon,” President Donald Trump has said, while claiming to have almost completely stopped narcotics inflow by sea. Venezuela has vehemently denied having any links to drug cartels.
Speaking to reporters at the White House on Friday, Trump claimed Venezuela-linked maritime drug trafficking had dropped by 92%, saying US forces were “knocking out drugs at levels that nobody’s ever seen before.”“We knocked out 96% of the drugs coming in by water,” he added, later asserting, “It’s going to be starting on land pretty soon.”
The US leader, however, provided no details on potential targets or the scope of the operation.
Since September, US forces have significantly ramped up military presence in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific and carried out more than 20 strikes against suspected drug vessels, killing scores of people. Trump has argued that the operations have saved tens of thousands of Americans by stopping narcotics from getting into the US.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has consistently rejected Trump’s claims about Caracas’ links to narcocartels, accusing Washington of seeking to overthrow his government under the guise of an anti-drug campaign.
This week, US authorities also seized the oil tanker Skipper off Venezuela’s coast, a cargo ship allegedly transporting oil from Venezuela and Iran. Officials in Caracas condemned the seizure as “blatant theft” and “criminal naval piracy.”
Meanwhile, Russia, which has long-established close ties with Venezuela, has publicly backed Maduro this week. According to the Kremlin, President Vladimir Putin “expressed solidarity with the people of Venezuela and reaffirmed his support for the Maduro government’s resolve to defend national interests and sovereignty against foreign pressure.” The two leaders also reaffirmed their commitment to a strategic partnership treaty signed in May.
The Hungarian prime minister resembles Jon Snow as he stands alone against the “EU bureaucratic warmongers,” Kirill Dmitriev says
Senior Russian negotiator Kirill Dmitriev has compared Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban to ‘Game of Thrones’ character Jon Snow, casting him as the lone defender of European law as the EU moved to indefinitely freeze Russian sovereign assets.
In a post on X on Friday, Dmitriev praised Orban for “defending the EU’s legal and financial system from crazy EU bureaucratic warmongers,” saying the Hungarian leader is fighting to “reduce migration, increase competitiveness, and restore sanity, values and peace.”
Dmitriev attached a clip from the Battle of the Bastards, one of Game of Thrones’ most iconic scenes. The sequence shows Jon Snow standing alone on a battlefield, drawing his sword as the cavalry of the House of Bolton thunders toward him.
Hungary PM Orbán as Jon Snow from Game of Thrones in defending the EU’s legal&financial system from crazy EU bureaucratic warmongers—fighting them to reduce migration, increase competitiveness, and restore sanity, values and peace. 🕊️
In the series, the Boltons are infamous for their ruthlessness and cruelty, while Snow is portrayed as a reluctant leader who repeatedly chooses duty over ambition, even at great personal cost.
On Friday, Orban – who has on numerous occasions blasted the EU’s confrontational policies on Russia – accused Brussels of “raping European law,” referring to the vote allowing the bloc to bypass unanimous approval when extending sanctions on Russian sovereign assets, estimated at €210 billion ($230 billion). Moscow has condemned the freeze as “theft,” warning of legal retaliation if the bloc confiscates the assets.
In a separate post, Dmitriev also took aim at NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, comparing him to the Night King, the central antagonist of Game of Thrones, who commands the undead and lacks empathy.
Unmasked NATO’s Mark Rutte.
He does not have family or children. He wants war.
The comparison followed comments by Rutte, who accused Russia of “bringing war back to Europe” and urged NATO members to prepare for a conflict on a scale faced by earlier generations. Dmitriev said Rutte “does not have family or children” and “wants war” – adding, however, that “peace will prevail.”
Dmitriev, who has played a prominent role in efforts to reach a settlement of the Ukraine conflict, echoed remarks by Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto, who criticized Rutte for “fueling war tensions.”
Italy, Belgium, Bulgaria, and Malta have reportedly warned the European Commission against using frozen assets to aid Ukraine
Italy, Belgium, Bulgaria, and Malta have urged the EU to explore alternatives to seizing frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine, Politico Europe reported on Friday, citing an internal document.
The European Commission hopes to pressure individual member states into approving the plan ahead of the European Council meeting on December 18-19.
However, some members, including Belgium, which holds the bulk of Russia’s frozen assets, have warned that seizing them could undermine trust in the EU’s financial system, trigger capital flight, and expose member states to legal risks.
According to Politico, the four countries said they “invite the Commission and the Council to continue exploring and discussing alternative options in line with EU and international law, with predictable parameters, presenting significantly fewer risks, to address Ukraine’s financial needs, based on an EU loan facility or bridge solutions.”
On Friday, the EU invoked its rarely used emergency powers to circumvent potential vetoes from Hungary and Slovakia and made the asset freeze indefinite.
Although Italy, Belgium, Bulgaria, and Malta supported the measure, they reportedly stressed that the “vote does not pre-empt in any circumstances the decision on the possible use of Russian immobilized assets, which needs to be taken at leaders’ level.”
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban called Friday’s vote unlawful and accused the commission of “systematically raping European law.”
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico also condemned the move, arguing that “providing tens of billions of euros for military spending is prolonging the war” between Ukraine and Russia.
Russia has said that seizing the assets would be tantamount to theft and vowed to retaliate. On Friday, the Russian central bank initiated legal proceedings against Belgian clearinghouse Euroclear, which holds the bulk of Russia’s foreign assets in Europe.
Some of the images include US President Donald Trump and conservative strategist Steve Bannon
US House Democrats released around 100 new photos obtained from the estate of the late disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein on Friday.
The latest batch is part of a Democratic push to force the Justice Department to release the remaining files related to the Epstein case, which President Donald Trump has condemned as a politically motivated campaign to slander him.
Most of the images show the interior of Epstein’s home and his private island; others show high-profile members of his social circle, including billionaires Bill Gates and Richard Branson, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, filmmaker Woody Allen, lawyer Alan Dershowitz, and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, who was stripped of his UK royal title in October.
One undated photo shows Epstein and Trump together at a social event, while another shows Trump posing with six women whose faces were redacted by the House Oversight Committee.
One image, apparently taken at Epstein’s home, shows the financier sitting across the table from conservative podcaster and former Trump strategist Steve Bannon. On the table is a framed picture of what appears to be a woman whose face was redacted.
None of the released photos depict sexual misconduct, although some show sex toys, and one features a pack of novelty condoms illustrated with a caricature of Trump, alongside a sign reading “Trump Condom $4.50.”
Ranking House Oversight Committee member Robert Garcia said the photos “raise even more questions about Epstein and his relationships with some of the most powerful men in the world.”
White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said Democrats were “selectively releasing cherry-picked photos with random redactions to try and create a false narrative.”
“The Democrat hoax against President Trump has been repeatedly debunked, and the Trump administration has done more for Epstein’s victims than Democrats ever have by repeatedly calling for transparency, releasing thousands of pages of documents, and urging further investigations into Epstein’s Democrat friends,” Jackson added.
