June 24, 2026

Europe Watch

Russian Oil Is Too Big to Ignore, Kremlin Says– www.themoscowtimes.com

pgnewser April 20, 2026 0

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The Kremlin said Monday that a new U.S. sanctions waiver on Russian oil exports proves that the commodity is too vital to the global economy to be sidelined.

“Russia remains a responsible and very important player in global energy markets,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. “The market is going through tough times and, of course, Russian volumes are difficult not to take into account and ignore.”

The U.S. Treasury Department issued the extension on Friday, allowing for the purchase of Russian oil and petroleum products loaded onto ships between April 17 and May 16. The move is part of an ongoing effort to stabilize global energy prices, which have surged following the outbreak of war in the Middle East.

Several Asian countries had lobbied Washington for an extension as they looked for alternatives to Middle Eastern supplies disrupted by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. On Thursday, Indonesia announced a new agreement to receive Russian crude, while Malaysia said its state energy firm, Petronas, is negotiating its own purchases.

Zelensky Says Oil Sanctions Relief Provides Billions for Russian Military– www.themoscowtimes.com

pgnewser April 20, 2026 0

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday condemned the easing of sanctions on Russian oil after the United States extended a waiver meant to soften surging energy prices driven by the Middle East war.

“Every dollar paid for Russian oil is money for the war” and is used for devastating strikes on Ukraine, Zelensky said in a post on X.

Zelensky did not mention the United States, but President Donald Trump’s administration on Friday issued a month-long sanctions waiver allowing the sale of Russian oil and petroleum products that are at sea.

The action was intended to bring down soaring energy prices. But the U.S. Treasury Department extension came two days after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that Washington would not renew the waiver.

EU Wins in Hungary?

pgnewser April 16, 2026 0

After Victor Orban’s ouster in Hungary’s elections, his replacement, Péter Magyar, a former member of the Orban government, might not be on the EU’s side after all. The election was characterized as the EU versus national sovereignty movements, with Magyar representing the EU. But soon after winning, Magyar announced plans to double down on blocking immigration to the country.

EU must demand change under Péter Magyar before releasing billions in frozen funds– rmx.news
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During a briefing on Hungary’s frozen EU funds, left-wing Dutch MEP Tineke Strik indicated that Brussels would not be in any rush to lift the punitive measures. The new Hungarian government, led by Tisza’s Péter Magyar, must first take concrete measures to restore what she claims are democracy, fundamental rights, freedom of speech, and legal certainty.

Strik’s comments were affirmed by German MEP Daniel Freund, also a member of the Greens, who was famously a vocal critic of the Hungarian government under Fidesz. At stake are Hungary’s voting rights, €35 billion, and millions in fines.

To unlock this money, the EU has already issued a 27 demands that Hungary must meet to receive its frozen funds, however, many of these demands already contradict campaign promises made by Magyar during his campaign, including his vow to restrict immigration.

At the press conference, Strik emphasized that it is not yet time to withdraw the punitive measures against Hungary, and she believes that the ongoing Article 7 procedure against Hungary should also not be withdrawn, meaning Hungary’s voting rights in the EU could still be withdrawn.

“We didn’t launch Article 7 because of Orbán, but because of the shortcomings of the system,” she told press.

Zelenskyy hails Magyar’s win over Orbán as ‘the victory of light over darkness’ in Hungary – Europe live | World news– www.theguardian.com

pgnewser April 16, 2026 0

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Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has hailed the opposition win in Hungary as “the victory of light over darkness,” as he called for “pragmatic, friendly” relations with the new administration.

Speaking alongside the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, Zelenskyy said that he hoped for “pragmatic” and “friendly” relations with the new Magyar government – in sharp contrast with hostile Orbán administration.

“I am sure we will cooperate with Hungary,” he said, expressing hope Ukraine will be able to “build our relations” with the new government based on “cooperation” and “respect for each other.”

He said that the damaged Druzhba pipeline which has been at the heart of tensions between Ukraine and Hungary in recent months will be repaired by the end of April. “Not completely, but enough to function,” he said.

Zelenskyy also briefly commented on the outcome in the Hungarian election, saying:

“The elections when the Hungarian people made their choice were on Sunday, 12 April. In

Israeli NGO Files War Crimes Complaint Against Spain’s PM Alleging Iran Aid Enabled the Regime’s ‘Terror Machine’– www.breitbart.com

pgnewser April 16, 2026 0

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Spain’s prime minister is facing a complaint at the International Criminal Court alleging his government enabled Iran’s “terror machine” through dual-use exports, with the legal group behind the filing arguing that responsibility for war crimes extends to those who provide the means.

The complaint, filed Tuesday by Israeli legal advocacy group Shurat HaDin under Article 15 of the Rome Statute, calls on prosecutors in The Hague to open a criminal investigation — and consider issuing an arrest warrant — against Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and other senior officials.

The complaint alleges that Spain’s socialist government approved the transfer of approximately €1.3 million in dual-use components to Iran in 2024 and 2025, including materials linked to detonators and explosive systems.

According to the filing, the items were not benign industrial goods but “critical components that enable explosive devices to function,” transferred under circumstances in which their use in attacks against civilians was foreseeable.

At the core of the case is the allegation that materials classified as civilian “dual-use” goods function as essential components in weapons systems.

Finland’s president on why he believes Canada could — eventually — be part of the EU– www.cbc.ca

pgnewser April 16, 2026 0

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Finnish President Alexander Stubb says he exchanges messages with Prime Minister Mark Carney almost every day.

“We’re tight,” Stubb said with a smile.

Now, Stubb and Carney have the opportunity to talk in person.

Stubb is in Ottawa for his first official bilateral meetings with Canada’s prime minister. The pair are working to develop trade and defence ties, according to Carney’s office.

“With shared interests, values and a commitment to international security, I look forward to hosting President Stubb to deepen our partnership to create stability, security and prosperity for both our peoples,” Carney wrote in a statement.

One of the ways Stubb said he maintains that partnership is through regular communication.

He said that being the leader of a “small country” means that “information is power.”

Who is Péter Magyar? Meet the new prime minister of Hungary– www.foxnews.com

pgnewser April 16, 2026 0

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Péter Magyar has gone from political outsider to Hungary’s most powerful politician almost overnight.

The 44-year-old lawyer and former insider in former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s ruling party swept to victory in Hungary’s 2026 election, ending Orbán’s 16-year rule and stunning Europe.

“Thank you to every Hungarian at home and around the world!” he wrote on X. “It is an immense honor that you have empowered us to form a government with the most votes ever received, and to work for the next four years for a free, European, functioning, and humane Hungary.”

Lavrov says Iran has inalienable right to enrich uranium, defying Trump– www.foxnews.com

pgnewser April 16, 2026 0

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Russia’s foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said that Iran has an “inalienable” right to enrich uranium for civilian purposes during a state visit to China on Wednesday, according to the Times of Israel.

“The right to enrich uranium for civilian purposes is an inalienable right of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Lavrov said during a Tuesday press conference following a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, according to the Times of Israel.

Trump threatens to ‘punish’ UK by pulling troops out of NATO over Iran support– www.mirror.co.uk

pgnewser April 15, 2026 0

Blurb:

NATO, a 32-member alliance, was formed in 1949 to counter the risk of Soviet attack, and now focusses protecting ally counties by promising that an attack on one member is considered an attack on all

The Trump administration is considering a plan to remove US troops from some NATO ally countries (file image)(Image: Getty)

US President Donald Trump and his administration are considering a plan to remove US troops from NATO ally countries considered to be unhelpful in the US conflict with Iran.

It is understood that the troops would be stationed in countries that have been more supportive of the US military campaign.

The US and Israel have carried out joint strikes on several Iranian sites since February 28. Iran has retaliated by targeting countries across the Middle East, plunging the region into conflict.

Trump on Tuesday, April 7, announced a two-week ceasefire, which appears to be on the brink as Israel continues to strike Lebanon, while Kuwait and the UAE have faced missile and drone attacks on Wednesday.

Trump calls Giorgia Meloni ‘unacceptable’ after she rebukes his Pope Leo XIV remarks– www.foxnews.com

pgnewser April 15, 2026 0

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Tensions between Donald Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni escalated Tuesday after the U.S. president publicly rebuked one of his closest European allies, accusing her of lacking “courage” and failing to support Washington’s efforts against Iran.

In a phone interview with Italian daily newspaper Corriere della Sera, Trump called Meloni “unacceptable” and said he was “shocked” by her stance, according to the outlet’s English-language version.

The dispute with Trump was further fueled by Meloni’s criticism of his recent remarks targeting Pope Leo XIV, which she called “unacceptable,” prompting Trump to respond that “she is the one who is unacceptable.”

In a scathing rebuke of the Vatican’s call for Middle Eastern de-escalation, President Trump took to Truth Social to blast Pope Leo XIV. Labeling the pontiff “WEAK on Crime” and “terrible for Foreign Policy,” Trump warned him to “focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician.” The post, which quickly went viral, accused the first American pope of “catering to the Radical Left” at the expense of global security.

Hungary Turns a New Page– warontherocks.com

pgnewser April 15, 2026 0

Hungary Turns a New Page– warontherocks.com
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EXCERPT:

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán conceded defeat in a parliamentary election on April 12, ending his 16 years in power, after his Fidesz party lost its majority in parliament. The center-right Tisza party, led by Péter Magyar, won and is projected to have a two-thirds supermajority. Orbán has been a prominent right-wing populist, with close ties to the Trump administration in Washington and warm relations with Moscow.

Magyar campaigned on promises to address corruption, improve the economy, and align more closely with Europe.We asked five experts to assess how the election results will shape Hungary’s role in Europe and its relationships with the European Union, NATO, Russia, the United States, and China.

Spanish government approves amnesty programme for undocumented immigrants | Migration News– www.aljazeera.com

pgnewser April 15, 2026 0

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The plan, which could see 500,000 people apply, makes Spain an outlier as anti-immigration sentiments fester in Europe.

Spain’s government has approved an amnesty programme that will allow an estimated 500,000 undocumented immigrants to apply for legal status.

The measure, passed on Tuesday by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s administration, will open the way for applications on April 16. The decree makes Spain an outlier in Europe, as well as many other parts of the world, with anti-immigration sentiments festering.

Children shown homosexual porn by LGBT activists in Germany: report– www.lifesitenews.com

pgnewser April 15, 2026 0

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(LifeSiteNews) — Two “non-binary“ leftist activists in Germany showed homosexual pornography to 14-year-old students during a school project week, according to a new report.

A high school in Schleife, Saxony, hosted a project week for students in the 9th grade (14 to 15 years of age) from March 16 to 20, during which two left-wing radicals were invited to lead the class.

According to a report by Junge Freiheit that caused political shockwaves in Germany, school Principal Jan Rehor sent “non-binary” activists to the class without any supervision. A girl from the class said, “The principal personally brought these people into the classroom and then left us alone with them.”

Finland Rules Christian Marriage is “Hate Speech”

pgnewser April 14, 2026 0

Finland’s Highest Court has ruled two Christian pastors who created a Christian marriage pamphlet in 2004 violated hate speech laws.

One of the “guilty” pastors said, “I am shocked and profoundly disappointed that the court has failed to recognize my basic human right to freedom of expression. I stand by the teachings of my Christian faith and will continue to defend my and every person’s right to share their convictions in the public square.”

Blurb:

Finland Convicts Christian MP and Bishop Over Biblical Marriage Pamphlet – Standing For Freedom

In a stunning 3-2 decision, Finland’s Supreme Court found Finnish Member of Parliament Päivi Räsänen and Lutheran Bishop Juhana Pohjola guilty of “hate speech” crimes for co-authoring a church pamphlet about sexual ethics and biblical marriage and ordered it “removed from public access and destroyed.”

The justices convicted the two evangelical Christians under a 2011 section of the Finnish criminal code titled “war crimes and crimes against humanity” because they had “made available and kept available to the public opinions that insult homosexuals as a group on the basis of their sexual orientation.”

At the same time, the court found that “the text forming the basis for the conviction did not contain incitement to violence or comparable threat-like fomenting of hatred.” Nonetheless, it sentenced Räsänen and Pohjola to pay criminal fines of several thousand Euros, barred them from accepting any help in paying their legal fees, and ordered the destruction of all copies of the 2004 church pamphlet, as well as the deletion or redaction of all “impugned statements” located online.

Humans Surrender to Robots

pgnewser April 14, 2026 0

According to Ukraine’s Prime Minister, Volodymyr Zelensky, Russian troops surrendered to Ukrainian drones and robots, making it, allegedly, the world’s first human surrender to a robot in a field of battle.

Zelensky claimed the machines “carried out (the mission) without infantry and without losses on our side. For the first time in the history of this war, an enemy position was taken exclusively by unmanned platforms – ground systems and drones.”

Ukraine-Russia war latest: Putin’s forces surrender to army robots in battlefield first, Zelensky says – www.independent.co.uk
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Over the past several months, Ukrainian forces have been increasingly deploying agile, remote-controlled armoured vehicles to carry out critical tasks and to protect personnel in hazardous operations.

The army uses these “robots on wheels,” which resemble miniature tanks, as it grapples with a soldier shortage in a conflict now spanning over three and a half years.

These versatile machines are capable of ferrying essential supplies, clearing dangerous mines, and evacuating both the wounded and the deceased.

Announcing the operation on Monday, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said: “Ratel, TerMIT, Ardal, Rys, Zmiy, Protector, Volia, and our other ground robotic systems have already carried out more than 22,000 missions on the front in just three months.

In other words, he said, lives were saved “more than 22,000 times when a robot went into the most dangerous area instead of a warrior”.

Russian forces are also known to use robots on the battlefield.

“It cannot fully replace people,” said the commander of a platoon of the 20th Lyubart Brigade, who goes by the call sign Miami. “I would put it this way: A person can go in there, but for a human it’s (sometimes) far too dangerous.”

Suicide Business in Belgium Booms

pgnewser April 14, 2026 1

Belgium’s Euthanasia laws are rapidly expanding the eligible “clients,” and so are the suicides. Euthanasia increased over 12% in one year, from 2024 to 2025, and now accounts for 4% of the nation’s annual deaths.

Blurb:

Belgium Euthanizes Another 4,500 Citizens as ‘Assisted Suicide’ Death Toll Surges – slaynews.com

Alarming new data out of Belgium is fueling growing concern over the rapid expansion of state-sanctioned euthanasia, with record numbers of citizens now being killed under the country’s “assisted suicide” regime.

Official figures show that in 2025, a staggering 4,486 people were euthanized.

The data reveal that euthanasia now accounts for 4% of all deaths nationwide.

The death toll for 2025 marked a 12.4% increase from the previous year.

EU doubles steel tariffs to 50% to curb surge of cheap Chinese imports– www.france24.com

pgnewser April 14, 2026 0

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EU lawmakers and countries agreed to double tariffs on foreign steel on Monday, to shield the bloc’s struggling industry from a flood of cheap Chinese exports.

European Union governments and parliament representatives reached a late evening deal to hike levies on steel imports to 50 percent and slash the volume allowed in before tariffs apply by 47 percent.

“The shape and global standing of Europe‘s steel sector are fundamental to our strategic autonomy and industrial strength. We therefore cannot afford to turn a blind eye to global overcapacity reaching critical levels,” commented the EU’s trade chief, Maros Sefcovic.

“Today’s outcome helps bring much-needed stability for our producers to thrive in Europe”.

Magyar’s Tisza party wins majority in Hungarian parliament – World– tass.com

pgnewser April 14, 2026 0

Blurb:

BUDAPEST, April 13. /TASS/. Hungary’s opposition Tisza party has won the parliamentary election, securing 138 out of 199 seats in the National Assembly (unicameral parliament) and a constitutional majority for the next four years, the National Election Commission said.

Party leader and member of the European Parliament Peter Magyar is expected to be elected prime minister at the first session of parliament in early May. The exact date will be set by President Tamas Sulyok. Magyar will replace Viktor Orban, who leads the Fidesz – Hungarian Civic Alliance party.

Europe Is Getting Poorer, and Some Think Its Poverty Spikes Could Spark Revolution– www.cbn.com

pgnewser April 14, 2026 0

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FRANKFURT, Germany – One of the major reasons for the creation of the European Union was to make Europeans wealthier. Along the way, however, something went seriously wrong.

Europeans are becoming poorer compared to Americans, who are becoming richer.

One in five Germans now faces the risk of imminent poverty in what has long been one of the world’s wealthiest nations.

In France, the poverty rate has hit a 30-year high.

Conservatives have suffered a ‘breakdown’ after Orbán loss, says Polish MP who was granted asylum in Hungary– rmx.news

pgnewser April 14, 2026 0

Conservatives have suffered a ‘breakdown’ after Orbán loss, says Polish MP who was granted asylum in Hungary– rmx.news
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EXCERPT:

After the landslide victory of opposition leader Péter Magyar, Marcin Romanowski, a Polish Law and Justice (PiS) MP granted political asylum in Hungary by the Fidesz government, says simply voting for change is not always a good thing. The MP also now faces extradition to Poland to face prosecution.

Magyar’s remarks on energy supplies from Russia cause tensions in Kiev — media – World– tass.com

pgnewser April 14, 2026 0

Magyar’s remarks on energy supplies from Russia cause tensions in Kiev — media – World– tass.com
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MOSCOW, April 14. /TASS/. The stance of Peter Magyar, leader of the Tisza party – victorious in Hungary’s recent elections – regarding oil and gas supplies from Russia is poised to influence Hungary’s relations with Ukraine, according to the Ukrainian media outlet Strana.

The publication suggests that Magyar’s apparent intention to preserve Russian energy imports could be a significant source of tension between the two nations.