Lawmakers from Germany’s pro-Russian far-right party AfD are facing accusations of gathering sensitive data that may benefit Russian or Chinese interests, according to Der Spiegel, with officials citing close ties to both countries. The accusations focus on the party’s series of unusually detailed and patterned parliamentary requests into Bundeswehr capabilities and infrastructure.

Bundestag clash over espionage allegations

Der Spiegel reported that in the German Parliament—Bundestag—the ruling coalition's parties have demanded explanations from AfD lawmakers following what they describe as disturbing intelligence-gathering behavior masked as routine oversight. CDU parliamentary leader Jens Spahn confronted AfD chair Alice Weidel with the claim that the sus[picion of “working as elected representatives on behalf of hostile powers in Parliament is among the gravest that can exist.” Spahn warned that Weidel’s silence could make her “at least complicit in potential treason.”

SPD and CDU legislators called for an emergency debate to address the “effects of AfD’s relations with Russia on Germany’s security interests.”

Thomas Röwekamp, head of the Bundestag Defense Committee, told Der Spiegel that AfD lawmakers had submitted “a large number of systematically structured and very detailed inquiries into military capabilities and gaps.” Röwekamp stressed that the content and frequency of these requests went far beyond standard parliamentary interest and instead appeared “targeted and grid-like” in their collection of militarily sensitive information.

AfD’s questions raise red flags in defense circles

Some of the inquiries submitted by AfD MPs included precise questions about drone defense, military logistics, Bundeswehr procurement schedules, and even gaps in cybersecurity at various ministries.

According to Der Spiegel, one parliamentary request asked the Interior Ministry to detail how many data centers it operates and how many of them have long-term emergency power supplies. Other requests focused on the cyber-readiness of the Digital, Transport, Finance, and Defense Ministries.

High-ranking military officials and leadership in the Defense Ministry are alarmed. According to Der Spiegel, multiple ministries came to the same conclusion: the nature of AfD’s questions suggests intentional efforts to identify structural weaknesses. Some government analysts believe the questions reflect coordination, possibly based on requests from abroad, targeting both current defense capabilities and planned upgrades.

Thuringia’s Interior Minister Georg Maier warned that AfD appeared to be “working through a task list from the Kremlin,” and said the party had long been misusing parliamentary tools to probe critical infrastructure. Röwekamp echoed this assessment, linking the inquiries to what he called “hybrid attacks against Germany,” likely meant to support Russian strategic goals.

“We have long known that there are demonstrably close connections between the AfD and Russia and China," Maier told Der Spiegel.

Der Spiegel recalled a 2021 case it had previously uncovered, in which a Chinese Ministry of State Security agent bragged about using contacts to launch a Bundestag inquiry on Hong Kong through AfD lawmaker Stefan Keuter, who denied any cooperation with Chinese intelligence.

A legislative proposal that would allow Ukraine to join the European Defence Fund will be put to a vote in the European Parliament before the end of 2025, according to the head of the Parliament's Security and Defence Committee.

"Our committee is working expeditiously, and I am pleased that we plan to vote on the EU Defence Omnibus Package before the end of this year, to be ready for the next stage of the EU's defence agenda," said Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann of Germany during a committee session in Brussels on 6 November, according to European Pravda.

EU Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius, who attended the committee meeting, noted that on the evening of 5 October, a defence mini-Omnibus was preliminarily agreed upon, which "will enable Ukraine to become an associate member of the European Defence Fund."

The draft EU legislation, proposed by the European Commission in April 2025, was informally agreed upon on Wednesday evening by European Parliament members and Denmark's EU Council presidency. The proposal increases funding for defence-related investments by amending existing EU programs: the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP), Horizon Europe, the European Defence Fund (EDF), the Digital Europe Programme (DEP), and the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) — with the aim of directing EU funds toward defence needs under the ReArm Europe plan.

"MEPs insisted that the legislation should allow for broader support to Ukraine's defence industry and guarantee its participation in the European Defence Fund," the European Parliament press service told Europeiska Pravda.

Denmark's EU presidency confirmed that Ukraine's inclusion in the European Defence Fund will create "new opportunities for Ukrainian entities to join collaborative research and development projects in defence within the EU in the future."

The EDF budget for 2021-2027 is approximately €7.3 billion ($ 8.4 bn), of which €2.7 bn ($3.1 bn) is allocated to joint defence research and €5.3 bn ($6.1 bn) to joint defence capability development projects, complementing national contributions.

The legislative act incorporating Ukraine's accession to the EDF will be coordinated at the European Parliament committee level in the coming weeks and will be brought to a plenary vote by the end of the year. Following this, it must be approved by the EU Council.

On 16 October , the European Commission presented a defence roadmap — a comprehensive plan to strengthen European defence capabilities, which includes countering drones and other threats from air, sea, and space. Ukraine was identified as a key component of the EU's defence readiness.

Hungary is seeking to create a Ukraine-skeptic alliance within the EU, aligning with political forces in Czechia and Slovakia. Pro-Russian Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s inner circle is pushing to reshape regional cooperation in a way that could stall Brussels’ support for Ukraine, Politico reports.

Hungary aims to form anti-Ukraine alliance with Czechia and Slovakia

Orbán is working to form a political bloc inside the EU with Czechia and Slovakia, according to his political director Balázs Orbán. The plan involves cooperation with Czech populist leader Andrej Babiš and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, both of whom have expressed skepticism over continued European aid to Ukraine.

The political director told Politico the group would aim to coordinate ahead of EU Council summits and potentially act as a joint force to shape the bloc’s position. While the alliance remains informal for now, Hungary hopes it will grow stronger over time.

Echoes of the past: from the Visegrád 4 to a new V3

This would not be the first time such an alliance emerged in Central Europe. During the 2015 migration crisis, Hungary, Czechia, Slovakia, and Poland formed the so-called Visegrád 4 (V4), opposing mandatory relocation of migrants and promoting hardline border policies. At the time, the alliance was led by then-Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and coordinated closely on social and migration issues.

But after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the group fractured. Poland became a key backer of Ukraine, while Hungary took the opposite stance. The potential new formation would exclude Poland, whose current Prime Minister Donald Tusk strongly supports Ukraine.

Instead, Hungary is looking to Fico and Babiš, who have both called for negotiations with Moscow and questioned sanctions against Russia. Still, concrete steps remain limited. Fico, re-elected in 2023, has not formally joined Orbán on any shared policies, and Babiš has yet to form a government after his recent election win.

Orbán’s ambitions reach beyond the Council

Balázs Orbán said Budapest aims to grow its influence in the European Parliament. Hungary’s ruling Fidesz party, part of the far-right Patriots for Europe group, is looking to build ties with other conservative or populist factions, including the European Conservatives and Reformists and the Europe of Sovereign Nations group. He also mentioned interest in “some leftist groups.”

Ukrainian President Zelensky must consider a petition to decriminalize pornography after it reached the required 25,000 signatures, according to data on the official Ukrainian government petitions website.

Pornography production and distribution are illegal in Ukraine, with broad interpretations meaning even sharing nude photos can result in jail time.

Despite being illegal, models on subscription-based site OnlyFans, known for being an adult content platform, must declare their income and pay taxes, as required for all paid content creators.

The decriminalization petition was created by Ukrainian OnlyFans model Svetlana Dvornikova, who argued that "law enforcement should focus on real crimes instead of conducting operations to buy intimate photos."

"Over five years, I've paid more than Hr 40 million ($958,062) in taxes to the state," Dvornikova wrote in the petition.

"But instead of gratitude for this money, the state opened a criminal case against me."

In January 2025, Ukraine's OnlyFans content creators declared more than $7 million in income, paying $1.5 million in personal income and military taxes, though it's unclear what specific content these users create on the platform.

Ukrainian MP Yaroslav Zhelezniak, who has initiated bills to legalize pornography, calculated that from 2020 to 2022, 5,000 Ukrainians earned $123 million on OnlyFans.

"Porn today is mostly online platforms, and those who earn on these platforms officially pay taxes. That's millions of dollars going to the armed forces," Zhelezniak said on his YouTube channel.

The latest bill to legalize pornography was registered in November 2024 and supported by parliament's law enforcement committee in December, but hasn't been brought to a vote yet.

The bill proposes decriminalizing only the creation and storage of pornographic content by consenting adults.

Criminal liability would still apply for revenge porn, deepfake porn, extreme porn, child pornography, and distribution to minors.

"We're simply changing Article 301 of the Criminal Code so that adults who film and distribute intimate videos aren't thrown in prison for 3-5 years," Zhelezniak wrote on his Telegram channel.

"Currently, under Article 301, you can be punished even for storing nude photos on your personal phone."

In July 2022, a similar petition to legalize pornography reached the required number of signatures. It didn't lead to changes, and Zelensky responded by citing existing laws about "protecting public morality."

Russia seizes Ukraine’s most valuable lithium deposits, but US minerals deal not at risk, investor says

Russian troops have taken over the site of one of Ukraine’s most valuable lithium deposits near the village of Shevchenko, Donetsk Oblast, as Russia ramps up its summer offensive. While Ukrainian troops control territories near the site, the deposit is now under Russian occupation, Roman Pohorilyi, founder of open-source

The Kyiv IndependentDominic Culverwell

Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Ruslan Stefanchuk said on June 28 that Ukraine's parliament is preparing a draft bill to hold elections following the end of the martial law period enacted as a result of the war.

"We are working on this draft law, because for the next elections, a new special draft law is needed that will regulate the so-called post-war elections," Stefanchuk said on Ukraine's marathon TV broadcast.

"We are preparing various basic scenarios so that people can exercise their fundamental constitutional right to vote. And this must take place in Ukraine. And I believe we will be able to find the right legislative compromise," he added.

The reason for separate legislation on a post-war election, Stefanchuk previously said, was due to the fact that Ukraine's Constitution does not not provide clarity on the details of holding elections following the end of a martial law period.

No details on the bill or timeline for implementation were provided.

Russia's full-scale invasion and the subsequent declaration of martial law in Ukraine meant elections have been impossible to hold, and President Volodymyr Zelensky's term has been extended, something constitutional lawyers say is allowed under Ukrainian law.

Despite criticism, Ukraine's parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, passed a resolution on Feb. 25 to hold elections after "a comprehensive, just, and sustainable peace is secured" in the country.

While polling shows a vast majority of Ukrainian citizens do not support holding elections before a full peace deal, the lack of elections has stirred some controversy with Ukraine's allies.

At the start of his second term in office, U.S. President Donald Trump urged Ukraine to hold elections — something that Ukraine has thus far refused to do citing the difficulties of holding elections amid active warfare, as well as security implications.

Zelensky has previously said he is willing to step down in exchange for a peace agreement.

Russian propaganda has widely used the issue of elections in Ukraine to discredit the Ukrainian leadership. Mocow has repeatedly claimed that Zelensky is no longer a legitimate president, as his first term was originally meant to end on May 20, 2024.

Russia has amassed 111,000 troops near Pokrovsk, Syrskyi says

Pokrovsk remains the “hottest spot” along the front line but “the situation is under control” and Russia has not crossed the administrative border from Donetsk to Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said.

The Kyiv IndependentAbbey Fenbert

Ukraine's parliament passed a reform of the Asset Recovery and Management Agency (ARMA) on June 18, a key step toward European integration and a condition listed in the EU's Ukraine Facility plan.

The legislation passed with the support of 253 lawmakers "after months of obstructions... unblocking 600 million euros ($690 million) in EU funds," lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak said.

The ARMA is Ukraine's national agency tasked with locating, recovering, and managing assets seized in criminal proceedings, namely during corruption cases.

Proposed reforms include stricter integrity and qualification standards for leadership candidates and merit-based hiring through open competitions involving civil society. They also call for independent external audits, clear deadlines for appointing asset managers, and the use of certified professionals held legally accountable for mismanagement.

The Ukraine Facility, an EU program providing Ukraine with 50 billion euros ($58 billion) in multi-year financial support contingent on reforms, set the end of March as the deadline for the ARMA's reform.

Anti-corruption experts, lawmakers, and Transparency International in Ukraine have backed the reforms, but discussions have dragged on for months since several versions of the bill were introduced in December 2024 and January.

The ARMA has long criticized the proposed legislation, arguing it had already carried out substantial and "transformative" reforms since 2023.

Transparency International reacted by saying that the ARMA's "public communication suggests that the agency’s primary concern is not the introduction of meaningful reforms, but ensuring that its current leadership can continue operating as it has."

Ukraine has embarked on extensive reforms as part of its efforts to join the EU and other Western structures, though Russia's full-scale invasion has presented fresh challenges to this effort.

Ukraine’s parliament passes bill on multiple citizenship

Ukraine’s parliament on June 18 supported a bill allowing Ukrainian citizens to hold passports of foreign countries, lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak said.

The Kyiv IndependentMartin Fornusek

Ukraine's parliament on June 18 supported a bill allowing Ukrainian citizens to hold passports of foreign countries, lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak said.

The draft law, backed by 243 lawmakers in the second and final reading, outlines conditions for holding multiple citizenship and simplifies procedures for foreigners wanting to obtain Ukrainian passports.

The legislation must receive a presidential signature before entering force, largely a formality as President Volodymyr Zelensky himself submitted the bill last August.

Until now, the status of multiple citizenship has not been recognized by Ukrainian law.

The bill also establishes new grounds for losing citizenship, such as receiving a Russian passport or serving in the Russian Armed Forces.

The government will determine the list of countries whose citizens will be able to obtain Ukrainian passports in a simplified way, taking into account issues like EU membership or imposed sanctions in connection with Russian aggression.

Multiple citizenship will be recognized for foreigners from the listed countries who apply for Ukrainian citizenship, or if Ukrainian citizens apply for citizenship in these countries. It will also be recognized for Ukrainian spouses of foreign citizens and other specified cases.

Deputy Foreign Minister Serhii Kyslytsia said the law is not applicable to Russian citizens or citizens of countries that do not recognize Ukraine's territorial integrity.

Even before the full-scale invasion, the Ukrainian diaspora has been widespread around the world, with particularly large communities in the EU, the U.S., and Canada. The war drew millions more from their home, and 6.8 million Ukrainian refugees and asylum-seekers remain abroad as of 2025, according to U.N. data.

Among others, the bill is seen as part of Ukraine's effort to strengthen ties with Ukrainians living abroad. Zelensky said the document should allow ethnic Ukrainians born abroad to obtain citizenship.

The president included the step in his 10-point internal resilience plan last November.

Hungary’s soft power meets Ukraine’s hard reality in Zakarpattia

BEREHOVE, Zakarpattia Oblast — Thin gray smoke drifts beyond the patchwork of Soviet-era apartment blocks, historical buildings, and hillside vineyards that make up Berehove — the heart of the Hungarian community in Ukraine’s westernmost Zakarpattia Oblast. “That’s Hungary, over there,” gestures Vitalii Antipov, a member of the local council, toward the not-so-distant

The Kyiv IndependentMartin Fornusek