It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
Will Ukraine's strikes on Russian oil exports weaken Moscow's war effort?
Ukraine has ramped up attacks on Russian oil infrastructure in recent weeks, striking refineries and key export terminals as part of a broader campaign against its energy system – but it is unclear how effective the strategy will prove.
Issued on: 09/04/2026 - RFI
Smoke rising from damaged oil storage tanks after a Ukrainian attack in Primorsk,
Since March, Ukrainian strikes have reached deeper into Russian territory, damaging refineries as well as major terminals that are central to Russia’s oil exports.
After a campaign targeting sites on both the Baltic and the Black Sea, Ukraine’s defence ministry says it has hit more than a dozen oil-related sites in the past month.
Ukraine has also expanded its list of targets beyond energy, identifying sectors such as metallurgy, fertilisers and microchips as linked to Russia’s war industry.
The defence ministry has said it considers oil sites to be military assets. The campaign also comes in response to repeated Russian strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
Earlier this week, Kyiv proposed an energy truce. “If Russia is ready to stop striking our energy sector, we will be ready to do the same,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an address on Monday.
The Kremlin has not responded. The following morning, a swarm of 22 drones struck Russia’s Ust-Luga oil terminal, nearly 1,000 kilometres north of Kyiv.
Export choke points
Ukraine’s recent strikes have focused on the limited number of routes Russia uses to export its oil.
“Russia exports a lot of its oil, but it cannot do so from many places,” Ulrich Bounat, a geopolitical analyst specialising in central and eastern Europe, told RFI.
Russia, he said, relies on three main ports on its western side: Primorsk and Ust-Luga in the Baltic, and Novorossiysk in the Black Sea.
“In the past three weeks, we have seen strikes becoming systematic on these three ports, targeting storage areas but also export terminals,” Bounat added.
The explosions have destroyed large oil stocks and damaged infrastructure, while Ukrainian operations on Sunday also struck a pipeline near the port of Primorsk.
Earlier waves of attacks showed Russia could shift production and repair damaged sites relatively quickly.
“The Russians master these technologies, so they know how to repair them, but it forces them to carry out a lot of maintenance, and the people in charge are not at the front,” Thierry Bros, an energy specialist and professor at Sciences Po university in Paris, told RFI. Economic pressure
The strikes are also aimed at limiting Russia’s revenues from oil exports.
Targeting export capacity can “limit its war chest”, Bros said, while also showing the Russian population that the war is not going as planned.
Repeated attacks on Primorsk and Ust-Luga in late March caused nearly $1 billion in losses, according to figures from the Kyiv School of Economics cited by the Financial Times. Together, the two ports handle around 40 percent of Russia’s oil exports.
The campaign comes as oil prices have risen since the start of the war in Iran, increasing the value of Russian exports.
On 12 March, the United States eased sanctions on Russian oil, offering Moscow some relief from the restrictions that applied to two of its major producers. Ukraine has since tried to reduce those gains by targeting export infrastructure.
The strikes also signal Ukraine’s role in the wider global system, Bros said. “They are a variable in this global system, and if we want to find a solution, we will have to talk to them,” he said.
“Donald Trump is not giving them weapons, Europe is endlessly thinking about what to do. The Ukrainians are using their weapons.” A risky balance
The strategy carries risks. Disrupting Russian oil flows affects global markets already under pressure from the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz.
There are also limits to the impact. Russia does not rely solely on exports, as it also earns revenue through taxes on oil extraction.
Reducing supply can also push prices higher, increasing the value of the oil that still reaches the market.
Some of Ukraine’s allies have reportedly urged Kyiv to scale back strikes on Russian oil infrastructure, citing concerns over global energy prices.
Zelensky has said the attacks will continue unless Russia makes concessions.
Analysts say the memes appear to be coming from groups linked to the government in Tehran and are part of a strategy of leveraging its limited resources to inflict damage on the US.
Pro-Tehran groups are using AI to create slick internet memes in English to try to shape the narrative during the Iran war in a bid to foster opposition to it, experts say.
According to analysts, the memes appear to be coming from groups linked to the government in Tehran and are part of a strategy of leveraging its limited resources to inflict damage on the US, even indirectly.
"This is a propaganda war for them," Neil Lavie-Driver, an AI researcher at the University of Cambridge, said, referring to Tehran.
"Their goal is to sow enough discontent with the conflict as to eventually force the West to cave in, so it is massively important to them."
It's not the first time memes have been used in a war and they have evolved to include AI images in recent years.
Kremlin-made AI imagery bombarded Ukrainians after Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, and last year, the term "AI slop" became widely used to describe the glut of imperfect images posted online during the Israel-Iran conflict targeting Tehran's nuclear programme.
In the current war that began on 28 February with joint US-Israeli strikes, the memes have used well-honed cartoons that lambast American officials.
A screenshot of an AI-generated Lego-style animation being circulated by Akhbar Enfejari, 9 April, 2026@Akhbarenfejari
Memes steeped in US culture
Published on various social platforms, the memes are racking up millions of views, though it is not clear how much influence they have had on users.
They have portrayed US President Donald Trump as old, out of step and internationally isolated. They have referenced bruising on the back of Trump's right hand that prompted speculation about his health, infighting in Trump's MAGA base, and US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth’s fiery confirmation hearing, among other things.
"They're using popular culture against the number one pop culture country, the United States," said Nancy Snow, a scholar who has written more than a dozen books on propaganda.
The pro-Iran images circulating online include a series that uses the style of the Lego animated movies.
In one, an Iranian military commander raps, "You thought you ran the globe, sitting on your throne. Now we turning every base into a bed of stone," as Trump falls into a bullseye built of Epstein files, the US government’s investigative records on disgraced financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
A screenshot of an AI-generated Lego-style animation being circulated by Akhbar Enfejari, 9 April, 2026@Akhbarenfejari
Analysts believe groups cooperating with Tehran
The animations show levels of sophistication and internet access that suggest ties to government offices, said Mahsa Alimardani, a director at WITNESS, a human rights group working on AI video evidence.
"If you're able to have the bandwidth needed to generate content like that and upload it, you are officially or unofficially cooperating with the regime," she said, pointing to severe restrictions Tehran has imposed on the internet as part of a crackdown on nationwide protests earlier this year.
State media has reposted some of the memes, including ones from the account behind the Lego-style videos, Akhbar Enfejari, which means "Explosive News".
Akhbar Enfejari described themselves as Iranians producing and uploading from within Iran in an effort to disrupt decades-long dominance of Western control of the airwaves.
"They’ve long dominated the media landscape and, through that power, imposed narratives on many nations," the group told the AP news agency on the messaging app Telegram.
A screenshot of an AI-generated Lego-style animation being circulated by Akhbar Enfejari, 9 April, 2026@Akhbarenfejari
"But this time, something feels different. This time, we've disrupted the game. This time, we're doing it better."
After the ceasefire was announced, Akhbar Enfejari posted: "Iran won! The way to crush imperialism has been shown to the world. Trump surrendered."
In addition to the memes coming from pro-Iran groups, Iranian government accounts have trolled the US, including in a post on Wednesday from Iran's Embassy in South Africa that said, “Say hello to the new world superpower,” with a picture of the Iranian flag.
Both the US and Iran declared victory after agreeing to a two-week ceasefire.
Analysts say the deep grasp of US politics and culture is the fruit of more old-school methods of propaganda: a decades-long Iranian government programme to promote narratives against the US and Israel.
“This meme war comes from institutions that are very aware what the American public is aware of and pop cultural references that can appeal to them,” Alimardani said.
Related
Messaging from the US and Israel
Analysts say the US and Israel do not appear to be engaging in the same kind of campaign and, given the restrictions Iran has put on internet access in the country, getting such messages to ordinary Iranians would be difficult.
Early in the war, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a video that used AI to make it seem like he was speaking in Farsi, in which he urged Iranians to overthrow their government.
The White House has published a steady stream of memes, but those are aimed at a US audience and feature clips from American TV shows and sports.
A screenshot of an AI-generated Lego-style animation being circulated by Akhbar Enfejari, 9 April, 2026@Akhbarenfejari
The US government-run Voice of America, which for decades has beamed news reports to many countries across the globe, still broadcasts in Farsi, though it has been operating with a skeleton staff since Trump ordered it shut down.
"This world order is really changing overnight and the US is not going to end up necessarily as the state that everybody listens to," Snow said.
Fact-checking JD Vance's claims that Brussels is 'harming Hungary'
U.S. Vice President JD Vance speaks during a pre-election rally in Budapest, Hungary, Tuesday, April 7, 2026AP Photo
Is Brussels crippling the Hungarian economy and making Budapest less energy independent? JD Vance’s speech in Budapest makes several misleading claims.
A handful of days before Hungarians vote in elections that pit long-time leader Viktor Orbán against pro-European opposition candidate Péter Magyar, US Vice-President JD Vance travelled to Hungary to endorse Orbán and critique the EU
Vance, giving a press conference beside Orbán, made a number of claims about the European Union, accusing it of "trying to destroy" Hungary's economy, sabotaging the country's energy independence and "driving up costs for Hungarian consumers".
He didn't hold back as he accused the EU of "one of the worst examples of election interference I have ever seen or ever even read about" during his trip to Budapest.
But several of Vance's claims are misleading. Euronews' fact-checking team, The Cube, looked at the three biggest ones.
Is the EU trying to 'destroy' Hungary's economy?
According to Vance, Brussels is "trying to destroy the economy of Hungary".
But there is no evidence that the European Union is deliberately targeting Hungary's economy, which remains a beneficiary of EU funding and integrated in the European single market.
What Vance may have been referring to is the fact that, as of early 2026, Brussels has frozen at least €17 billion worth of funds allocated to Hungary as part of the EU budget, over Budapest's failure to implement sufficient reforms to combat long-standing rule of law breaches and misuse of public funds.
Some of these reforms include stemming corruption, improving judicial independence and public procurement processes.
The frozen funds are a central issue in Hungary's election, with opposition parties pledging to unlock the money, which is estimated to be the equivalent of roughly 8% of Hungary's GDP.
The conditions applied to Hungary are agreed by all member states and are designed to protect the EU budget, rather than punish specific economies.
It is also not permanent, and the funds can be released if Hungary meets the agreed reform conditions. Previously, Poland saw billions in EU recovery funds delayed over concerns about judicial reforms, although this money was eventually unlocked.
Is Brussels trying to make Hungary 'less energy independent'?
Vance claimed the EU is undermining Hungary’s energy independence and increasing consumer costs, but the reality is more complex.
The remarks appear to refer to the EU's push to diversify away from Russian crude oil, an endeavour that began after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and that Hungary seems hesitant to undertake.
It also appears to refer to a dispute around the Druzhba pipeline — a key supplier of Russian oil to Hungary — which has been damaged since early 2026.
The damage has sparked a dispute between Hungary and Slovakia on one side and Ukraine on the other, with Budapest alleging Ukrainian sabotage and Kyiv blaming a Russian airstrike.
The European Union has sent an independent "fact-finding mission" to ascertain the cause of the damage.
Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the EU has sanctioned Russian energy, including a ban on seaborne oil. However, Hungary — along with Slovakia and Bulgaria — has been granted exemptions to continue pipeline imports.
Hungary remains highly dependent on Russian oil, which accounted for around 90% of its imports by 2025, according to the Center for the Study of Democracy (CSD), an independent think-tank based in Bulgaria.
In contrast, as part of long-term sanctions against Russia, European Union countries have all sought to diversify their fuel sources to wean EU economies off Russian oil.
But Hungary's continued reliance on Russian crude is complex and controversial. Orbán argues that switching away from the Druzhba pipeline would raise costs, but critics argue that Hungary has been slow to diversify despite having viable alternative routes that could supply the country with non-Russian crude.
Relate
Whilst Russian crude is indeed roughly 20% cheaper than alternatives, the CSD's analysis shows that this did not necessarily translate to lower prices for consumers, especially compared to neighbours in the Czech Republic, which reduced its imports of Russian crude.
Despite repeated claims that Russian imports would ensure low prices and energy security in Hungary, recent disruptions to the Druzhba pipeline, alongside turmoil in the Middle East, suggest the country has not benefited from its reliance on discounted Russian crude. Fuel prices in Hungary have risen in line with the rest of Europe amid global market instability.
Is Brussels dictating social media content for Hungarian voters?
Finally, Vance suggested that Brussels was directing social media content shown to Hungarian voters, implying EU interference in elections.
The vice president appeared to be targeting the Digital Services Act (DSA), in force since November 2022. The law is based on the principle that "what is illegal offline is also illegal online".
It aims to curb the spread of illegal or harmful content and goods, including racist abuse, child sexual abuse material, disinformation, and the sale of drugs or counterfeit products.
In November 2025, the DSA led to a €120 million fine against X over advertising transparency, contributing to tensions between the EU and Washington.
The administration of President Donald Trump has formally opposed the DSA and has targeted EU officials over it. For example, on 23 December 2025, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that former European Commissioner Thierry Breton — seen by the administration as the architect of the law — would be barred from entering the United States for allegedly forcing US social platforms to censor users.
Thomas Regnier, spokesperson for the European Commission, told The Cube that the DSA addresses risks linked to online platforms, recalling that "in Europe, elections are the sole choice of citizens".
"Online platforms can be used to spread disinformation and manipulate citizens," he said. "Because of our Digital Services Act, online platforms have to mitigate risks to protect our democracies. In Europe, elections are not the choice of Big Tech and their algorithms."
Ahead of Hungary's elections, accounts supporting Fidesz have also accused Meta of censoring Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. Fidesz official Balázs Orbán claimed users were "unable to like Fidesz-related content"
A spokesperson for the US tech company has hit back at these claims, telling The Cube there were "no restrictions on the [Hungarian] Prime Minister's accounts" and that none of his posts had been removed.
Meta's community standards, which determine whether content has a limited reach or is removed, are based on factors such as whether content is "hateful" or targets people for their race or sexual orientation, for examp
These, according to a Meta spokesperson, "apply equally to everybody".
MEPs warn of ‘serious' risks to Hungary election, urge Commission to act
Copyright Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
A letter sent to Ursula von der Leyen denounces “potential Russian interference operation” in Hungary and “state-led intimidation,” raising concerns about the fairness of the upcoming vote.
Five senior MEPs responsible for monitoring rule-of-law concerns in Hungary urged the European Commission on Thursday to take "concrete steps" over what they describe as severe threats to the integrity of the country’s parliamentary elections on Sunday.
In a letter addressed to Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and Justice Commissioner Michael McGrath, the lawmakers raise "serious doubts" about whether the election "can take place in a genuinely free and fair electoral environment."
They call on the Commission to "publicly assess" whether "the conditions for free and fair democratic competition in Hungary are being undermined by disinformation, foreign interference, state-resources misuse" as well as "intimidation of journalists."
In backing their call for action, they emphasize “a potential Russian interference operation in Hungary” as a covert support of the electoral campaign of the ruling Fidesz party, citing investigative reporting about an operation on behalf of Russia’s military intelligence service.
The letter —signed by Green MEP Tineke Strik and the European People's Party Michał Wawrykiewicz, among others— comes in the wake of several cases of election-related disinformation in Hungary over the past weeks. A network linked to pro-Kremlin actors impersonated major media outlets to spread false claims about Hungarian opposition leader Péter Magyar.
Hungary's close ties with Moscow have become more evident, as new leaked calls show the country's Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó briefing his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov during a key EU summit.
The letter also highlights the role of Szabolcs Panyi, the investigative journalist who exposed the alleged connection and was subsequently targeted in a state-led intimidation “of unprecedented severity."
“The Hungarian government filed criminal charges against him for alleged espionage, accompanied by a public campaign portraying him as a threat to the nation”, the MEPs wrote.
Another concern raised by the letter involves attempts to hack the opposition party Tisza’s IT systems — allegations that have been denounced by Magyar.
Strik and Wawrykiewicz serve as rapporteurs and shadow rapporteurs, respectively, of the EU's Article 7 procedure against Hungary, a process that could ultimately suspend Budapest’s voting rights in the EU for serious breaches of the rule of law.
The other signatories involved in the procedure include Polish Socialist MEP Krzysztof Śmiszek, Belgian Liberal MEP Sophie Wilmès, and Greek MEP Konstantinos Arvanitis of The Left party.
Beyond calling for a public assessment of Hungary’s election integrity, the MEPs urge the Commission to pursue — and, where necessary, expand — infringement actions against Hungary for violations of EU law on media freedom.
'Alarming': Von der Leyen to raise Hungary's 'Russia leaks' with EU leaders
Copyright Virginia Mayo/Copyright 2026 The AP. All rights reserved
The allegations about Hungary leaking information to Russia raise the possibility of a member state "actively working against the security and the interests of the EU and its citizens", the European Commission said.
Ursula von der Leyen plans to raise the issue of Hungary's alleged practice of leaking information to Russia at the highest level of Europe's leadership, her spokesperson announced in the wake of new revelations.
The direct involvement of the president of the European Commission lays bare the widespread outrage and unease triggered by Budapest's exceptionally close ties with Moscow, which are increasingly seen as a security threat from within.
The allegations "highlight the alarming possibility of a member state's government coordinating with Russia, thus actively working against the security and the interests of the EU and its citizens," the spokesperson said on Thursday afternoon.
"This is, therefore, extremely concerning, and it's for the member state's government in question to explain itself as a matter of urgency."
It was not immediately clear when von der Leyen would raise the sensitive issue, given that Hungarians are heading to the polls on 12 April in an election where the incumbent, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, trails in opinion polls by double digits.
Officials in Brussels have been trying to keep a low profile during the electoral period to avoid fuelling Orbán's anti-EU and anti-Ukraine rhetoric, which has become the defining feature of his bruising campaign.
Initially, the Commission called on Hungary to clarify the reports and respect the principle of sincere cooperation that guides the bloc's collective decision-making.
But the line hardened this week after a new story by five European media described how Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó stepped out of an EU summit to call his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, to brief him about a high-stakes debate on whether to open accession talks with Ukraine, which Orbán had fiercely resisted.
A transcript from the phone conversation, recorded on 14 December 2023, shows Lavrov encouraging Szijjártó to veto the decision. "Sometimes, good-willed direct blackmailing is the best option," Lavrov is said to have told Szijjártó.
A previous story by the five media outlets showed Szijjártó actively discussing with Lavrov the removal of names from the EU sanctions list.
Szijjártó has not denied the content of the revelations. Instead, he has depicted the cascade of reports as an undercover attempt to meddle in the 12 April elections.
The revelations come at a time of high tensions between Orbán and his fellow leaders over his decision to veto a €90 billion loan to Ukraine at the last stage of the process.
Meanwhile, a cross-party group of 10 MEPs sent a letter to Roberta Metsola, the president of the European Parliament, requesting limitations on the access that "certain openly pro-Russian" lawmakers have to sensitive information.
"We firmly believe that this situation (of leaks) undermines the work, trust and institutional integrity of the European Parliament, as well as the safety of our Union," the MEPs wrote in the joint letter, seen by Euronews.
"The time has come to proactively address the prevailing internal weaknesses and security threats."
New leaks reveal Szijjártó briefing Russia’s Lavrov on key EU summit
Leaked calls show Hungary's Foreign Minister briefing Russia's Lavrov during a key EU summit, offering confidential EU documents to Moscow, and arranging a meeting between Orbán and Vladimir Putin.
Hungary’s Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó called his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, in 2023 to brief him on a debate among EU leaders over whether to open accession talks with Ukraine at a key summit in Brussels, according to one of the transcripts of leaked recordings published by several Hungarian investigative news outlets.
The transcript, stemming from a call recorded at an EU summit on 14 December 2023, reveals that Szijjártó stepped out of the meeting to call Lavrov and brief him on the state of negotiations. It also includes Lavrov reportedly saying: “Sometimes good-willed direct blackmailing is the best option.”
The transcripts and audio recordings — obtained by media outlets VSquare, Frontstory, Delfi Estonia, The Insider and the Investigative Centre of Ján Kuciak — come days before Hungary's pivotal general election on Sunday.
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s 16-year rule faces its strongest challenge yet from opposition leader Péter Magyar, whose Tisza Party currently tops the polls.
This contest has also placed Hungary’s close ties to Russia squarely at the centre of the campaign, fuelling tensions within the European Union.
The Washington Post had previously reported that Szijjártó had called Russian officials during breaks in Foreign Affairs Council meetings in Brussels. The minister later said such contacts were routine diplomatic practice, conducted before and after council sessions.
After the 2023 call between Szijjártó's and Lavrov, Orbán dropped his veto and left for a coffee break, allowing the other 26 EU leaders to agree on opening membership talks with Ukraine. Szijjártó remained in the room, following the negotiations even after Orbán departed.
The new leaks also include another transcript, dated 2 July 2024 — during Hungary's rotating presidency of the EU Council — which captures Szijjártó calling Lavrov again to arrange a meeting between Orbán and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
At the time, Orbán was on a self-styled peace mission, having already met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. He faced strong criticism in Brussels for using the EU presidency to advance a unilateral foreign policy.
During the call, Szijjártó also appeared to emphasise the diplomatic clout of Orbán's visit. "We cannot divide the two, but I think it increases the significance that he is the Chair of the European Union," he said, according to the transcript.
In addition, the leaked recordings reveal a passage in which Szijjártó offered to share an EU document relating to Ukraine's accession negotiations.
After Lavrov sought the exact text of a compromise on language rights for Ukraine’s national minorities — confirmed by Szijjártó as decisive — the minister offered to send it directly.
"I will send it to you. It's not a problem," Szijjártó told Lavrov. "I immediately do it. I send it to my embassy in Moscow, and my ambassador will forward it to your chief of staff, and then it's at your disposal."
Szijjártó responded to the revelations on social media, calling the release of the recordings “an unusually crude and open secret service intervention.”
He added that the calls showed Hungary stands for peace, advocates for Hungarians in Ukraine, fights for affordable Russian oil and gas, and views certain actions by Brussels as “very dangerous and a complete tragedy.
Opposition leader Péter Magyar had previously characterised Szijjártó's alleged conduct as treasonous. "This is an open betrayal of Hungarian and European interests," Magyar said in March.
The European Commission also raised concerns in March, calling on Hungary to clarify the allegations, which it described as deeply concerning.
THE GRIFT
Unpacking claim State Department redirected $1.25B to Trump's Board of Peace
Jack Izzo Wed, April 8, 2026 at 12:16 PM MDT
Saul Loeb, accessed via Getty Images
In April 2026, a rumor circulated online that the U.S. Department of State had authorized the transfer of $1.25 billion worth of funding to the Board of Peace.
President Donald Trump established the board via executive order in 2026 amid the Israel-Hamas War. Its stated purpose is to promote peacekeeping around the world. Social media users claimed the money was originally intended for international relief and peacekeeping efforts.
Some Facebook and X users called the alleged $1.25 billion transfer the "biggest grift ever" and "highly illegal."
According to the posts, the transfer effectively placed the money directly in the hands of Trump, the board's chairman. Trump and the board's executives control funding for the Board of Peace — and Trump selects the executive board — and the president will continue to do so even after his second term ends in January 2029.
Snopes readers also contacted us looking for clarification on the matter.
The source of the rumor is a March 26 article on Semafor, a political news media website. The report cites an anonymous source; therefore, it is not possible to independently verify its findings. The beginning of the article says:
The State Department has drawn on funds for international disasters and peacekeeping to transfer $1.25 billion to President Donald Trump's Board of Peace, a person familiar with the funding said.
Notes in the State Department's 2027 budget proposal do suggest it could use money earmarked for international humanitarian assistance to fund the Board of Peace (Paragraph 2, Page 91; Paragraph 4, Page 96).
Without a trusted source who would be able to provide documentation confirming the reallocation of funding, there is not enough verifiable information to rate this claim.
Snopes contacted the White House and State Department for comment on the rumor. The White House directed us to the State Department, which did not reply (though it reportedly told Semafor it had "nothing to announce at this time"). Board of Peace
Trump created the Board of Peace via executive order in January 2026, with the initial goal being to have it regulate the details of his plan for peace in the Gaza Strip. According to its charter, Trump, who also serves as the board's inaugural chairman, has almost total control over its funding and activities. States can become a member of the board for either three years (subject to renewal by the chairman) or permanently if they contribute $1 billion within the first year of the charter coming into effect. Several U.S. allies turned down Trump's invitation to join the board, according to reporting from The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, because of perceived friendliness toward Russia (who was invited to join but is not a member, as of this writing) and concerns it sought to sidestep the United Nations.
At various times, news outlets have reported that Trump has committed the U.S. to providing "more than $1 billion," $1.25 billion and $10 billion in funding to the board. The administration has not specified where those sums of money would come from. State Department's budget proposals
Snopes reviewed the State Department's budget proposals for the 2026 and 2027 fiscal years to compare their figures to the reallocated funding Semafor reported.
Both budgets asked to dramatically reduce the amount of international humanitarian assistance the U.S. provides to foreign nations. In FY 2026, the department asked to chop the $8.8 billion total budget down to $2.5 billion total (Page 128). Congress ended up funding between $5-6 billion, according to Page 96 of the FY 2027 budget estimation.
In FY 2027, the department asked to cut it down to $4 billion total (Page 96), explicitly noting that the money could be used to fund Trump's Board of Peace (Paragraph 4, Page 96). In other words, the State Department's FY 2027 budget provides some evidence supporting the idea that money for international humanitarian assistance could be spent funding the Board of Peace.
Reviewing the State Department's requested budgets for the 2026 and 2027 Fiscal Years, we found the department wished to entirely cut peacekeeping contributions in both years (FY 2026, Page 93; FY 2027, Page 58). Congress, which controls the budget, however, provided about $1.25 billion in funding for international peacekeeping operations, plenty of room for the $200 million supposedly earmarked for the Board of Peace proposal (FY 2027, Page 58). (The remaining $50 million could come from other funding to international organizations. Both budgets asked to reduce spending there, too — FY 2026, Page 87; FY 2027, Page 54).
According to the Semafor article, Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, a Democrat from Nevada, planned to introduce a bill that would block the executive branch from transferring the funds allegedly earmarked for the Board of Peace, instead putting $1 billion toward the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program.
Snopes contacted Cortez Masto's office to ask whether her bill was based solely on the news Semafor reported and to ask whether she had additional sources confirming the State Department had reallocated the funds. We had not heard back at time of publication. Sources:
