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https://twitter.com/NAFO_Hungary/status/1653292127542034433?s=20

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Pete

@splendid_pete

May 13

🧵1/7

Orbán’s gas propaganda is Kremlin-grade bullshit — here’s why.

The Hungarian regime is once again vomiting out its tired, deceitful narrative: that the European Union is trying to sabotage Hungary’s “cheap” Russian gas deals and force it into ruinously expensive Western energy dependency. This propaganda, pushed aggressively by Péter Szijjártó and Viktor Orbán’s entire media echo chamber, claims Hungary will lose €1.5 billion a year if Russian gas is cut off. In reality, it’s nothing but a cynical, pro-Kremlin lie meant to justify corruption, geopolitical treachery, and economic incompetence.

Let’s tear this garbage apart point by point.

⸻

1️⃣ 🟥 Lie: “The EU is forcing Hungary to abandon cheap Russian gas to punish it for political reasons.”

‣ The EU’s plan to phase out Russian fossil fuel imports by 2027 is not about Hungary. It’s a bloc-wide response to Russia’s weaponization of gas in 2021–22, including when it slashed supplies to Europe to extort political concessions.

‣ Hungary isn’t a victim here—it’s a parasite riding the coattails of EU-funded energy security investments while openly siding with Putin.

‣ The idea that the EU wants to “punish” Hungary is laughable. Hungary has been actively helping Russia dodge sanctions by continuing nuclear and gas deals. If anyone deserves to be punished, it’s Orbán for financing Putin’s war machine.

✔ Verdict: This isn’t about “Hungarian sovereignty.” It’s about EU security—and Orbán playing the Russian stooge.

energy.ec.europa.eu/news/focus-eu-…

2/7

2️⃣ 🟥 Lie: “Russian gas is cheaper than LNG or Norwegian gas.”

‣ Total bullshit. Hungary’s 2021 Gazprom deal pegs prices to the Dutch TTF index—with a 2-month delay. That means Hungary ends up paying outdated market prices, often higher than spot prices paid by Poland or Czechia.

‣ In May 2025, EU prices dropped to €30-35/MWh, while Hungary was likely still stuck paying around €45/MWh. That’s not cheap—just delayed price gouging.

‣ A 2023 analysis showed Hungary paid 8% more for Russian gas than the EU average. So much for the fairy tale of “Putin’s friendly discount.”

✔ Verdict: Russian gas isn’t cheap. It’s a geopolitical bribe disguised as a deal—and Hungary’s taxpayers foot the bill.

balkaninsight.com/2024/12/11/hun…

3/7

3️⃣ 🟥 Lie: “Cutting Russian gas will cost Hungary €1.5 billion annually.”

‣ Where the fuck is this number from? Szijjártó pulled it out of thin air—no methodology, no data, just fear porn.

‣ Studies show that Hungary has ample access to alternative sources, including LNG from Krk, gas via Austria, and interconnectors funded by the EU.

‣ Hungary makes money from being a Russian gas hub, reselling energy to neighboring states and profiting by up to €600 million/year. So Orbán is crying over the loss of a racket, not national interest.

✔ Verdict: The €1.5B figure is a scare tactic with zero grounding in reality.

sciencedirect.com/science/articl…

Read 7 tweets

Pete

@splendid_pete

Mar 24

🧵1/8 #PeteFactCheck: Charlie Kirk's historical and constitutional revisionism is pure nonsense

Charlie Kirk’s statements are a mix of historical distortion, misrepresentation of legal principles, and outright Christian nationalism. Let’s rip this apart piece by piece.

2/8 1️⃣ Lie: "Our country was taught on common law, because the declaration only refers to God four times in the constitution. It doesn't refer to God at all."

🟥Blatant ignorance—these are two separate documents, and the Constitution deliberately omits God.

‣ The Declaration of Independence mentions a "Creator," "Nature’s God," "Divine Providence," and the "Supreme Judge of the World." These were Deist references, not explicitly Christian.

‣ The United States Constitution—the actual legal framework of the country—does not mention God or Christianity at all. It is a secular document, intentionally designed to separate government from religious authority.

‣ The only religious reference in the Constitution is in Article VI, which explicitly bans religious tests for public office. This completely destroys Kirk’s claim that America was founded as a Christian nation.

✔ Verdict: Kirk is butchering basic civics. The Constitution is deliberately secular.

3/8 2️⃣ Lie: "13 out of 13 state constitutions required a declaration of faith."

🟥 Half-truth twisted into Christian nationalist propaganda.

‣ Some early state constitutions had religious tests for officeholders, but these were not national policies, and many were removed over time.

‣ The U.S. Constitution (Article VI, Clause 3) explicitly bans these religious tests. The First Amendment later reinforced this by preventing Congress from establishing a religion.

‣ Several state constitutions referenced Christianity, but many were rooted in generic Deism, not explicit evangelical Christianity.

✔ Verdict: Misleading. Some early state constitutions had religious requirements, but these were later overridden by federal law.

Read 9 tweets

Pete

@splendid_pete

Mar 16

Fact check

1/7 The truth about the USAID loan guarantee, Viktor Shokin’s firing, and Republican hypocrisy.

The truth about the USAID loan guarantee, Viktor Shokin’s firing, and Republican hypocrisy
The Trump propaganda machine, led by figures like Mike Benz, has manufactured a false narrative about the 2016 U.S. loan guarantee to Ukraine and the firing of Viktor Shokin. These lies attempt to frame Joe Biden as corrupt while conveniently ignoring the Republican-led efforts to remove Shokin and Ukraine’s broader anti-corruption agenda.

2/7 The USAID loan guarantee—what it was and what it wasn’t

Mike Benz, either due to ignorance or willful deception, falsely claims that USAID gave Ukraine money. That is completely false.

‣ The 2016 USAID loan guarantee was not a grant—Ukraine did not receive direct funds from the U.S. government.

‣ Instead, the U.S. acted as a guarantor, allowing Ukraine to borrow $1 billion from international capital markets at lower interest rates.

‣ This measure was intended to stabilize Ukraine’s economy following Russia’s 2014 invasion of Crimea and its ongoing aggression in Eastern Ukraine.

‣ The purpose of the loan was to fund Ukraine’s economic and anti-corruption reforms, something that directly contradicts the narrative pushed by Trump and his allies.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loan_guar…

3/7 The truth about Viktor Shokin—he was not investigating Burisma

One of the biggest lies in Trump-world is that Viktor Shokin was actively investigating Burisma when he was fired. The evidence says otherwise.

‣ Shokin’s own deputy, Vitaly Kasko, stated that the investigation into Burisma was dormant under Shokin. In other words, he was doing nothing.

‣ When Shokin’s successor, Yuriy Lutsenko, took over, he confirmed that there was no active investigation into Hunter Biden or Burisma.

‣ The Obama administration, the European Union, the International Monetary Fund, and Ukrainian anti-corruption groups all pushed for Shokin’s removal because he was blocking corruption probes, not enforcing them.

Read 8 tweets

Pete

@splendid_pete

Mar 10

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1898608186858373428

#PeteFactCheck

1/17 So, here is the kicker: Most of the Ukrainian oligarchs who reside in Monaco and the French Riviera are pro-Russian. Let's go through them, shall we?

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1898608186858373428

2/17 Kostiantyn Zhevago (Костянтин Живаго)

Background: A prominent Ukrainian oligarch, ranked fourth among Ukraine’s wealthiest by Forbes. Former owner of the Finance and Credit Bank and shareholder of Ferrexpo Plc, an iron ore company. Known for his luxurious 65-meter yacht "Zet," valued at $70 million.

Legal Status: Wanted by Ukraine’s State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) since September 2019 for allegedly embezzling 2.5 billion UAH from his bank’s depositors. Declared on an international wanted list a year ago, though his exact whereabouts were unknown until spotted in Monaco. He denies wrongdoing.

Connections to Russia: No direct ties mentioned in the document, though his yacht’s name "Zet" (initially linked to his surname’s English transliteration "Zhevago") raised speculation due to its similarity to Russian war symbols, which he refuted.

Current Residence: Spotted on his yacht near Monaco, later moving to Saint-Tropez, Cannes, and currently near Sardinia, Italy, suggesting he’s living abroad, likely on the French Riviera or nearby regions.

3/17 Hryhoriy Surkis (Григорій Суркіс)

Background: A Ukrainian businessman and politician, former MP from the banned pro-Russian Opposition Platform – For Life (OPZZh) party. Part of the influential Surkis brothers, known for their business ventures and ownership of Dynamo Kyiv football club.

Legal Status: No explicit legal actions mentioned against him, but his family reportedly left Ukraine at the start of the full-scale invasion without declaring cash, later registering over $17.5 million at Hungarian customs (disputed by the brothers).

Connections to Russia: Linked to the pro-Russian OPZZh party, suggesting political alignment with Russian interests pre-ban, but no direct business activities in Russia or with Russian entities are documented.

Current Residence: Renting apartments at the five-star Monte-Carlo Bay hotel in Monaco for several years, per Ukrainian Pravda sources.

Read 17 tweets

Pete

@splendid_pete

Mar 6

1/8 The plan has fallen apart. After days of speculation and behind-the-scenes maneuvering, Ukraine’s opposition leaders have now decisively rejected not only the idea of early elections but also any coordination with Trump’s team to challenge Zelenskyy’s leadership. Tymoshenko and Poroshenko—once viewed as possible players in this scheme—have instead drawn a clear line: wartime elections are off the table. The very people Trump’s allies were relying on have now distanced themselves, leaving the entire operation in shambles.

2/8 This is a stunning blow to Trump’s backroom strategy. The goal was clear: force Ukraine into elections that would weaken Zelenskyy, opening the door for a new, more “negotiable” leader who could pave the way for a Trump-brokered peace deal—one that would inevitably favor Russian interests. But with Ukraine’s opposition refusing to play along, the plan now has nowhere to go. Even those most eager for power understand that trying to change leadership mid-war is political suicide.

3/8 Trump’s allies are already trying to spin the failure. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick now insists the administration was merely “exploring all diplomatic options.” Meanwhile, National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard has doubled down on the attack, falsely claiming that Zelenskyy is refusing to hold elections because he’s a “power-hungry dictator.” But the facts are clear: Ukraine’s constitution prohibits elections under martial law, and now even the opposition acknowledges that changing leadership mid-invasion would be a disaster.

Read 8 tweets

Pete

@splendid_pete

Mar 6

1/8 In a move dripping with political betrayal and opportunism, Trump’s closest allies have been engaged in covert discussions with Ukraine’s most calculating political figures—Yulia Tymoshenko and members of Petro Poroshenko’s faction—working behind the scenes to orchestrate the potential downfall of Volodymyr Zelenskyy. As Washington’s foreign policy posture shifts dangerously close to Moscow’s interests, these secret talks appear to be part of a larger effort to sideline Zelenskyy and install a more compliant leader in Kyiv—one willing to play by Trump’s rules.

2/8 At the center of this scheme is the push for early Ukrainian presidential elections, an idea that conveniently ignores the fact that elections are currently suspended under martial law due to the ongoing war. While Zelenskyy’s opponents have publicly opposed holding elections under such dire circumstances, privately, they are engaging with Trump’s operatives, positioning themselves as more “reasonable” alternatives who might be open to concessions that Zelenskyy has refused to entertain.

3/8 Trump’s team, eager to install someone more aligned with their interests, is betting on public frustration with the war and economic hardship to erode Zelenskyy’s support. However, despite the manufactured crisis, polls still show him significantly ahead of his competitors. The latest numbers place him at 44% support, while his nearest rival, Valery Zaluzhny, lags at 23%. Poroshenko and Tymoshenko—the supposed “viable” alternatives—remain political afterthoughts in single digits.

Read 8 tweets

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