Soup 403, November 1, 2026
| Soup | 403 |
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| Permalink | Permalink |
| Date | 2026-11-01 |
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| Posts | 25 |
| Soup type | Vatnik profile |
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| Profession | Politician |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Retweets | 15 |
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| Views | 1k |
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Trump and the Kremlin
In today’s Vatnik Soup, we examine the ties of Donald Trump and his family to Russian intelligence operatives and the Kremlin. His current dealings with Putin may shock some people, but the pattern of collusion has been clear for more than a decade.
Umar Kremlev, close to Putin’s security circle, paid hundreds of thousands of dollars toward Trump Jr.’s May 2026 Bahamas wedding celebrations. Yes, he changed his name to sound more Kremlin, you can't make this shit up. They also hunted together in Mongolia in August 2026.
On 9 June 2016, Trump Jr. infamously held a meeting at Trump Tower with Russian agent Natalia Veselnitskaya and former Soviet intelligence operative Rinat Akhmetshin, representing the Kremlin’s interests.
At a 30 November 2016 Trump Tower meeting, Jared Kushner asked Sergey Kislyak about using secure Russian embassy facilities to communicate with the Kremlin.
US intelligence later intercepted Kislyak reporting Kushner’s request for a channel beyond US monitoring.
US intelligence later intercepted Kislyak reporting Kushner’s request for a channel beyond US monitoring.
Kislyak and Kushner met in person and spoke on the phone; Kushner joined Trump Jr. at the 9 June 2016 meeting.
Another key Kremlin-linked figure in today’s Russia–Ukraine talks is Kirill Dmitriev. His Trump connections go back to January 2017.
Another key Kremlin-linked figure in today’s Russia–Ukraine talks is Kirill Dmitriev. His Trump connections go back to January 2017.
On 11 January 2017, Blackwater founder Erik Prince met Kirill Dmitriev in the Seychelles. The UAE’s Mohamed bin Zayed was also involved.
The meeting was arranged to establish a back channel between Trump’s incoming administration and the Kremlin.
The meeting was arranged to establish a back channel between Trump’s incoming administration and the Kremlin.
Trump’s Russia envoy, Steve Witkoff, wrote a 2010 recommendation letter for his friend Anatoly Golubchik, later convicted in a Russian mafia racketeering operation based in a Trump Tower apartment.
He is not the only Russian mafia connection here.
He is not the only Russian mafia connection here.
Steve WitkoffMoscow-born real estate developer Felix Sater, son of a senior Russian mobster, was a senior adviser to Donald Trump in 2010, before Trump became president. He also worked with Don Jr. at the Trump Organization. In 1998, he was convicted in a Russian mafia fraud scheme.
On 10 December 2015, Russian state TV RT paid Michael Flynn $33,750 to speak in Moscow, where he sat with Putin.
A perfect choice for Trump’s national security adviser (picked November 2016, in office January 2017). Like Kushner, he had dealings with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak.
A perfect choice for Trump’s national security adviser (picked November 2016, in office January 2017). Like Kushner, he had dealings with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak.
Paul Manafort, Trump’s 2016 campaign chairman, worked for pro-Kremlin Ukrainian president Yanukovych and Kremlin-linked Russian oligarch Deripaska.
While advising Trump, he worked with Konstantin Kilimnik, a confirmed Russian intelligence officer.
While advising Trump, he worked with Konstantin Kilimnik, a confirmed Russian intelligence officer.
Viktor YanukovychTrump’s longtime adviser Roger Stone collaborated with Guccifer 2.0, the online persona attributed to Russian military intelligence (GRU), which released hacked Democratic Party documents to WikiLeaks.
Stone openly supports Putin’s genocidal invasion of Ukraine.
Stone openly supports Putin’s genocidal invasion of Ukraine.
On 20 January 2016, Trump lawyer Michael Cohen spoke to Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov’s assistant.
In 2017, Columbus Nova, linked to Russian oligarch Viktor Vekselberg, paid Cohen’s Essential Consultants at least $500,000. The firm handled Trump’s Stormy Daniels payment.
In 2017, Columbus Nova, linked to Russian oligarch Viktor Vekselberg, paid Cohen’s Essential Consultants at least $500,000. The firm handled Trump’s Stormy Daniels payment.
Andrii Derkach, a Russian military intelligence (GRU) asset, was convicted in absentia of treason in Ukraine on 13 July 2026. He worked with Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani on efforts to investigate Joe Biden and his son in Ukraine.
Russian intelligence assets kept collaborating with Trump’s officials during Biden’s term.
FBI source Alexander Smirnov fabricated Biden bribery claims in 2020, repeated lies in 2023, and admitted Russian intelligence ties. He pleaded guilty on 16 December 2024.
FBI source Alexander Smirnov fabricated Biden bribery claims in 2020, repeated lies in 2023, and admitted Russian intelligence ties. He pleaded guilty on 16 December 2024.
The conflict of interest reaches the top of the FBI. Its director, Kash Patel, received $25,000 on 8 July 2024 from Kremlin-linked filmmaker Igor Lopatonok’s Global Tree Pictures for a film interview.
Lopatonok has also collaborated with GRU asset Andrii Derkach and Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani.
Under Patel, the FBI is punishing agents who investigated those Russia ties. Mueller investigator Walter Giardina was fired on 8 August 2025.
Under Patel, the FBI is punishing agents who investigated those Russia ties. Mueller investigator Walter Giardina was fired on 8 August 2025.
Michael Caputo did PR for Putin at Gazprom Media in the 2000s, began working for Trump in 2014, and later collaborated with Kilimnik and Derkach.
Trump made him HHS spokesman in 2020 and appointed him to the President’s Cancer Panel on 4 October 2026.
Trump made him HHS spokesman in 2020 and appointed him to the President’s Cancer Panel on 4 October 2026.
George Papadopoulos, another central figure in Russiagate, and his wife, Simona Mangiante, have continued working for Kremlin propaganda.
They have worked with Igor Lopatonok; Mangiante interviewed GRU asset Andrii Derkach.
The couple often appear on Russian state media.
They have worked with Igor Lopatonok; Mangiante interviewed GRU asset Andrii Derkach.
The couple often appear on Russian state media.
Trump campaign lawyer Bruce Marks was part of the team advising on the so-called “fake electors scheme” in Georgia.
He still has an active office in Russia and is a frequent contributor to Russian state propaganda media.
He still has an active office in Russia and is a frequent contributor to Russian state propaganda media.
In June 2026, US Commission of Fine Arts chairman Rodney Mims Cook Jr., overseeing Trump’s White House ballroom, held secret diplomatic talks with Kremlin officials at SPIEF in St Petersburg.
He has a long history of visiting Russia and is a fan of Russian architecture.
He has a long history of visiting Russia and is a fan of Russian architecture.
Republican operative Jesse Benton’s 2016 campaign-finance conviction was pardoned by Trump in December 2020. His 2022 conviction was for a 2016 $25,000 Trump Victory donation from Russian businessman Roman Vasilenko, a naval reserve officer who led a military unit’s finances.
RT secretly funded Tenet Media, whose pro-Trump influencers later joined Trump’s White House press pool.
Tenet head Lauren Chen credited Trump official Joe Rittenhouse with her December 2025 US return. She visited the White House in April 2026.
Tenet head Lauren Chen credited Trump official Joe Rittenhouse with her December 2025 US return. She visited the White House in April 2026.
TENET MediaFor fear of “politicization”, Washington ignored or forgot dozens of incidents it should have treated as treasonous, given Russia’s hostility to the US. The Kremlin gained access to Trump’s circle while America looked away.
On 16 October 2026, Trump waived most new Graham Act sanctions and tariffs on Russia. “America First” means Russia first and the Trump family’s private wealth first. America, the rest of the world and human rights come last.
Thanks to Martin Laine for preparing the ingredients for this special soup.
The Kremlin spends $5 billion a year on propaganda to manufacture passivity for its invasions. Fact-based research to counter that is crucial — please support our work:
Fight Disinformation With Us: Support our Work | Vatnik Soup
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Topics
Links, documents, resources
From the horse’s mouth
- Two RT Employees Indicted for Covertly Funding and Directing U.S. Company That Published Thousands of Videos in Furtherance of Russian Interests
- Bettina Trump’s statement about the wedding celebrations
- Russian Active Measures Campaigns and Interference in the 2016 U.S. Election, Volume 5: Counterintelligence Threats and Vulnerabilities
- Russian Attorney Natalya Veselnitskaya Charged With Obstruction Of Justice In Connection With Civil Money Laundering And Forfeiture Action
- Report on the Investigation into Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election
- Two Defendants Sentenced for Participating in Racketeering Conspiracy with Russian-American Organized Crime Enterprise
- United States v. Sater — court record on Felix Sater’s guilty plea and cooperation
- Konstantin Viktorovich Kilimnik — FBI wanted notice
- Grand Jury Indicts 12 Russian Intelligence Officers for Hacking Offenses Related to the 2016 Election
- Michael Cohen search-warrant materials and bank-transfer records
- United States v. Michael Cohen — criminal information, 29 November 2018
- Grand Jury Returns Indictment Charging FBI Confidential Human Source with Felony False Statement and Obstruction Crimes
- Report of Special Counsel David C. Weiss — January 2025
- United States v. Alexander Smirnov — detention filing, 21 February 2024
- Kash Patel - Explore Financial Disclosures From President Trump and 2,300 of His Appointees - ProPublica
- Jamie Raskin’s letter to Kash Patel concerning FBI dismissals and bonuses — 15 June 2026
- The Everlasting Present — Ukraine: 30 Years of InDependence (2021)
- Three Decorated FBI Officials Accuse FBI, DOJ And Trump Administration Of Illegal, Politically Motivated Firings
- Congressional hearing record: accountability for the Trump administration’s coronavirus response
- Foreign Threats to the 2020 US Federal Elections
- President Trump Appoints Michael Caputo to Cancer Panel
- Bruce Marks Brings Key U.S. Perspective to SPIEF 2026 Russia–U.S. Business Dialogue
- Team - Marks & Sokolov
- Political Consultant Convicted of Scheme Involving Illegal Foreign Campaign Contribution in 2016 Presidential Election
- Statement from the Press Secretary Regarding Executive Grants of Clemency – The White House
- Three Members of 2012 Presidential Campaign Staff Guilty of Concealing Campaign Expenditures from State Election Board
- TRUMP VICTORY - committee overview - FEC.gov
- United States v. Jesse Benton — D.C. Circuit decision, 19 April 2024
- Benny Johnson on Iran war: “I’ve been briefed by, let’s just call it, top-level Pentagon officials about what the endgame is”
- Joe Rittenhouse’s Christmas post welcoming Lauren Chen back to the US
- Lauren Chen’s Christmas post thanking Joe Rittenhouse for her return to Nashville
Claims
Reporting documenting specific allegations and claims
Fact-Checking
Fact-checks and investigations examining disputed claims and disinformation
- Donald Trump Jr.’s Wedding Was Bankrolled by a Russian Oligarch Close to Putin
- How Kremlev and Rubezhnoy make billions in betting money
- How a friend of Putin’s daughter, Kirill Dmitriev, became the Kremlin’s chief “fixer”
- Donald Trump and the Felon: Inside His Business Dealings with a Mob-Connected Hustler
- Ex-Trump advisers help to grow pro-Russia website that spreads misinformation
- Decorated Russian Naval Veteran Funneled Thousands to Trump, RNC - Forensic News
Russian State Media
Coverage and amplification by RT and other Russian state-controlled media
Sanctions
Official sanctions, legal measures and related reporting
- Treasury Escalates Sanctions Against the Russian Government’s Attempts to Influence U.S. Elections
- Active Russian Agent Andrii Derkach Indicted for Scheme to Violate Sanctions in the United States
- Treasury Sanctions Russia-Linked Election Interference Actors
- Implementing the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026
Background
Earlier material and biographical context relevant to the story
- Erik Prince Offered Lethal Services to Sanctioned Russian Mercenary Firm Wagner
- Putin’s Point Man: What’s Behind Steve Witkoff’s Ties to the Russian Mafia?
- Felix Sater was a fed informant on bin Laden, Mafia: prosecutors
- Former Mafia-linked figure describes association with Trump
- How Paul Manafort Helped Elect Russia’s Man in Ukraine
- The Everlasting Present - Ukraine: 30 Years of InDependence
- Michael Caputo — Committee to Investigate Russia
- The elusive Russian operative who could be crucial to Mueller’s investigation into Trump
Media Coverage
News coverage and analysis from independent media
- Associated Press: Kremlev’s funding of Trump Jr.’s wedding celebrations
- Don Jr.’s Wife Says Putin Ally Only Paid for Their Party—Not Wedding
- Inside Donald Trump Jr.’s Mongolian hunting trip with a Kremlin-linked oligarch
- Kremlin-Linked Businessman Joined Donald Trump Jr. on Mongolian Hunting Trip This Summer – FT - The Moscow Times
- Russian Says Don Jr. Repaid Him for Wedding Festivities
- The Terrifying Person Who Bankrolled Trump Jr.’s Wedding
- What happened in Jared Kushner’s 4 meetings with Russians?
- Kushner Is Said to Have Discussed a Secret Channel to Talk to Russia
- Report: Kushner Discussed Setting Up Secret Communications With Russia
- Russian ambassador said Kushner sought secret channel to communicate with Kremlin, officials say
- Kremlin aide says discussions underway with US to lift sanctions on Russian investment fund - AOL
- WATCH: “I did not collude with Russia,” Kushner says
- Who is Kirill Dmitriev, the Russian envoy who helped craft the Ukraine peace proposal?
- Mueller gathers evidence that 2017 Seychelles meeting was effort to establish back channel to Kremlin
- FBI investigated Russian mafia at Trump Tower for two years in probe unrelated to 2016 election
- Steve Witkoff revealed as “friend” of indicted Russian mobster
- Trump Envoy Steve Witkoff’s Ties to Russia Come Under Scrutiny. Here’s What to Know
- Judge confirms Trump associate gave feds Osama bin Laden’s number
- Former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn paid $56,200 by Russian firms in 2015, documents show
- Kremlin Suggests Sanctions Not Discussed In Flynn-Kislyak Phone Calls
- President-Elect Donald Trump Taps Michael Flynn for National Security Adviser
- The Photo That May Help Unlock the Trump-Russia Scandal
- Manafort aide Konstantin Kilimnik charged in Russia probe — BBC source listing
- Trump campaign chief Manafort’s associate Kilimnik gave Russia 2016 election strategy, polling, U.S. says
- Trump adviser Roger Stone admits contact with Guccifer 2.0 during campaign
- Trump Ally Roger Stone Sides With Putin, Claims Russia ‘Acting Defensively’
- AP Source: Trump lawyer met Russian oligarch at Trump Tower
- Firm Tied to Russian Oligarch Made Payments to Michael Cohen
- Andrii Derkach — case 42022000000000676
- Ukraine lawmaker seeking Biden probe meets with Giuliani in Kyiv
- Ukrainian court sentences rogue ex-MP Andrii Derkach to 15 years for high treason
- Alexander Smirnov: FBI source accused of Biden lies linked to Russian intelligence — BBC source listing
- Ex-FBI informant pleads guilty to lying about Joe and Hunter Biden
- Kash Patel was paid by Russian filmmaker with Kremlin ties, documents show
- FBI Director Kash Patel plans Russia trip
- Ex-People’s Deputy Derkach visited Minsk and gave an interview to the wife of Trump’s former adviser: the media disclosed the details of the scandal
- Emails reveal Trump campaign efforts to subvert Electoral College certification
- ‘Kind of Wild/Creative’: Emails Shed Light on Trump Fake Electors Plan
- Financial Times: Trump ballroom commissioner’s private talks with Kremlin officials
- FT: Trump representative held secret meeting with Kremlin officials in St Petersburg
- Trump Ballroom Commissioner Held Diplomatic Talks With Kremlin Officials – FT
- Appeals court upholds conviction of GOP operative who steered Russian money to Trump camp
- Influencer Paid by Russia Added to White House Press Pool
- Poynter: New media outlets in the White House press pool
- Trump Welcomes An Accused Russia Propagandist Back To The U.S.—And The White House Easter Egg Hunt
Related soups
- Steve Witkoff
- Viktor Yanukovych
- Donald Trump
- Donald Trump 2
- Trump-Putin: Art of the Deal
- Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin
- Donald Trump Jr.
- 2016 Trump campaign
- Russiagate
- Paul Manafort
- Oleg Deripaska
- Michael Flynn
- Roger Stone
- Dmitry Peskov
- Rudy Giuliani
- Ukraine on Fire (Igor Lopatonok and Oliver Stone)
- TENET Media
- Tim Pool
- Benny Johnson
- Julian Assange
- The Alaska Fiasco
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