Kresta in the Afternoon

The mainstream press has presented the invasion of Ukraine as the work of a madman, bent on domination, attacking an innocent bystander. And while Putin's actions should be condemned, there are elements to the story that are being ignored. Al explains.

A new EWTN film “To Believe” gives an inside look at what life was like under Communist rule in Ukraine. This hour-long film presents the true story of Father Sebastian Sabudzinski and the families in his small Catholic parish during the Communist persecution. The film has long been in production and was set to premiere in June, but is airing now in light of the Russian invasion. Doug Keck joins u...

This weekend the United States and its allies agreed to remove several major Russian banks from the SWIFT messaging system and further sanctions against Russia's central bank were announced this morning. Will these sanctions work? How might they affect our own economy? Chadd Garcia joins us.

“Godwin’s Law” is an internet cliché that states that the longer an online argument goes, the more likely that one side will compare the other to Hitler. And now, Putin seems to have done just that. He’s attempted to justify his invasion of Ukraine by asserting that he wants to "de-Nazify" the country. Such a claim seems ludicrous, so why would he try to make it? The answer can be found in his KGB...

Donald Trump headlined the annual CPAC conference in Florida this weekend and delivered the Saturday night address. He won a straw poll as the preferred GOP presidential nominee with 59% of the vote, showing he still has strong support should he choose to run again. Michael New weighs in.

The Holy See currently has diplomatic relations with 183 nations and has the oldest diplomatic corps in the world. Francis Rooney served as the United States Ambassador to the Holy See under the George Bush administration and he joins us today with his take on the Russian invasion.

Scripture warns us against falling into the ways of The World. What does it mean by the world? And what were we created to be? Al discusses.

Nations around the world have condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with one notable exception – China. And China has also appeared to cast blame on the US and its allies for “fanning the flames.” Relations between China and Russia have strengthened in recent years – Putin was a guest of honor at the Olympics and trade between the nations grew from $10.7 billion in 2004 to $140 billion in 2021....

Alexander Solzhenitsyn was many things. A fearless champion of freedom in an age of totalitarianism. A fearless critic of Communism. A fearless critic of the modern hedonistic West. A great historian. A great novelist. A Nobel Prize winner. And we can now add to the list – a prophet. Joe Pearce tells us why.

At face value, economic sanctions seem like a great idea. They’re a way to punish a foreign power for misdeeds without bloodshed or destruction. But do they actually work? And who do they actually harm? Ben Coates has studied over a century’s work of US sanctions and gives us his analysis.

When the Soviet Union collapsed, America and its allies were full of hope that the great nation of Russia was ready to join the West in a new era of peace and cooperation. Tragically, the opposite has come to pass. What went wrong? We’ll talk with Peter Conradi.

With Russia's invasion of Ukraine underway, one local priest says that he and Ukrainian Catholics are placing their trust in God. Fr. Oleksandr Zelinskyi, director general for EWTN Ukraine, spoke with Catholic News Agency this morning. We get a report from Matthew Bunson on how Church leaders are responding

Throughout history, there are examples of the power prayer has to stop violence. Al reviews some of the examples, including when Guns fell to Rosaries in the Philippines.

In one of her alleged messages, Mary told the Medjugorje visionaries that prayer and fasting could even stop wars. As the Persian Gulf War loomed over the United States, Peggy Stanton decide to test that theory. She shares her memories.

Today, Vladimir Putin met with several of his most important oligarchs. Would heavier sanctions against these men send him a message? Bill Browder joins us

As America slept, Russian forces launched air strikes against several Ukrainian cities and began moving troops into the country. Al sees this as the most significant geopolitical event since the Second World War. He explains why.

St. Polycarp was a bishop and martyr who lived in the first and second centuries of the Christian era. His time is often called the “sub-apostolic age,” because his was the first generation of Christians to take responsibility for the Church after the death of the last Apostle, John. Today’s his feast day and we get to know him with Joe Heschmeyer.

Ukraine announced this morning that it will declare a State of Emergency for at least 30 days, but not yet declare martial law. The country has also seen cyberattacks hit its government websites and banks, which NATO blames on Russia. Luke Coffey joins us with the latest.

Al looks over Church teaching, especially the writings of John Paul II, to see what the Church says about the meaning of Just War.

Last week, former supermodel Linda Evangelista said she no longer wants to live “in hiding” after a fat-reduction procedure went wrong, leaving her body disfigured and sending her into a “cycle of deep depression.” At face value, this may seem like just celebrity gossip, but it also tells us a lot about the messages our culture sends about body image. We talk with Teresa Tomeo, who also examines h...

Is there a way to stop Russian aggression without relying on military force? Some have suggested imposing heavier sanctions on the Russian oligarchs – ultra-wealthy individuals who have a heavy influence on Russian politics. Al looks back on a conversation with Bill Browder.

Abraham Lincoln wrote countless notes to himself over the course of his adult life. As they were meant for his eyes only, he never signed or dated them – but they provide us with a fascinating insight to his private debates on the issues of the time. We take a look with Ron White.

Over the weekend police in Ottawa announced they had cleared the street in front of Parliament and would continue to move through the city in the coming days. It’s been called the largest police operation in the nation’s history. The protestors are largely gone and last night, Canadian lawmakers voted to extend the emergency powers put in place last week. We get a final report on the story from Jo...

While the prospect of a renewed Russian invasion in Ukraine is becoming a reality, the Vatican office which oversees Eastern Catholic Churches is considering a request that the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church be given “patriarchal” status. The move would highlight the historical and contemporary importance of the largest Eastern Catholic Church in the Catholic communion. Archbishop Borys Gudziak w...

Much has been said about the deep political divides in our nation, and Judge Michael Warren has a proposition for fixing them. Patriot Week renews America’s spirit by deepening the appreciation of the First Principles, Founding Fathers and other Patriots, vital documents and speeches, and flags that make America the greatest nation in world history. He joins us.