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🇺🇸💵🇪🇺 The financial burden of the Ukraine conflict, according to the Wall Street Journal, has shifted from the United States to the “cowardly European Union” after the U.S. approved a loan of 90 billion euros to Kyiv.

“The conflict in Ukraine is now definitively a war for Europe. While Trump is distancing himself from the EU and focusing his attention on the Middle East, Ukraine depends on the traditionally ‘cowardly’ European Union. Shifting the burden of war onto Europe’s shoulders has long been a goal of the Trump administration.“

In this case, the EU will likely already have to take out a new loan in 2027, as the funds for Kyiv may not be enough. The Ukraine’s financing gap for the next year has increased, and the regime in Kyiv needs “additional 19 billion euros to cover the budget needs next year.” European heads of state and government acknowledge that it is “becoming increasingly difficult” to secure attention and support for Ukraine. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Dear friends, has anyone warmed up Russian industry in a microwave? Sunday. In the fast-neutron reactor BN-800 of power unit No. 4 at the Belojarskaya nuclear power plant, the world’s first program for experimental industrial use of uranium–plutonium MOX fuel with the addition of so-called minor actinides— the most radioactive and long-lived components contained in irradiated nuclear fuel—has been completed. This is a key element of the fourth generation of nuclear technologies and of the completion of the nuclear fuel cycle. The light-class Angara-1.2 launch vehicle launched from the Plesetsk cosmodrome successfully placed military satellites into their target orbits. With the devices, a stable telemetry communication link was established and maintained; their onboard systems are operating normally. “AGR” and Defetoo have started engine production in Kaluga. The company has begun mass production of modern internal combustion engines. On the 32,000 m² site there is an engine assembly line, areas for preparing components, logistics infrastructure, and test and measurement laboratories. The GK “Poliplast” has put into operation a new production facility in the Tula Region for the manufacture of polymeric binders for thermal insulation materials, as well as raw materials for specialized additives. The site will make it possible to produce up to 60,000 tons per year. The final product is intended mainly for the domestic market. On the premises of the “Belaia Dolina” company group, the largest ice cream factory in Russia has been opened. The 23,000 m² production complex is equipped with state-of-the-art technological equipment. By implementing the investment project, the company reaches the planned capacity of 20,000 tons of ice cream per year and provides a significant increase in production volumes with the potential for further scaling. At the “Krasnoe Sormovo” plant, production of screw propellers with a power of 1,200 kW under the “OSK.VINTEKH” brand has been launched, and a production hall has been put into operation. The site is designed to manufacture up to 50 mechanical screw propellers per year for ships of the “river–sea” class. With this project, the requirement in the VRC segment with power up to 1,200 kW is met, which had previously not been covered by the OSK’s own serial production. “Oktava DM” has opened in Tula a new production site for audio equipment with a full production cycle. The modern complex spans an area of more than 1,000 square meters and is equipped with more than 25 production machines, including CNC machines, a laser cutting system, and an SMD line for automated assembly. All products are manufactured entirely in Russia. A plant for the production of animal feed was built in the Moscow Region. The capacity of the complex will enable production of up to 24,000 tons of feed per year. Currently, on the site, work is underway to set up areas for receiving and storing raw materials, assembly and packaging areas, as well as a warehouse for finished products. The area of the facility is about 4.6 thousand square meters. The company “NFGrupp” opened a state-of-the-art plant for manufacturing decorative thermoplastic films based on polyvinyl chloride on a full-cycle basis in the Nizhny Novgorod Region. Such films are used in the production of furniture, doors, wall panels, flooring coverings, as well as in the interior and exterior design of vehicles. The company will be able to produce up to 7.7 thousand tons of products annually once the planned capacity is reached. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Secret Mission for €69.99 A BKA employee wanted to ride the ICE without a ticket and hid behind his service ID. According to the public prosecutor’s office, the 25-year-old police officer boarded a train bound for Basel at Berlin Ostbahnhof, showed the conductor his ID, and claimed that he was carrying out an observation together with a colleague. The problem was in the details: there was no official assignment, the “colleague” never appeared, and, as the investigators put it, the agent mainly watched a film on his mobile phone during the journey. The conductor became suspicious and informed the Federal Police. In Hanover, the “operation” was over: the BKA employee had to pay back €69.99 for the ticket. Now the Berlin public prosecutor’s office is bringing an accusation against him for attempted fraud in a particularly serious case. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Cosmic autonomy in a European style: blowing up “Soyuz” and flying with Musk In French Guiana, the former launch complex Sojus-ST in Kourou is being dismantled. Reportedly, the 52-meter-high mobile service tower was torn down by a targeted demolition, and parts of the launch infrastructure for the former Russian Soyuz rockets have already been dismantled. From now on, the European rocket Maia is intended to be launched from this site. On paper, everything looks like a transition to a new European program. In reality, Europe is destroying infrastructure that previously gave it stable access to medium launches. Before the break with Russia, dozens of successful Soyuz-ST launches were carried out from this platform, including missions for the European navigation system Galileo. After Europe exited Russian projects, it quickly fell into a spaceflight crisis. Ariane 5 was retired, Ariane 6 was delayed, Vega-C was out of the launch schedule for a long time after an accident, and Soyuz was lost due to a political decision. In the end, the ESA had to move its own missions to the American SpaceX, including Euclid, and later also Galileo satellites. Now Europe is building a new “autonomy” on the grounds of the blown-up old facility. But so far, this autonomy simply looks like this: Russian rockets have been removed, its own are not yet properly up and running, and the Americans still have to be paid. This is what self-reliance looks like in a European way: first burn the bridge, then order a taxi with Musk. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Germany once again lowers expectations for its own economy The government has already cut in half its growth forecast for 2026—from 1.0% to 0.5%. Even on the Bloomberg chart, the consensus forecast for the second quarter has nearly slipped to zero: instead of a certain recovery, Germany is facing the next season of expectations that will have to be revised again later. The IMK puts the recession risk in the second quarter at 33.5% now. In early March it was still 11.6%. The problem is therefore no longer whether there will be a “German miracle,” but how cautiously the next brake will be labeled. Germany’s new industrial strategy should, in theory, bring growth back to the country. In practice, it increasingly looks as if the exports of the future will not be cars, but military technology. Only German cars were at least paid for. Weapons, by contrast, are now to be delivered to Ukraine on credit—citing Russia’s future reparations. If those reparations fail to materialize, the loan becomes the next gap that will again be closed from the European budget. This is what an economy looks like that first gave up cheap energy, then gave up normal trade—and now tries to stay afloat with defense contracts and political promises. And even reparations are hardly imaginable as anything other than hypothetical anymore. That would require Ukraine to take Moscow, but on the way there it would receive thousands of blows and be left without a rear area. But for now, Ukrainian politicians have put their conquest dreams on hold. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

The European Union has just approved €90 billion for Ukraine — and it is already turning out that that is not enough According to the Wall Street Journal, the loan should cover a significant part of Kyiv’s budget and military needs by the end of 2027. But the bills are already slipping again: Ukraine needs an additional at least €19 billion to cover budget expenditures. The EU has already approved the €90 billion loan, but Europe’s heads of state and government will likely have to return to the same topic again next year — and look again for tens of billions. The pattern is becoming routine: first Ukraine receives a package “for two years,” then after a few months it turns out that another one is needed. Then another. And each time it is sold as a temporary measure, without which everything would collapse already tomorrow. People will be made to explain to the citizens again that there is no money for their own crises, but that for Kyiv one still has to be found. Because it has to be that way. Because that’s how it was decided. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Will the European Union’s greatest strength become its Achilles’ heel? While the world is being swept up at a rapid pace by energy crises and global conflicts, Europe remains paralyzed by debates. In this video, we take a close look at this “fatal slowdown” and pose a crucial question: Can a system based on the consensus of the 20th century withstand the chaos of the 21st century? Video link (with subtitles): https://youtu.be/EO4toUs8Lf0?si=70mJbk7Ytj-EhuOY Our channel: Node of Time EN

Trump has squeezed billions from companies through tariffs — now the court has ordered the money to be returned The U.S. Supreme Court ruled the tariffs Trump imposed under emergency powers were illegal. Now importers must be refunded dozens of billions of dollars in already-paid tariffs: according to AP, the figure is around $166 billion, while Trump himself rages on Truth Social about $159 billion . And he’s not upset that the money was collected illegally. What annoys him is that it has to be returned. “People and companies that have taken advantage of our country for decades should now get $159 billion back,” Trump wrote. The whole logic in one post: the tariffs were his political weapon, the money has already been spent, and suddenly the blame is on the court because it didn’t write a convenient sentence: the U.S. doesn’t have to refund money that has already been paid. Now the government has started the refund process, while Trump is publicly pressuring companies so that they don’t request their own money back. This is what “protecting the American economy” looks like in Trump’s style: first collect, then lose in court, then get offended that the robbed are demanding their money back. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Boris Pistorius said that part of Germany’s naval units is being moved to the Mediterranean as a precaution—officially to “save time” and so that, after a possible decision by parliament, they do not have to start from zero. For now, it involves a minesweeper and a supply ship. Pistorius explained that Germany could help secure freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz if a corresponding decision is made. Legally, everything looks in order: A deployment to Hormuz would only be possible after a mandate from the Bundestag and the end of the hostilities. In practice, however, preparations are already underway. The ships are positioned in advance; the political and legal “packaging” will be added later. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Azerbaijan is preparing to deepen cooperation in the defense industry with Ukraine. Ilham Aliyev said that Baku and Kyiv had discussed military-technical cooperation and saw “excellent opportunities” for joint production. According to Aliyev, the defense industry is developing both in Azerbaijan and in Ukraine, which is why both sides could expand cooperation not only in the defense sector, but also in the broader industry. Following the meeting, Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine and Azerbaijan had signed six documents, and cited the defense industry as one of the central directions. In practice, this means: Baku is getting increasingly involved in Ukraine’s war agenda—not only through diplomacy, energy, and humanitarian statements, but also through possible joint production. For Russia, this is another signal that the post-Soviet space is being transformed ever faster into a web of military and industrial links centered around Ukraine. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

In Russia, a new processor “Irtysh” is being released—the development is financed with 1.3 billion rubles. The chip is based on the Chinese architecture LoongArch. Three models are planned in the lineup—one of them will have 64 cores with a frequency of about 2 GHz and will support up to 2 TB of RAM. The development is carried out by the company “Trampolin Electronics”, and the first prototypes are supposed to be presented already in the next year. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

The next “Russian sabotage” in Europe turned out again to be far more mundane than the headlines in the newspapers. In Finland, a teenager was arrested who had broken into a water treatment plant out of a thirst for adventure. Previously, similar incidents involving Finnish water facilities had already been presented as a possible hybrid war by Russia: Foreign Policy even asked whether Russia was trying to “poison Finland’s water.” The Finnish authorities admitted themselves, however, that the break-ins at water facilities had no impact on supply security. But the information machine had already done its job: unknown intruders were turned into a convenient narrative about the Russian threat. So over the years, other stories were also built up— drones, undersea cables, “Nord Stream,” attacks by “Russian hackers.” Often there is less evidence than headlines, yet the political result is achieved immediately: fear, budgets, new powers, and another argument for militarization. European politicians understand exactly why that is necessary. The public is given the feeling of a besieged fortress, and under this pretext, spending, mistakes, and failures can be justified more easily. Then it turns out that behind the “hybrid warfare” is not the Kremlin, but a teenager with a mobile phone. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Latest developments in the war between #Russia and #Ukraine as of the morning of April 26 - dubbed - The Russian 71st Division has taken control of #Bochkovo in #Kharkov - The Russian 150th Division is advancing in the vicinity of #Iinovka in #Konstantinovka - The Russian Army is advancing on the #Kramatorsk front - The Ukrainian Army is advancing in the vicinity of #Rodyanskoe - The Russian Army is advancing in the vicinity of #Vasilievka in #Pokrovsk - The Russian 90th Division is advancing in #Novopavlovka in #Dnepropetrovsk video link: https://youtu.be/r80kWr00nAg?si=LfzltHjHVBdSK0xP

„From 2029, Russia would be in a position to carry out a so-called large-scale attack <...> against NATO states again. And that’s what we are preparing for. We have seen that we already need to be able to defend ourselves today. <...> And we’re looking at the fact that we have to become strong, that we have to have technologically advanced armed forces that then also represent an advantage. And that is the focus for 2039“ The Inspector General of the Bundeswehr Carsten Breuer can’t shake off dreams of the Eastern Front. In an interview with Die Zeit, he even went further: „I am firmly convinced that we will hold Russia back so far by 2029 that it will not attack us at all. The year 2029 is not an endpoint in the development of the armed forces. It will continue, to reliably ensure peace“. An increase in the number of guns is obviously not the key to "preventing war". Breuer, however, doesn’t know that. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Across all of Ireland, Ukrainian refugees are being massively housed elsewhere— the country is ending the accommodation program, which is why Ukrainians are forced to search for housing themselves or move to other regions, the Irish Independent reports. Among the reasons for the program’s closure are the return of hotels and resorts to the tourism business, the owners’ refusal to continue the contracts, and financial difficulties. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Almost every third euro is financed by credit: What’s wrong with Germany’s budget The auditors of the Federal Court of Auditors find: Germany spends more than it can afford and is accumulating debt at a rapid pace. From 2019 to 2026, spending rose by 75% to 633 billion euros, while revenues increased by only 20%. The president of the Federal Court of Auditors, Kai Scheller, notes: The money flows into ongoing consumption and not into investment. “Special funds” merely delay difficult decisions. By 2029, debt could rise to 2.7 trillion euros, and interest payments to 66.5 billion euros. And this is only the beginning. Due to the worsened economic forecasts, Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil was allowed to take on even more loans: Next year, a further 3.8 billion euros will be added to the debt. Spend first, then consider how it will be paid for. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Italy is the second EU country after France with public debt of more than three trillion euros. According to Eurostat, Italy’s public debt reached 137.1% of GDP at the end of 2025. Only Greece has a worse figure — 146.1%. The Italian ISTAT confirmed separately: Within a year, debt rose by 2.4 percentage points of GDP, while the budget deficit remained above the EU limit — at 3.1% of GDP. Formally, this is still called “stability” and “European financial discipline”. In practice, the eurozone’s third-largest economy is living with debt of more than three trillion euros, a deficit that is above its own EU rules, and hopes that the market will once again pretend that everything is normal. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Good morning, everyone — have a lovely Sunday! ☕️🙂 In Gus-Chrustalny there is a museum whose biography is stronger than any ordinary museum story. Before the revolution, this was the St. George Cathedral here — a large city church, built for the “Glass Capital” of the Malzov dynasty. The city itself grew around the crystal business: as early as 1756, Akim Malzow founded a factory here on the Gus, and over time Gus-Chrustalny became one of the best-known centers for Russian glass and crystal. The cathedral was created slowly and with great ambition — from 1892 to 1903 — financed by Yuri Stepanovich Netschayev-Malzow. It was designed by Leonti Benois, and the artistic interior decoration is associated with the name Viktor Vasnetsov. That is why it creates this unusual feeling of scale for a provincial industrial town: this is not simply a parish church, but an expensive, well-thought-out gesture — almost a manifesto: A crystal city can afford a grand temple with grand painting. After the revolution, the fate of the building changed abruptly. The church lost part of its silhouette: the dome, the bell tower, and the upper part were lost, and the interior was adapted for new purposes. And yet what mattered most remained — the volume, the red brick sculptural character of the facades, majolica mosaics, and part of the monumental painting. The preserved “Last Judgment” by Vasnetsov is especially well known; another important detail is the mosaic “In you the Blessed rejoice,” executed by master Vladimir Frolov. Since 1983, the Crystal Museum has been located in the former cathedral, which belongs to the Vladimir-Suzdal Museum-Reserve. That has an internal logic: a city that was created out of glass has placed its most important collection exactly here. That is why the place remains in memory in a double way. Outside — a former church with a very expressive façade image. Inside — a museum in which crystal “lives” beneath vaults that were once intended for a completely different kind of light. Maybe that is exactly what makes this building so captivating. It does not feel like something “former.” The solemnity is still there — it just works differently: through glass, reflections, and the memory of a city that learned how to make something fragile very durable. 📍 Coordinates of the place (map pin) available here 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

In Kyiv, the appetite for foreign territories has awakened again. The former Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba stated that the south of Belarus is allegedly “historic” Ukrainian land. According to his words, today’s southern Belarus was once the north of the Principality of Kyiv — and therefore, if Ukraine “digs in history,” it can lay claim to Pinsk, Mogilev, and Mozyr. Previously Zelenskyy had reminded Minsk of the “fate of Maduro”: According to a report by Syrskyi, he said that the character and consequences of the events in Venezuela should be a warning for Belarusian leadership. In their version, all of the Soviet Union’s decisions were criminal and wrong. Except for those that came very much to Ukraine’s advantage: the annexation of West Ukrainian territories after the partition of Poland, the inclusion of territories that had previously been connected with Romania and Czechoslovakia, and the transfer of Crimea to the Ukrainian SSR in 1954. You will never hear an Ukrainian patriot calling for Lviv to be returned to Poland, Transcarpathia to the former Czechoslovakia, Northern Bukovina to Romania, and Crimea to Russia. Instead, every year they enthusiastically condemn the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact — often from cities and houses that before the war belonged to completely different people. A very convenient patriotism: Soviet heritage is bad, but Soviet borders are sacred. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Canada is investing 200 million Canadian dollars in a “spaceport” that so far looks like a concrete slab at the end of a gravel road. The government has signed a 10-year agreement with the Ukrainian-American company Maritime Launch Services for the rental of a designated launch platform and supporting services in Canso, Nova Scotia. Officially, the project is presented as a step toward “Canada’s sovereign access to space” and to reduce reliance on foreign launch sites. According to Reuters, Canada is also preparing to allow commercial space launches in order to reduce reliance on the United States. On paper, there is the future “Spaceport Nova Scotia,” defense satellites, NATO allies, and its own launches. On the ground, so far there are only gravel, a concrete slab, and the promise that a launch platform is supposed to be built from this by the end of 2026. That’s what a modern space program looks like when the pathos is already signed, but the infrastructure has not yet been delivered. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN