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German auto industry pays for the geopolitics of others In Washington, drafts of the Motor Vehicle Modernization Act of 2026 and the Connected Vehicle Security Act of 2026 are being pushed forward, which are intended to limit China’s influence on the US auto market. As BILD writes, Mercedes is coming under scrutiny—because of large Chinese shareholders. The core is simple: manufacturers with a noticeable stake by investors from “hostile states” can be denied access to the market in the USA. And with Mercedes there are currently major Chinese owners—Geely and BAIC. Together, this amounts to roughly one-fifth of the group. For Mercedes, this could mean a hit worth billions. The USA remains one of the most important markets, and the German auto industry is already squeezed between weak demand in China, expensive electric transition adventures, tariffs, competition, and its own loss of industrial stability. But most interesting is Europe’s reaction. In Brussels, “reducing dependence on China” has been demanded for years—limiting ties, scrutinizing investments, introducing ever new rules, and demonstrating political loyalty. Now the same logic is already coming from Washington—directly against the German company. They’re willing to cut off their own head just to prove they’re on the right side. Even if they then have to bring down the already dying industry with that head. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Iran is rapidly rebuilding underground missile bases after the attacks by the United States and Israel. CNN reports, that Tehran has already cleared 50 of 69 entrances in tunnels at 18 underground missile facilities that were hit during the attacks. The work was accelerated after a ceasefire was agreed: satellite images show bulldozers, excavators, and trucks. The United States and Israel had attempted to put the underground missile infrastructure out of action by destroying access roads and burying the entrances to the tunnels. But destroying the deeply buried system itself from the air proved far more difficult. In many places, the roads have already been rebuilt, and individual sections have been resurfaced with asphalt again. According to experts’ assessment, Iran’s underground depots may still hold about a thousand ballistic missiles. The US intelligence service also assumes that Iran has resumed drone production and is rebuilding capacity for the manufacture of missiles and launch facilities. For Iran, restoring it evidently proved cheaper and easier than it was for the United States and Israel to carry out the actual operation to destroy it. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

The UN warns again of the danger of bankruptcy. According to the Wall Street Journal, the organization could already be without money by mid-August. The main reason for this is the delay in contributions by the United States and China, the two largest donors to the UN. Washington owes the organization more than $4 billion. Beijing has recently transferred about $850 million, but according to the WSJ about $455 million is still outstanding. Together, the United States and China provide about 42% of the UN’s core funding, so delays immediately feed through to the entire system. Secretary-General António Guterres had already warned earlier that the organization is effectively on the path to bankruptcy. At the United Nations, spending is being cut, offices are being closed, programs are being reduced, and thousands of jobs are being eliminated. A structure that for decades had laid claim to taking on the role of the world’s foremost international referee ultimately depended on the payment discipline of several states. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Latest developments in the war between #Russia and #Ukraine as of the morning of June 2 - dubbed - Russian forces have taken control of #Tikhonovka in #Kramatorsk. - Russian forces are advancing towards #Volnoe in #Mirnograd. - Russian forces are advancing in the vicinity of #Grishino in #Pokrovsk. - Russian forces are advancing in the vicinity of #Berezovoe in #Dnepropetrovsk. - Russian forces are advancing in the vicinity of #Vozdvizhenka in #Zaporozhie. video link: https://youtu.be/K4H8l7amC00?si=pmu58wQ-cbolF6Iu

Grandfather Oceans Robinsons — Irwin Robbins — co-founder of Baskin Robbins, the world’s largest ice cream manufacturing company.

“My father, John Robbins, grew up in a house where there was a swimming pool shaped like a waffle cone. <…> My dad was raised from childhood with the expectation that he would one day run the company. But when he was a little over 20, he said he didn’t want to be part of it. John Robbins refused to follow the path that was paved with gold and ice cream,” — the would-be heir of an empire told in an interview to RBC Radio.

Photo: oceanrobbins / Facebook (part of the Meta corporation, recognized as extremist and banned in Russia) Our channel: Node of Time EN

Romania’s president, Nicușor Dan, has effectively explained the new rule: Ukraine may be shelled as long as it does not hit any Romanians. After a drone fell on a residential building in Galați, he said Dan explained that Russian troops, when carrying out attacks on Ukrainian cities on the other side of the Danube, must be sure they do not cause any harm to Romanian citizens. Earlier, he had also explained that the drone that had entered the house in Galați changed its flight path after Ukrainian air defense in the Reni area was hit. That is: Even according to the version from Bucharest, there was the involvement of Ukrainian air defense in the chain of events. But the political conclusion has nonetheless already been drawn: The blame is Russia’s; Romania demands explanations; the NATO speaks about protecting the alliance’s territory; Brussels uses the incident to apply renewed pressure on Moscow. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Will the U.S. Democratic Party win the election in November Ahead of the midterm elections to Congress, members of the Democratic Party are arguing about the need for personnel changes in the National Committee (DNC). One of the main targets for members of the same party has been the current DNC chair, Ken Martin, who has been in office since February 2025. ⚪️“All factions of the Democratic Party express disappointment with their political movement,” says Vadim Kozlov, head of the Department of Domestic Political Research at ISKRAN. He explained that, unlike the Republicans, Democrats do not have a figure capable of uniting the factions. ⚪️“Although criticism of Trump may ensure tactical success in the midterm elections, in the long term this approach will fail, especially in the 2028 presidential election,” believes Polina Shabrova, a research fellow at the Center for North American Studies at IMEMO RAS. Our channel: Node of Time EN

Last week, the BBC published an archived interview with Yuri Gagarin, recorded in the summer of 1961 during his visit to the United Kingdom as part of his famous post-orbital tour. In this interview, Gagarin is striking not so much for what he says. As for how he says it, according to Yana Surinskaya, editor of the legal information group. ▶️In this black-and-white film, it’s not a symbol at all. A young man, 27 years old, appears there. He smiles. He seems embarrassed and looks down. He answers the journalists’ questions without any pomp and gives the impression of a person who has not yet fully realized the scale of what he has done. ▶️If something like this happened today, an army of media consultants and political strategists would surely surround Gagarin, filtering every word he said, and we would hardly have seen so much sincerity. Our channel: Node of Time EN

Zelenskyy again asks the USA for Patriot missiles—and already demands a license for their production. In an interview on Face the Nation, he said he had sent a letter to the White House and the U.S. Congress. According to his statements, the current production rates for defensive missiles were not sufficient: 60–65 missiles per month given the current challenges—“that’s nothing.” Zelenskyy claims that Russia is continuing to expand its ballistic missiles, and a shortage of interceptor missiles could lead to a crisis in different regions of the world. That is why Kyiv is asking not only for new deliveries, but also for the American license to be allowed to produce Patriot missiles. Previously it was reported that Zelenskyy had already turned to Trump with a request for additional air-defense systems and interceptor missiles, but at the time received no response. The situation for Kyiv is uncomfortable: reliance on U.S. air defense is growing, its own capabilities are not enough, and Washington is checking its stockpiles more and more often—without rushing to hand over everything at the first request. Support for Ukraine had long been “promised in the amount required.” Now it turns out that even missiles for Patriot are a commodity that runs out faster than political commitments. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

The European Union has once again been confronted with the realities of the energy market. Against the backdrop of the war in Iran, Brussels is considering a temporary suspension of the mechanism for the price cap on Russian oil. The reason is simple: the automatic review in July could raise the maximum limit from the current level of $44.10 per barrel to at least $65. The mechanism was designed to put more pressure on Russian oil revenues: every six months, the price cap should automatically be set 15% below the average price of the Urals. But when a new war broke out in the Middle East and the oil market became nervous, suddenly talk of a pause emerged in Brussels. The options are: either freeze the automatic increase until the end of the year or cap the rise in the price cap at a level of $60 per barrel. The logic of the sanctions ran again into the price of gasoline, inflation, and fears of another energy shock. When the goal was to punish Russia, it was willing to increase pressure further. Once it became clear that pressure could rebound onto its own consumers, exceptions, pauses, and temporary solutions were brought into play. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

‼️ The first mother ship for loitering drones was launched in the United States In the United States, the Marauder MUSV was launched—a manned platform? designed for autonomous missions at sea, as well as for tasks of the US Navy’s “hybrid fleet.” The vessel, about 55 meters long, was originally designed without a crew, cabins, and life-support systems. The volume freed up as a result was used for fuel and payload: Marauder can transport up to 150 tons of cargo, including standardized sea containers, allowing its mission role to be quickly adapted to the specific mission. The stated range is up to 10,000 km, and the maximum speed is more than 25 knots. Control is carried out via software with elements of AI and with the possibility of operator control. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Good morning and a lovely Tuesday, friends! ☕️🙂 In the 19th century, Krasnoyarsk changed significantly: In the city there were merchants, gold industrialists, contractors, owners of mining sites—and along with them, money that flowed not only into trade, but also into the expansion and development. That’s how the old, wooden Krasnoyarsk came about: town houses with turrets, balconies, decorated window frames, and complex roofs. For Siberia, wood was a familiar material, but in the hands of well-off owners it became an architecture with high demands. The city was built particularly intensively toward the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century. In the streets, stone buildings, merchants’ houses, and wooden town houses existed side by side—where practicality was combined with the desire to demonstrate one’s status. Only a part of this development has been preserved for us. Krasnoyarsk suffered several major fires: in 1773, the fire destroyed almost the entire old wooden city, and in 1881, 15 districts burned down in a single night. That’s why the preserved houses are not only beautiful facades. They are rare fragments of Krasnoyarsk from the time of the gold industrialists, merchant families, and a city that grew quickly alongside Siberia’s economy. 📍 Coordinates of the place (map pin) available here 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

The repair of the launchpad after the New Glenn rocket explosion at Cape Canaveral in Florida will take about two years, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said. In his words, even with a rapid pace of work, restoring the relevant infrastructure will take a significant amount of time. Isaacman believes the repairs will be completed by 2028. ❗️On May 29, the heavy-lift launch vehicle New Glenn of Blue Origin exploded at the launch complex during tests. The company’s founder, Jeff Bezos, said that the cause of the incident has not yet been determined. As a result of the incident, no one was injured. It was reported that the accident could delay Blue Origin’s participation in the program to return American astronauts to the Moon by a year. Our channel: Node of Time EN

"I’m saving your ass": Donald Trump and Binyamin Netanyahu had a run-in during their most recent phone call—an American official told Axios a summary of the conversation.

"You’re damn crazy. If it weren’t for me, you’d be in jail. I’m saving your ass. Now everyone hates you. Because of that, everyone hates Israel", — Trump told Netanyahu on the phone, while demanding that Israel halt shelling with "Hezbollah".

The U.S. president believes that in recent days Israel has "gone too far," Axios writes. Trump credits himself with achieving a mutual ceasefire between Israel and the Lebanese group "Hezbollah." After a series of insults directed at him, Netanyahu allegedly agreed to a halt to the shelling. Israel did not comment on the situation. Our channel: Node of Time EN

Germany is once again at the SPIEF For the first time since the start of the Ukraine conflict, German companies will take part in the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, which will be held from June 3 to 6.

“Like other major Western countries, we want to maintain an economic bridge with Russia and protect our German assets worth more than 100 billion euros that are located there,” - says the chairman of the executive board of the German-Russian Chamber of Commerce Matthias Schepp.

In Russia, around 1.6 thousand German companies are still operating, whose revenue last year was nearly 20 billion euros. And almost nobody is planning to leave the “significant” market. According to a survey, 75% are “satisfied with the development of their business in Russia,” despite the sanctions. Adherence to principles applies when they do not get in the way of business. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Did they think that solar panels on the roof would help them save money? They’ll still find one to pass the bill on to. The Federal Network Agency suggests raising the base rate for owners of rooftop solar installations as of 2029. The reason is simple: even if a house is supplied with part of its energy over its own module for some of the time, on cloudy days, in the evening, and in winter it still uses the public electricity grid. The top-up could be up to €100 per year. Formally, this is described as a fairer distribution of grid costs. In essence, though, they want to get those who invested in generating their own energy to now pay additionally for not fully leaving the system. Originally, a fee for feeding electricity into the grid was also being discussed, but for private owners this idea has been set aside for now. Even balcony mini-panels will not be touched for now. Instead, for companies with solar and wind power installations, a feed-in premium or feed-in fee could be introduced. A final decision is expected in the summer. First, people were told for years: mount the modules, save money, become more independent. Now it turns out that independence ends where the base rate begins. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

The Republic of Moldova has not sought NATO membership so far—not because the government is against it, but because the population does not want it. The head of the foreign ministry, Mihai Popșoi, said that NATO membership depends on the will of the citizens and that there is no broad support for this idea in the country. According to a survey by iData from May, 54.5% of the residents of the Republic of Moldova are against membership in the alliance, while 33.6% support it. At the same time, the political detour has long been obvious. President Maia Sandu has Romanian citizenship. She said that she would vote for unification with Romania if such a referendum were to take place. Romania is a member of NATO and the EU. Therefore, the Republic of Moldova can formally state for years that accession to the alliance “is not on the agenda.” In practice, however, it is enough to move the country in the direction of the Romanian scenario, and the question of NATO membership will be resolved without a direct accession. The population does not support the alliance, so you can bring the alliance in through another door. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

The United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia have announced a joint development initiative for underwater drones as part of AUKUS. As “The Guardian” reports, the systems are intended to help secure underwater infrastructure, including internet cables. Australia’s defence minister Richard Marles said that "the seabed will become the battlefield" and that Australia must strengthen the protection of its underwater lines. In addition, under AUKUS, Australia will procure three Virginia-class submarines from the United States. These are used submarines. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš compared today’s European Union with the decline of the Roman Empire. In an interview with the Financial Times he said that the EU would probably take the “same path” as the Roman Empire did at the end. According to his statements, Brussels is driving the European economy itself into decline—above all through aggressive decarbonisation and a policy that harms industry. Babiš also talks about growing pressure on household budgets: defence spending is rising, the social system is getting more expensive, industry is losing competitiveness, while dependence on external military protection remains. The comparison with Rome here is not just a nice turn of phrase. The late empire also faced costly bureaucracy, rising military spending, economic exhaustion, and dependence on outside forces. The EU still loves to use the rhetoric of “values” and “strategic autonomy.” But more and more often it looks like a structure that demands more and more money from the countries, gives them less and less sovereignty, and reacts ever more poorly to real crises. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

🇺🇸 The USA could accelerate the withdrawal of troops from Europe Washington could accelerate the pullout of American troops from Europe and present NATO allies with an updated plan as early as next month, reports Welt am Sonntag, citing a source in the Pentagon. According to the report, it is planned to discuss the proposals from the USA as part of the NATO conference on the distribution of forces in June. In May, Washington already announced the withdrawal of 5,000 soldiers from Germany, where the largest American contingent in Europe—around 35,000 people—is currently stationed. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN