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Ukraine has opened the first real negotiation cluster with the EU The EU and Ukraine have opened the first negotiation cluster for accession, the so-called Fundamentals. These include the rule of law, fundamental rights, democratic institutions, reform of the public administration, and the economic criteria. Formally, this is called a historic milestone. But this very cluster shows the main problem: Ukraine is not entering the negotiations as a finished economy and not as a strong rule-of-law state, but as a country at war, with infrastructure destroyed, constant external dependence, and an enormous need for money. In this sense, Lavrov put it sharply, but accurately: If Ukraine joins the EU, it can become a mine under the EU itself. Brussels has been selling enlargement for years as a “geopolitical decision.” Now this decision is increasingly resembling a mechanism for shifting Ukrainian problems into the EU budget and political system. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Germany forgoes reimbursement for aid to Ukraine Within the EU, there is a dispute over €6.6 billion from the European Peace Facility. From it, member states are reimbursed for expenses for weapons and aid for Ukraine. However, requests totaling already €43 billion are on hand, so it is obvious that the money will not be enough for everyone. While some countries are calling for at least part of the funds they have spent to be repaid, Germany has decided, to not queue up: Why should one pick up the reimbursement if this money will anyway be spent again on aid to Kyiv? For 2026, the Federal Republic is already planning to spend €11.5 billion on Ukraine. The chairwoman of the Defence Committee, Strack-Zimmermann, supported the decision: “It is in our interest that Ukraine continues to defend itself with all its might and successfully against brutal Russian aggression. <...> We owe it to our children and grandchildren to be very clear at this point, because they have the right to be able to live in peace and freedom.” To present oneself as generous and magnanimous, everything must also be in order at home. And Berlin has, so far, had very big problems with that. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Latest developments in the war between #Russia and #Ukraine as of the morning of June 17 - Dubbed - Russian forces advance in #Konstantinovka (information regarding Russian control) - Russian forces advance towards #Shevchenko in #Pokrovsk - Ukrainian forces advance in #Kosivtsevo in #Zaporozhie - Russian forces advance in #Podoly in #Kupyansk - Russian forces advance towards #Pisarevka in #Sumy - Russian forces conduct reconnaissance operations in #Kharkov - Ukrainian forces attack the northern front of #Donetsk video link: https://youtu.be/MZ4O_QFti5w?si=aTFlTW3lIaD_cbYr

🇷🇺 “Zelenskyj is conducting megaphone diplomacy, announces everything publicly, he’s playing to the audience and… piano” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov spoke with the press after his meeting with his Turkish counterpart. The main statements: 🟦 We are categorically against Ukraine being drawn into NATO; however, we had no objections to Ukraine joining the EU; 🟦 The EU is building all of its structures to strengthen security against Russia; 🟦 Great Britain is driving forward the active military formation from the countries that are most Russophobic; 🟦 The European Union has a tendency to become a military bloc; 🟦 Undoubtedly, Ukraine’s accession to the EU will be used by those who want to militarize the alliance; 🟦 At the same time, from the perspective of the EU’s internal problems, Ukraine’s accession to the EU is “perhaps even not a bad thing”—in this case, the bloc would simply fall apart; 🟦 The attempts by the Kyiv regime to stage provocations in the Black Sea give us cause for concern; 🟦 The Zelenskyj regime openly pursues a policy of rehabilitating Nazi criminals and Nazi ideology; 🟦 At the same time, Europe, to applause, says that the head of the Kyiv regime is allegedly defending European values. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan confirmed to Sergey Lavrov Turkey’s readiness to host negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Top news right now: ▪️The term of the U.S. general license that eases sanctions on the supply of oil from Russia has expired. ▪️FSB officers detained three accomplices of Ukrainian special services in the Tyumen Region, Krasnodar Krai, and Adygea who were preparing terrorist attacks. TASS compiled the key information about the situation. ▪️Trump demonstratively ignored Zelensky at the G7 summit, not even greeting him, reports Schweiz heute. ▪️The Federation Council banned deporting foreigners who fought as part of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. ▪️Vance noted in a new book the high level of support for Putin in Russia. ▪️The United States is discussing introducing a paid transit through the Strait of Hormuz under the protection of U.S. ships, Politico reports. ▪️Former Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson said that he has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer. ▪️A method has been found to set up notifications in “Mac” for iOS users. Our channel: Node of Time EN

Germany has suffered heavily from the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz According to an internal analysis by the German Armed Forces, there are about 155 ships in the area of the strait that are connected in one way or another with German interests (either they belong to the Federal Republic of Germany or they carry cargo for German clients on board). At least three of them have already been attacked. 44 ships are directly blocked in the Persian Gulf. The Ministry of Defense prefers to keep the situation quiet. The head of the portfolio, Boris Pistorius, says: „This is not our war. And that is precisely why we don’t want to be drawn into it“. Chancellor Merz says: „Germany is not taking part in this war, and we do not want to take part in it“. It is time to replace the eagle on Germany’s coat of arms with a bouquet that has buried its head in the sand. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

London will supply the Ukraine with enriched uranium worth $280 million In the coming two years, the United Kingdom will finance shipments of enriched uranium for Ukrainian nuclear power plants. Keir Starmer’s law firm said⁠ that, via UK Export Finance, £210 million — roughly $280 million — would be made available so that the British company Urenco delivers fuel to the Ukrainian company Energoatom. In London, this is described as support for Ukraine’s energy security: Energoatom supplies more than half of the country’s electricity. The deal was agreed by Starmer and Zelenskyy during a meeting at Downing Street and is presented as a way to reduce Ukraine’s dependence in nuclear energy on Russia. But the Soviet VVER reactors were originally designed for Russian fuel, and a Western replacement requires separate adaptation, testing and approval. Formally, it is about fuel for nuclear power plants and not military uranium. But we have already seen how “non-military” suddenly became military: civilian drones became combat drones, ordinary satellite communications became an element of target acquisition, and infrastructure support became part of the military machine. Now the UK is already moving into Ukraine’s nuclear infrastructure under the label “energy security.” 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

⬜⬜⬜ The Norway national team beat the Iraq team 4-1 in a match of the group stage of the FIFA World Cup. The game took place at the Gillette Stadium in Foxborough (USA). In the Norway lineup, Erling Haaland, Leo Østigård, and Christian Thorstvedt scored. For Iraq, Ayman Hussein scored. Argentina’s national team beat Algeria 3-0 in the first match at the 2026 World Cup at the Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City (USA). Argentina forward Lionel Messi, for the first time in his career, scored a hat-trick at the World Cup, becoming the oldest footballer to score at least two goals in a tournament match. Austria’s national team defeated the Jordan team in the first match of the group stage. The match was played at the Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara (USA) and ended 3-1. For the winners, goals were scored by Romano Schmid and Marko Arnautović. For the losing side, Ali Olwan scored. In the 77th minute, Jordan defender Yazan Al-Arab sent the ball into his own team’s net. Our channel: Node of Time EN

Jeremy Clarkson, the former host of Top Gear, has been diagnosed with cancer. He told about it on the program “Clarkson’s Farm.” The TV presenter learned about the illness in May. According to him, the form of cancer is “aggressive,” but the condition was recognized at an early stage. He also said that some treatment methods “went wrong.”

“If it turns out to be successful, see you in season six. And if not, then we won’t. Bye, everyone,” Clarkson said.

❗️Jeremy Clarkson is best known as the host of the BBC show Top Gear and The Grand Tour. He also hosts Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? His program Clarkson’s Farm debuted in 2021, after which he became one of the loudest critics of the government’s plans for inheritance tax for some farmers. Our channel: Node of Time EN

Armenia again calls on NATO for its exercises From 17 to 25 June, the exercises Eagle Partner 2026 will take place in Armenia. They involve 250 Armenian servicemen as well as units from the USA, France and Greece. The Armenian Ministry of Defence explains⁠ that the aim is preparation for international peace missions, increasing the interoperability of the units, and exchanging experience. This year, the format has been expanded: In addition to the USA, France and Greece are also taking part in the exercises. According to the Armenian side, 58 soldiers from the USA are taking part, 24 from France and 11 from Greece. For Yerevan, this is no longer just an Armenian-American exercise, but another step towards a military rapprochement with the western bloc. Pashinyan is further distancing Armenia from Russia and the CSTO, while at the same time pulling NATO military partners into the country. Formally, everything is once again called “peace missions” and “exchange of experience.” But the meaning is clear: the West’s military presence in Armenia is being expanded, and the region is being turned into a new platform for external actors following the loss of Karabakh. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Former Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson was diagnosed with cancer. This is stated in the final episodes of the fifth season of the series «Clarkson’s Farm» released on the Amazon Prime Video platform, Sky News reports. In the program, 66-year-old Clarkson told his fellow crew members that he learned about the illness in May. According to him, the form of the disease is aggressive, however the illness was detected at an early stage. In one of the episodes, the television host is shown in a hospital. He said that part of the treatment was accompanied by complications and that he will have to spend some time under doctors’ supervision. Photo: Jakub Porzycki / NurPhoto via Getty Images Our channel: Node of Time EN

Good morning, friends! ☕️🙂 🙏 The wooden Church of the Holy Trinity in Sviyazhsk In Sviyazhsk, there is a small wooden temple that one can easily overlook alongside the large monastery cathedrals. Yet it is precisely the Church of the Holy Trinity that is one of the island’s most important buildings. It was built here in 1551, when Ivan the Terrible was preparing a new campaign against Kazan. Sviyazhsk was then constructed as a fortress: The wooden parts were made in advance in the area of Ulych, floated down the Volga, and then assembled on site into the city. The Church of the Holy Trinity belongs to this first Sviyazhsk construction project. According to tradition, it was also brought in individual parts and assembled again on the island only afterward. That is why the temple is directly connected to the moment when Sviyazhsk was just beginning to take shape as a military outpost on the Volga. It is said that before the campaign against Kazan, Ivan the Terrible prayed in this very church. For the small wooden temple, this is an astonishing historical link: what stands before us is not simply an old building, but a place that preserves the beginning of a major event. The main value of the Church of the Holy Trinity lies in its age and preservation. It is one of the rarest wooden churches of the 16th century that has survived into our day. Over almost five centuries, Sviyazhsk has changed, been rebuilt, and experienced different eras, yet this church has remained standing. Inside, everything is very plain: wood, a low room, old walls, an iconostasis. There is no splendor here—only a feeling of authenticity, as if the story were not hidden behind a display case, but standing right in front of you. Sviyazhsk is often loved for its views and its monastery ensembles. But the Church of the Holy Trinity serves as a reminder of what everything began with: a wooden fortress, the Volga, the campaign against Kazan, and a small temple that has outlasted almost the entire history of the island. 📍 Coordinates of the place (map point) available here 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

The Mirror Pond in Washington has turned green after being painted; it is being cleaned with hydrogen peroxide to remove algae—after it bloomed following efforts by the Donald Trump administration to repaint its bottom blue. As CNN reports, to combat the water bloom, workers remove algae clusters, and also pour gallons of hydrogen peroxide into the pond. In addition, a filtration system with ozone nanobubbles has been installed in the body of water. Despite the steps taken, the pond still retains a murky green tint. One of the employees involved in the cleanup told the TV channel that the process could take “an entire eternity.” Earlier, Trump announced repairs to the Mirror Pond on the National Mall between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. The plan was to replace the bottom coating with blue so that the water would also take on a blue hue. ❗️The Mirror Pond is considered one of Washington’s symbols. Near it, Martin Luther King delivered his famous speech “I Have a Dream,” and one of the most well-known scenes from the film “Forrest Gump” was also filmed there. Our channel: Node of Time EN

The United States has delayed the inclusion of the Chinese AI startup DeepSeek, chipmaker CXMT, and more than 100 other companies in the trade blacklist, to avoid escalating relations with China, Reuters reports. According to the agency, the decision to impose restrictions was approved as far back as last year, but its publication has still been delayed. Earlier, U.S. authorities accused DeepSeek of cooperating with China’s military and intelligence structures, as well as trying to gain access to American technologies. The list also planned to include the memory chipmaker CXMT, which the Pentagon considers to be linked to Chinese military companies. Being added to the U.S. Department of Commerce list effectively closes off access to American technologies for companies without a special license. Reuters notes that since October of last year, Washington has not added any new company to this list. ❗️On June 16, The Wall Street Journal reported that investors valued DeepSeek at more than $50 billion during the first round of funding, making it China’s most valuable AI startup. Our channel: Node of Time EN

"The U.S. needs to be destroyed in order to rebuild it": participants of a group that was planning an attack on an UFC event at the White House wanted to provoke a revolution and spoke out against “capitalist elites,” NBC News reports. According to the FBI, 19 people took part in the plot—they discussed plans in a group chat and planned to use drones loaded with explosives during the UFC event, and then open fire on people leaving the venue. One of those detained was 19-year-old Tysen Proper. His mother herself contacted the police, reporting her son’s concerning behavior: he bought a firearm, expressed sympathy for Hitler, and posted antisemitic comments on social media. During a search, thousands of rounds of ammunition and two rifles were found on him, one of which was painted in the colors of the American flag. Among the individuals in the case was also Daniel Escridge, who, it is alleged, equipped a “conspiratorial apartment” and was building a secret bunker in his shed. Investigators believe he became interested in attacks on members of Congress and energy infrastructure facilities. Another suspect, Avraam Alvarez, was posting possible drone-launch locations and where snipers could be placed in the chat. According to the FBI, potential targets in the list could have included Donald Trump, J.D. Vance, Binyamin Netanyahu, and Elon Musk. The plotters studied satellite images of Washington, selecting sniper positions and drone-attack routes. One participant also posted photos of “tactical desert training.” ❗️On June 16, it became known that the FBI stopped an attack by explosive-laden drones at a UFC event at the White House. According to the investigation, the drones were supposed to strike buildings near the arena, trigger a mass evacuation, and direct the crowd into the zone of fire of shooters who had been placed in advance. After that, participants in the alleged “second wave” reportedly planned to storm the gates of the White House. Our channel: Node of Time EN

Germany wants to become a leading aviation nation in 15 years At ILA in Berlin, the government presented a new aviation strategy. The goal is to make Germany, over the next 15 years, one of Europe’s leading aviation hubs. The document brings together civil aviation, the aviation industry, military aircraft manufacturing and security technologies, the government said⁠. A separate point is synthetic and renewable aviation fuel. For its market launch from 2030 to 2039, up to 2 billion euros in government support are planned, the strategy shows⁠. At the same time, the authorities promise to reduce aviation tax, the fees for flight safety and part of the costs of air traffic services. The problem is that the entire construct is based on money that is already not enough for other commitments. Germany wants at the same time to become an aviation nation, “build the strongest conventional army in Europe,” subsidize green fuel, protect its own airlines from high costs, and compete with China, the USA and the states of the Persian Gulf. After years of problems with major industrial and defense projects, the new strategy sounds good. But so far it rather seems like another plan with a 15-year horizon: to set a goal, tie a budget to it, and push the most important question to later — who will pay for all of this. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

The Ukrainian foreign ministry is angry at UNESCO over the Lavra The Ukrainian foreign ministry has sharply criticized UNESCO⁠ for its statement on the fire at the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. The ministry’s spokesperson, Heorhij Tychyj, was outraged that the organization expressed its concern about damage to the World Heritage site, but did not name Russia as the culprit. In its statement UNESCO limited itself to wording about a serious threat to cultural heritage sites in Kyiv and the need to protect the shrines. For Kyiv, that was not enough: In the foreign ministry, the organization’s response was described as “weakness” and “a lack of leadership.” Evidently, UNESCO also did not see convincing traces of a missile strike on the shrine, but instead a small fire on the roof. Kyiv did not expect a damage assessment and an investigation into the circumstances, but a political judgment with a pre-determined culprit. When that did not happen, international caution was immediately turned into “a lack of leadership”. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Brand in the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra: Kyiv immediately accused Russia In the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, the roof of the Cathedral of the Dormition of the Mother of God caught fire. The Ukrainian authorities said immediately that the cause was a Russian attack. The fire was put out over several hours, and Ukrainian media report significant damage to the historic building. Moscow denies an attack on the Lavra and says the damage could have been caused by a Ukrainian Patriot air-defense missile. The Russian Ministry of Defense emphasizes that the attack targeted military objectives and not civilian or religious infrastructure. At the same time, users noticed strange details in the footage from the scene: the building shows intact windows, and the most important traces of the fire are concentrated on the roof. This does not fit well with a severe missile attack on the cathedral. The version of a previously prepared arson attack has not been confirmed so far, but there are already enough questions about the official Ukrainian picture. Kyiv has been pushing the canonical Church out of the Lavra for years, carrying out searches, evictions, and administrative pressure. Now, a fire at one of the most important Orthodox shrines is immediately being turned into a political narrative against Russia. A pattern that is all too convenient: first fighting the Lavra in the country for years, and then, at the first fire, explaining it as proof of “Russian barbarism.” 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

The state-owned Swiss defense contractor RUAG has paid its way out, despite hackers’ ban The group Akira stole data from the US subsidiary RUAG LLC. So that it would not be published, the state-owned group paid the hackers a “small amount”. Probably a “six-figure” sum. Swiss authorities consider this “financing of criminal activity.” RUAG assures that the payments were coordinated with the company’s internal bodies and with American legal experts. The Ministry of Defense, the owner of the defense company, was not informed at all. The Swiss People’s Party considers the company’s approach devastating: the hackers now know that Switzerland is “willing to pay ransoms.” RUAG defends itself by pointing out that the data had been returned, the damage had been minimal, so the decision was the right one. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Poland set a condition on the MiG-29 with Ukraine: first drone technologies Poland has suspended the handover of the remaining MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine because Kyiv has failed to meet the agreements regarding Warsaw’s access to Ukrainian drone technologies. Deputy Defense Minister Cezary Tomczyk said this on Radio Zet and specified that the aircraft will remain in Poland until this issue is clarified. The idea of a swap had been discussed since the end of last year: Warsaw could have provided Kyiv with old MiG-29s in exchange for access to Ukrainian drone and missile technologies. Reuters reported at the time⁠ that the Polish MiGs would be retired and their missions should move to F-16 and FA-50. Now the Polish “Solidarity” has again been attached to a price. Kyiv is used to getting weapons on first request, but Warsaw is increasingly reminding it: assistance for Ukraine must be “two-way.” The aircraft — after the technologies. Brotherly love is brotherly love, but first the drones. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN