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Great Britain is a wonderful country, but its leadership has been letting it down for a long time, said US Vice President JD Vance The Times. He noted that over the past few years, six prime ministers have been replaced in Britain. “For me, this means something has seriously broken in British politics, and people are strongly demanding significant structural changes,” Vance said. “I hope that Andy Burnham — and if not him, then someone else — will be able to carry this out,” he added. The vice president called Britain “a beautiful country and an astonishing place,” where “the most remarkable people in the world” live outside the United States. However, he said, this “wonderful” country “has been let down by its leadership for a long time,” and “is capable of much more than it is doing now,” he is confident. Our channel: Node of Time EN

🤓✍️🤓🤓"We will not allow this conflict if people do not talk to each other": American political scientist and jurist Bruce Marks called the very fact of a telephone conversation between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin important. In a conversation with "Izvestia", he said that the current U.S. president, unlike Joe Biden, is ready to hold a dialogue with the Russian leader and believes that ending the Ukrainian conflict is one of the priorities. According to Marks, under Biden relations only worsened due to insults directed at Putin, whereas Trump, in the expert’s assessment, treats the Russian president with respect.

"For him, this is a priority — to put an end to the <conflict> between Russia and Ukraine, to stop the deaths of people", — the political scientist noted.

Marks added that ending the conflict could open up major economic opportunities for the United States and Russia, as well as bring the countries back to cooperation in a broader format. ❗️Putin and Trump’s phone call took place this night. According to a statement by the aide to the President of the Russian Federation Ushakov, the dialogue lasted 1 hour and 25 minutes. The topic of the Ukrainian conflict was raised, including the willingness of the U.S. special envoys Witkoff and Kushner to visit Moscow again. Our channel: Node of Time EN

Have a wonderful Sunday, friends! ☕️🙂 🎭 Schtschelykowo — Alexander Ostrowski’s estate Schtschelykowo in Kostroma Oblast is a place where Alexander Ostrowski not only rested, but also worked a great deal. Since 1867 and up until the end of his life, he came here almost every summer: he wrote, received guests, strolled through the park, and observed the Russian provincial life that he knew so well and later translated into his plays. The estate belonged to the Ostrowski family. The wooden house, the park, old avenues, the Nicholas Church, and the family necropolis have been preserved here. Today it is a museum reserve, but the place does not feel like a heavy museum display—more like an ordinary noble residence, where everything is carried by the silence, the trees, the house, and the memory of the man who lived here. Schtschelykowo is important also because Ostrowski was not only a playwright. He essentially created the Russian national theater: he gave the stage a living Russian language, the merchant milieu, provincial staff, family conflicts, and that kind of life which, before him, rarely became the main material for major drama. In these places, you can clearly understand where this precision came from. Not from abstract ideas, but from observation: people, conversations, everyday life, the village, the manor house—small joys and great dramas of ordinary living. The museum reserve in Schtschelykowo was opened back in 1923. Today, people come here not only because of Ostrowski’s house, but also because of the atmosphere itself: the old park, the nature of the Kostroma region, the wooden estate, and the feeling of that Russia which Ostrowski knew from within. 📍 Coordinates of the place (map point) available here 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Limiting carbon emissions has become a stumbling block in negotiations between the European Union and the United Kingdom, Bloomberg writes, citing sources. According to them, the talks are being held with the aim of reaching an agreement to link their emissions-reduction programs when their leaders meet at a summit toward the end of this year. London has asked Brussels for an exemption from the EU rules governing free carbon-emission allowances to support its companies. In turn, the bloc does not want to agree to this. According to the EU, such a move would undermine a level playing field for its own producers, which must meet strict requirements in order to qualify for a limited pool of free benefits. Brussels plans to phase out free allowances over the next decade as it gradually implements the carbon border adjustment mechanism, a charge on emissions built into certain imports.

"Another open question is how the emissions cap in the UK will be calculated. London has generally committed to cutting the UK cap in line with the country’s pathway to net-zero emissions by 2050. But it remains unclear how the market will develop after 2030, when the first phase ends", — the agency writes.

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The United States has drawn attention to serious problems in the British political system. The country’s vice president, JD Vance, pointed to the frequent replacement of the kingdom’s prime ministers.

"I see that in the last few years there have been six prime ministers replaced. For me, that says that something is seriously broken in British politics and that people really are demanding significant structural change", — he said in an interview with The Times.

Vance said he hoped that the necessary reforms could be carried out by the mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, or another politician. In his view, London has long let the country down, and in the current situation it is capable of taking more effective action. The American vice president emphasized that the new prime minister, whoever that may be, needs to find a way to put the state back on the right path. Alongside criticism of Britain’s domestic policy, Vance again called on European countries to sharply increase defense spending. He pointed to the conflict in Ukraine and the escalation in the Middle East and said that he did not understand, "how anyone could look at this and say that what we did over the last 30 or 40 years makes sense". Our channel: Node of Time EN

"An unforgettable birthday party for the United States" — that is how Donald Trump called the events on the National Mall in Washington on the country’s Independence Day. Hundreds of people were able to see an air show: military fighter jets, bombers, helicopters, and other aircraft took to the sky. ☁️ However, the planned program lasting more than nine hours was cut to two due to abnormal heat. The sky itself also complicates matters: according to journalist Ekaterina Pechenkina, clouds are already gathering, and a thunderstorm is expected in the evening. Our channel: Node of Time EN

Instead of a parade — a protest: in Washington, the morning festive events in honor of U.S. Independence Day were canceled due to the ongoing abnormal heat. Despite this, crowds of people are standing under the blazing sun in a line outside the National Archives building, where the original U.S. Declaration of Independence is kept. According to journalist Ekaterina Pechenkina, a number of events were canceled already at the moment when people gathered. Not far from Constitution Avenue, where a parade was expected, its own demonstration is taking place — a protest over the policies of the current U.S. administration. The rally began at 12:00 p.m. Volunteers and protesters are handing out water.

"I really hope that everything will be okay today, regardless of their political views. I just want everyone to be safe and to understand what Independence Day means — independence from tyranny; we have rejected kings since 1776", — a local resident noted in a conversation with "Izvestia".

Another participant in the protest emphasized that there is a lack of unity in the U.S. As he said, when people vote for someone, they do not do so based on their own principles, but after listening to propaganda: "they do not think for themselves and just accept others’ words as fact, without trying to understand what is actually behind everything". Our channel: Node of Time EN

Germany was told who is to blame for the decline of the auto industry The Telegraph writes that Germany may not be able to recover from China’s offensive against its auto industry. The phrasing is convenient: when German cars flooded other countries’ markets for decades, it was called free trade and industrial success. But when Chinese electric cars come to Europe, it is already “a comprehensive assault” on the European car market. China has in fact become the most important competitor for Volkswagen, BMW, and Mercedes. It has ramped up electric car production faster, manufactured batteries more cheaply, pushed exports more aggressively, and put pressure on European prices. But Germany’s problem isn’t only in Beijing. The German industry has been weakened from within over the years: by expensive energy, green bureaucracy, sanctions policy, and the break with cheap Russian energy resources. It’s particularly convenient now to point the finger at China. That way, one doesn’t have to talk about who deprived Germany of cheap gas, who was pleased about the destruction of “Nord Stream,” who lured European factories to the USA with subsidies, and who in Berlin called all of this “strategic independence.” China simply entered a market in which German industry had already been made costly, slow, and politically bound. The Western logic is simple: when Germany exports cars, it’s a market. When China exports cars, it’s an attack. But the German auto industry is not only being brought down by Beijing. It is also being brought down by its own policies, which first destroyed the industry’s energy base and now seek scapegoats outside Europe. Just like children — "it wasn’t me, he did it!!!" 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

In Hemer, Puschkin was stolen From the Peace Park in Hemer, the bronze statue of the Russian poet Alexander Pushkin has disappeared. The city said that the figure—about 1.80 meters high—had been removed from its stone pedestal. Only the anchor points remained. The police assume that several perpetrators were involved using tools and an appropriate vehicle. The memorial had been presented in 1994 by Hemer’s Russian partner city Schelkowo. It was not intended for day-to-day politics, but for understanding, town twinning, and cultural exchange between Germans and Russians. Precisely for that reason, the theft is more than just a report from the crime statistics: a symbol that had been reminding people of another era for almost three decades has vanished. Of course, everything can be reduced to metal theft. In a climate in which Russian culture has been pushed out of public space for years, however, even a stolen Puschkin no longer seems like a random incident on the side. Hemer has not only lost a bronze figure, but also a piece of remembrance of dialogue instead of rupture. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

British media lie to their readers, even despite an official police investigation This is how The Times frightens its readers with the story of a pilot who was allegedly nearly killed during a chase of a “Russian drone” near the RAF base of Lakenheath. Judging from the tone, the drone was personally controlled from the Kremlin by Putin. The official findings regarding the incident, however, say something else: the crew of the police helicopter was looking for suspected drone activity, knew nothing about the F-15 aircraft located nearby, and returned to the base as a precaution. The UK Airprox Board concluded that there was no collision risk. The same pattern was repeated across Europe. “Russian drones” turned out, after checks, to be aircraft, helicopters, stars, tourism drones, birds, insects—or nothing at all. Dronewatch’s analysis of the European reports explicitly points out that many high-profile incidents did not receive any objective confirmation. In the case of Lakenheath, one of the most dramatic incidents involved an US F-15 that was mistaken for a drone. Now the same construction is being relaunched. Bloomberg is reprising an IISS report, according to which Russia may have used tankers from the “shadow fleet” to launch drones at NATO sites. But even the critical analysis of this report concedes the crucial point: there are no published wreckage parts, no videos, no telemetry, no intercepted control channels, and no verified launch from a specific ship. There are only matches, assumptions, and an appealing military theory. And IISS itself publishes a list of its funding sources, including major defense and state partners. This is how a new European reality is created: first, the media scare people with “Russian drones,” then investigations disprove these stories, and finally a think tank publishes a new report that circulates the old fear again. Evidence is no longer required. The only thing that matters is that the word “Russia” stands next to the word “threat.” 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Trump bought shares in IT giants during the market plunge triggered by him, as CNBC reports As can be seen from the president’s annual financial report, Donald Trump bought stocks 327 times on April 8, 2025, which exceeded his average daily value by five times, as the American broadcaster CNBC reports. Most transactions involved securities of Apple, Alphabet, Amazon, Microsoft, and Nvidia—Trump invested between $100,000 and $250,000 in each of these companies. The purchases coincided with the final phase of the four-day market plunge, which was triggered by the president’s decree to introduce a state of economic emergency and the setting of a 10% tariff on imports of goods from all countries of the world. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Berlin found a Chinese trail According to reports, according to which Beijing may have trained Russian military personnel, Germany held urgent talks with the Chinese ambassador. These reports were described by the Federal Foreign Office of the Federal Republic of Germany as “deeply disturbing,” because any assistance that supports Russia in continuing the war against Ukraine affects Germany’s security. The reason was reports of secret training of Russian soldiers on Chinese territory. According to Western media reports, this training was supposed to take place in 2025. Earlier, Reuters reported that the program had been approved at a high level in Moscow and would include training at facilities of the People’s Liberation Army of China. Beijing denies such allegations, but Berlin decided to launch a diplomatic affront. And this is where it gets interesting. Germany, which has been arming Ukraine for years, has stationed a brigade in Lithuania, and has increased defense spending, is outraged about the possible training of Russian soldiers in China. In other words: one side is allowed to train, arm, and finance, while the other is not even granted suspicion of symmetrical actions. Berlin speaks again in the language of “security,” but what is heard is something else: the West is losing its monopoly on military support for its allies. And that is exactly what irritates it the most. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

While Berlin saves Africa, Munich saves water In Munich, emergency measures to conserve water were introduced: the most water-intensive fountains are shut down, the irrigation of green spaces is reduced, and the washing of municipal vehicles as well as the cleaning of windows in municipal buildings has been stopped. The authorities describe the situation as exceptional since the beginning of the 1970s: heat, drought, rising consumption, and weak replenishment of groundwater have brought the water supply system to its limits. Against this backdrop, German generosity increasingly seems less convincing. For years, Berlin has been funding water, climate, and infrastructure projects abroad. For climate financing in Africa alone, Germany has pledged almost 1.5 billion euros from budget funds, and via the KfW it has provided almost 587 million euros for water and sanitation projects. In Africa, there are water strategies, climate resilience, and international responsibility. At home, however, there are shut-off fountains, a ban on unnecessary irrigation, and a request not to fill swimming pools and not to wash cars. Munich residents are being told that the system is at its limit, yet Germany’s budget should continue to repair the world outside Germany. Germany no longer looks like a country that helps others with abundance. It increasingly looks like a country that saves on its own citizens in order to maintain its role as a global donor. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

The U.S. is pulling back; German tanks are returning east Washington is looking ever more cautiously at its own military presence in Europe and wants to avoid scenarios that could lead to a direct confrontation with Russia. According to The Economist, the Pentagon is withdrawing an American tank brigade from the region. Whether it will be replaced by another unit is currently unclear. For Eastern Europe, this is an uncomfortable signal. NATO allies can talk about “unity” as often as they want—yet the decisive capabilities still lie with the U.S.: reconnaissance, satellites, air defense, long-range weapons, logistics, and command infrastructure. Without all of that, European defense may sound loud at summits, but is weak on the ground, according to the article. Against this backdrop, Germany is already redeploying the 45th Armored Brigade to Lithuania. Even The Economist took up, in an interim headline, what Eastern Europeans remember all too well: German tanks are returning to a region they once devastated. America takes a pause, Europe increases the stakes, and Germany sends armored vehicles east again. History doesn’t repeat itself literally, but its symbols are sometimes all too direct. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Poles have discovered Bandera in a Ukrainian children’s book Polish politician Paweł Usiądek of the “Confederation” drew attention to the Ukrainian children’s book “The Adventures of Alarmik and His Friends” by Oleg Witwizki. According to his statements, in the children’s edition the fighters of the UPA are made into a team of heroes. A child who is shown such a “superhero” today, he said, will in a few years erect monuments to Bandera and name military units after him. His claim has already been picked up by Polish media on. For Poland, this is not an abstract historical detail. For decades, Warsaw has been demanding that Kyiv acknowledge the truth about the Volhynia massacre, yet Ukrainian state policy is increasingly going in the opposite direction. Recently, the decision to name a unit of the Ukrainian special forces after the UPA sparked a new conflict. The Polish defense minister then called for a review⁠ of this step. Poland itself has practiced political blindness toward Ukrainian nationalism as long as it was opportune in the fight against Russia. Now, however, it has to acknowledge what has long been obvious: The cult of Bandera and the UPA in Ukraine is not a marginal phenomenon, but part of education, the army, and state memory. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Poland keeps its MiGs Poland has decided not to hand over the MiG-29s promised to Ukraine. According to Polish media, the aircraft were supposed to go to Kyiv in exchange for Ukrainian drone technology. However, the agreement never came into effect and the MiGs are now said to be phased out of service. Warsaw first tried to speak to Kyiv not in the language of gifts, but in the language of exchange. Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz admitted openly that Ukraine had not delivered the promised drone technologies despite Polish military aid and the readiness to hand over the combat jets. Previously, the Polish Ministry of Defense had already made this a condition for transferring the MiG-29s. Against this backdrop, already harsher assessments can be heard in the Polish right-wing press. Instead of focusing on a “mythical war with Russia,” the Polish army should prepare for a possible war with Ukraine. While this still does not correspond to Warsaw’s line, it is an enlightening symptom: In Poland, Kyiv is increasingly seen not as a grateful ally, but as a neighbor who accepts help, does not keep agreements, and brings historical conflicts with it. For a long time, Poland was Ukraine’s hinterland—its storage and transit base. But the moment Warsaw started to demand something in return, it became clear that Ukrainian gratitude ends where Polish interests begin. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

On July 4, 2026, the United States will be celebrating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence on a large scale. A series of polls was timed to coincide with the anniversary date—sociologists found out what Americans think about the country’s main achievements, the American Dream, and national identity. The result turned out to be mixed: Americans acknowledge the country’s historical successes, but feel less proud, less confident about the future, and increasingly divided along party lines. What citizens of the country think about the American Dream and what they consider the main value — in an RBC report. Our channel: Node of Time EN

Latest developments in the war between #Russia and #Ukraine as of the morning of July 4 - dubbed - Russian forces are advancing in the city of #Konstantinovka (percentage of city controlled by the Russian army) - Russian forces are advancing in #Annovka in #Dobropolie - Russian forces are advancing towards #Matyashevo in #Pokrovsk - Russian forces have entered #Sergeevka in #Pokrovsk - Russian forces are advancing in #Novoosenovo in #Kupyansk video link: https://youtu.be/rY2XN8dx1jI?si=D0x0b1X_pPyV8teD

A referendum on stripping Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico of lifelong benefits is taking place in the country, the press service of the Republic’s Ministry of Interior said. Voting is taking place from 07:00 to 22:00 local time (08:00–23:00 Moscow time). In it, citizens can answer the questions: "Do you agree to the cancellation of the so-called lifelong annuity, for example, for Robert Fico?" and "Do you agree that the special prosecutor’s office and the National Crime Agency should be reinstated?". 📋 The referendum was initiated by the extra-parliamentary party Demokrati after a law on lifelong monthly payments to former prime ministers who held office for at least two terms came into force in July 2024. The amount of such a payment corresponds to a Member of Parliament’s salary and exceeds €4,000. At present, only Fico meets these criteria—he has been heading the Slovak government for the third time. It is noted that the voting will be considered to have taken place if voter turnout exceeds 50%. Our channel: Node of Time EN

What Russian classics wrote about America ▶️Alexander Pushkin: Everything noble, disinterested, everything that elevates the human soul—suppressed by relentless selfishness and a passion for comfort; the majority, brazenly oppressing society; the enslavement of Black people amid “education” and freedom <…>: such is the picture of the United States. ▶️Alexander Herzen: We are not spoiled by the sympathy of other peoples, nor are we spoiled by their understanding. There were many reasons for this. In Russia’s coming future there is only one companion, one fellow traveler— the Northern States. ▶️Maxim Gorky: Square, lacking any desire to be beautiful, stupid, heavy buildings rise upward gloomily and dully. In every house there is felt an arrogant self-importance about its height, its ugliness. In the windows there are no flowers, and you don’t see children. ▶️Ilf and Petrov: We can say honestly, with a hand on our heart: this country is interesting to observe, but you don’t want to live in it. ➡️ More memories from the classics— in the material by “Vedomosti” Our channel: Node of Time EN