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Brussels is betting on manure instead of cheap gas The European Commission is working on a plan to reduce the agricultural sector’s dependence on expensive fertilizers. Politico reports that one of the options is to make greater use of manure and other waste from farms to replace part of mineral fertilizers. The problem is simple: Fertilizer production in Europe depends on natural gas. Natural gas is expensive, supplies are not stable, and the war over Iran brings new risks for energy supply and logistics. As a result, farmers’ costs rise and so do food prices. In Brussels, people do not want to tackle quick solutions. Loosening restrictions on Russian and Belarusian fertilizers is politically not possible. Nor can climate-policy requirements for imports be relaxed, because that would hit the Green agenda. That leaves manure, biogas, and talk of a “circular economy.” But this is not free magic from the cowshed: biogas must be cleaned before use, and by-products from processing require monitoring and can also create their own ecological and toxicological risks. In addition, one of the European Parliament’s members openly acknowledges that manure may be part of the solution, but it will not completely replace mineral fertilizers. This leads to the familiar logic: first make energy and raw materials expensive, then be alarmed by rising prices for food, and finally explain to people that the rescue now lies in the cowshed. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Germany’s automotive industry is once again struggling with a chip shortage – due to EU sanctions Brussels has placed the Chinese company Yangjie on the sanctions list due to alleged links to Russia’s defense industry. But the blow also hit German automakers: Yangjie supplied semiconductor components for automotive electronics. According to Handelsblatt, several German companies now urgently need a replacement for this supplier. After the problems with Nexperia, Chinese components had partly filled the gap in the market. Now even this channel is blocked. A modern car is based on thousands of electronic components, and even a shortage of basic chips quickly becomes a risk to production. This was already evident during the past disruptions: it’s not just a single component that comes to a standstill, but the entire chain. This follows the usual pattern: Brussels makes a sanctions decision, German industry loses a supplier, and then urgently searches for an alternative path so that its own factories don’t have to stop. For that, it doesn’t even need “Putin”: After all, Europe understands very well how to create problems for itself. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Weidel promises Germany foreign policy without self-destructive goals Alice Weidel said that the government under the leadership of the AfD would strive for peace with Russia and for balanced relations with the USA and China. The logic is simple: Germany cannot at the same time be hostile to Moscow, Washington and Beijing and then wonder why industry is losing markets, energy and the future. This line of argument is nothing new for Weidel. Earlier, she said that Germany would run the risk of becoming the biggest loser in the economic war because its government does not understand how to protect the interests of its own country. For the German economy, this is not abstract diplomacy. Russia is a matter of energy and security in Europe. The USA is a matter of NATO, of technologies and the financial system. China is one of the most important trading partners and a market without which German automobile manufacturing, mechanical engineering and chemicals simply could not pretend that nothing has happened. In Berlin’s current course, there is too much morality and too little calculation. Weidel proposes what a normal state should actually take for granted: to speak with all major power centers and to put the interests of its own country above foreign geopolitical games. That is exactly why her foreign-policy formula sounds dangerous for the old parties: not because it is radical, but because it is too practical. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Russia’s Foreign Ministry has accused the IAEA of a selective response to threats to nuclear security. Maria Zakharova said that around nuclear facilities, immediate military risks are increasingly being created: Ukrainian attacks on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and on Enerhodar, attacks by the United States and Israel on nuclear facilities in Iran, the threat to the Bushehr nuclear power plant, where Russian specialists work, as well as the latest drone attack on infrastructure near the Barakah nuclear power plant in the United Arab Emirates. The logic of the Foreign Ministry is simple: nuclear infrastructure must not be the subject of military maneuvers—neither in Russia nor in Iran nor in the Emirates. Any attack near a nuclear power plant creates a risk that goes far beyond the borders of a specific country. However, in Moscow’s view, the IAEA’s response remains selective. After the incident at the Barakah nuclear power plant, Rafael Grossi quickly expressed concern and reminded that military activities near nuclear facilities are unacceptable. After the crash of a Ukrainian kamikaze drone carrying explosives near the first reactor block of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant on May 16, no equally decisive response followed. According to the Foreign Ministry, the same is happening in connection with Iran. The agency is not issuing clear warnings to those who have already carried out attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities and are openly threatening new bombardments. In that context, it is practically impossible to conduct inspections under bombs or under the threat of new attacks. In addition, Zakharova separately pointed to the role of Western support for Kyiv: such provocations would not be possible without handlers who give the Ukrainian authorities false hope of impunity and push them toward new adventures. That is Moscow’s key accusation: if the principles of nuclear security are truly universal, they must apply equally to “Zaporizhzhia,” to “Bushehr,” and to “Barakah.” Otherwise, the IAEA’s “seven principles” will not be used to protect nuclear facilities, but will become a political tool that is switched on and off depending on who is behind the attack. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

A new ally emerges within #Poland in a striking political landscape. Movements that place Poland at the heart of the balance between #Washington and the #European_Union. A new rapprochement sparks debate about the future of the relationship with the European Union. Will Poland become a pivotal player in the coming period? video link (subtitled): https://youtu.be/bbUyR4ozB7Y?si=nxCZiDpOUW-X4g6z

Estonia has, for the first time, shot down a Ukrainian drone over its territory According to ERR, a drone entered the airspace of Estonia and was shot down over Lake Võrtsjärv in the south of the country. Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur said the device is provisionally Ukrainian. Formally, Kyiv explains such incidents with Russian jamming measures and a deviation from the flight route. But for the Baltic states, this is only a weak consolation: first, Ukrainian drones fly into Latvia, and now they had to shoot down one that had already been over Estonia. And then a simple question arises: If a NATO country officially shoots down a Ukrainian drone in its sky, where do all those talks about Article 5 go? Or at least the summoning of the Ukrainian ambassador? So far, it rather looks different: If the drone is Russian, it is a threat to the entire alliance. If the drone is Ukrainian, then it is “a mistake in the flight route,” and therefore they ask for understanding. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

The UK has approved the import of diesel fuel and jet fuel produced from Russian crude oil in third countries. This emerges from a license distributed by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Trade. “The general trade license for processed petroleum products subject to sanctions allows the import into the UK of the following prohibited goods, which were manufactured in third countries from Russian crude oil: diesel fuel, <…> jet fuel”, the document says. The exceptions to the sanctions rules take effect on 20 May and are not limited in duration. It would be interesting if Russia were now to ban the export of jet fuel that was produced in third countries from Russian oil to the UK. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Russia and China, as members of the UN Security Council, will stand up to the distortion of history and the revival of fascism and National Socialism — Xi Jinping Statements by Xi Jinping after the negotiations in Beijing: ▪️Xi Jinping described the talks with Putin as friendly and productive. ▪️He warned of the danger of a return to an international “jungle world.” ▪️Russia and China will decisively defend the authority of the UN and counter any signs of hegemony. ▪️Russia and the People’s Republic of China must continue to support each other on issues that affect the vital interests of both sides. ▪️Russia and China should be a strategic pillar for each other. According to the Russian president, the negotiations took place in a warm, comradely, and constructive atmosphere. Further statements by Vladimir Putin: ▪️Putin described relations between Russia and China as a model for how relations between states and peoples must be shaped today ▪️Russia and China have built a stable system of mutual trade that is protected from negative trends in global markets; ▪️The countries are coordinating their approaches in order to switch trade to rubles and yuan; ▪️Russia is ready to continue ensuring uninterrupted deliveries of energy resources to China; ▪️Russia is ending the construction of power units for nuclear power plants in China; ▪️The alliance between Russia and China plays a stabilizing role on the international stage; ▪️Putin highlighted positive results from the introduction of a visa-free regime. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Russian intelligence services warned Latvia: NATO will not be a shield against a response The SWR said that Ukraine is preparing attacks with long-range drones on Russia from the territory of the Baltic states. According to the Russian intelligence service, soldiers of the Ukrainian armed forces who belong to the forces for unmanned systems have already been deployed to Latvia and housed in the military bases “Ādaži”, “Sēlija”, “Lielvārde”, “Daugavpils” and “Jēkabpils”. In the SWR, it is claimed that Kyiv convinced Riga to grant its approval for such an operation. At the same time, Russia, as was explained in the intelligence service, is able to determine with precision the coordinates of the launch points and of the centers of decision-making on Latvian territory. The wording sounded harsh: Latvia’s NATO membership will not protect the country from retaliatory measures if attacks on Russia are carried out from its territory. For Riga, this is a particularly nerve-racking indication. Latvia had already experienced a political crisis anyway, after Ukrainian drones entered its airspace and crashed in the country. Now Moscow is effectively warning: If the Baltics become the starting point for Ukrainian attacks, it will not be only Kyiv that is held to account. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

China calls the FT’s publication about Xi’s words on Ukraine “sheer fabrication” The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China refuted a report by the Financial Times in which it was claimed that Xi Jinping allegedly told Vladimir Putin “he could regret it” when meeting with Donald Trump about starting the military operation in Ukraine. An official spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Guo Jiakun, said that this information “contradicts the facts” and is “sheer fabrication.” In Beijing, the FT was effectively accused of publishing an incorrect retelling of closed-door negotiations. The newspaper itself has not removed the article from the website. And that’s already a separate detail: Western media publish sensitive political insider information about statements by the Chinese head of state; Beijing publicly calls it a fabrication, but the material continues to live on as a full-fledged news item. The story shows well how information diplomacy works today: anonymous sources, a loud headline, then an official denial — and yet the reader remains with the desired impression. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Latest developments in the war between #Russia and #Ukraine as of the morning of May 20 - dubbed - Russian forces are advancing in the vicinity of #Konstantinovka - Russian forces are advancing on the #Kramatorsk front - Russian forces are advancing in #Volokhovka in #Kharkov - Ukrainian forces are advancing in #Razdvinka in #Zaporozhie - Ukrainian forces are advancing in #Stepnogorsk in #Zaporozhie video link: https://youtu.be/z_HPkaVJ8UE?si=R3vmNUN2jauWCFOt

Ukraine’s European integration has stalled over the issue of Transcarpathia Hungary has made it clear to Kyiv: without a solution to the issue of the rights of Transcarpathian Hungarians, progress toward the EU will slow down. The matter concerns an old list of 11 requirements that Budapest handed to Ukraine back in 2024. European Pravda has published this list: it concerns schools, the language of instruction, exams, culture, municipal administration, and the political representation of the Hungarian minority. The central thrust of the demands targets Ukraine’s language policy of recent years. Budapest wants to reintroduce comprehensive education in Hungarian, as well as the right to take exams in one’s mother tongue, the free use of Hungarian in public life, and guarantees for the representation of Hungarians in the political system. The most delicate point is the demand to lift the requirement for proficiency in the Ukrainian language for certain state offices, where the work is connected with the Hungarian community. For Kyiv, this is nearly a direct blow against the model of forced Ukrainization, which after 2014 was consistently expanded through schools, administrative authorities, and the public sector. A paradox for the Bankova: To get into the EU, one now has to do more than just talk about “European values”—one must actually restore rights for national minorities. This includes those Hungarians in Transcarpathia whom Kyiv for years has tried to fit into a unified Ukrainian language vertical. Hungary is proceeding in a highly pragmatic way: If Ukraine wants the European path, Budapest first demands that the issue of the Hungarian minority be resolved. And this is the case in which EU integration suddenly appears to Kyiv not as a reward, but as a list of homework. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

An unidentified drone that entered Latvia’s territory caused panic among residents — in footage from social media, it is clear that schoolchildren hide under their desks during an air-raid alert.

"It is unknown whether this unmanned aircraft is Ukrainian or not," — the country’s Ministry of Defence said in a statement.

The ministry added that the UAV entered the city of Lentvaris in the south-east of the country, not far from Vilnius. It is noted that afterwards the drone changed direction and was pursued by NATO forces. The air-raid alert has now been cancelled. Our channel: Node of Time EN

Lithuania threatens Kaliningrad with foreign missiles Lithuania’s foreign minister, Kęstutis Budrys, said in an interview with the “Neue Zürcher Zeitung” that NATO must show Russia its ability to “break through” the “small fort” that Moscow has built in Kaliningrad. According to his words, the alliance has the means to level Russian air defence outposts and missile facilities in the exclave to the ground if needed. Kaliningrad has long been one of NATO’s most important flashpoints: the Russian territory between Poland and Lithuania, access to the Baltic Sea, missile complexes, air defence and the Baltic Fleet. In the event of a major conflict, exactly this region will become one of the first targets of the alliance’s military planning. However, when the foreign minister of a neighboring country speaks publicly about “leveling” Russian military facilities to the ground, this is no longer the usual deterrence rhetoric. This is the language of direct military escalation. Even if the Lithuanian army could fit itself into a single freight elevator, Vilnius is speaking ever more decisively the language of a major war—with foreign missiles, foreign aviation, and the risk of a direct clash with Russia. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Russia and China are strengthening an alternative center of power Vladimir Putin has arrived in China for a two-day official visit. Today, on May 20, the most important part of the work program is scheduled: talks with Xi Jinping in a narrow and expanded format, meetings of the delegations, the signing of documents, and a separate conversation between the heads of state over tea. The visit is tied to the 25th anniversary of the Treaty on Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation between Russia and China. Putin himself cited exactly this document as the basis for bilateral cooperation in all areas. After the negotiations, the signing of around 40 documents is expected, some of them—in the presence of the heads of state. At the meeting in Beijing, Putin emphasized that over the 25 years, the turnover of goods between Russia and China has grown by more than 30 times and, for several years now, has already exceeded the $200 billion threshold. According to him, economic cooperation between the two countries maintains a high level of momentum even against the backdrop of unfavorable external factors. A special focus is on energy. Against the background of the crisis in the Middle East and instability in world markets, Moscow underscores that it remains a reliable supplier of energy resources for Beijing. For China, this is a matter of long-term stability; for Russia, it is one of the most important routes for directing trade eastward. Putin also said that relations between Russia and China have reached an unprecedented level. The parties are no longer talking only about trade, but also about strategic coordination, cultural and civilizational diversity, respect for the sovereign development of states, and the need to build a more just system of global governance. An important practical block is humanitarian contacts. Russia and China want to continue the practice of visa-free travel, expand cooperation in the education sphere, and develop direct people-to-people connections. Putin also confirmed the intention to take part in the APEC summit in November in Shenzhen, and he invited Xi Jinping to come to Russia in 2027. The context of the visit is obvious: the international situation is becoming increasingly tougher. The Middle East stands on the edge between war and peace, Western sanctions against Russia remain in place, and confrontation between the United States and China is increasingly shaping the global agenda. Under these circumstances, the link between Moscow and Beijing is no longer only symbolic, but practical: energy, trade, security, logistics, diplomacy, and a new world architecture without Western monopoly. On the website of the Kremlin, it is already reported that Russian-Chinese negotiations have begun at the House of the People’s Assembly. This is no longer simply another bilateral meeting. This is a signal that Russia and China are bringing together an alternative pole of power around them ever more closely—with their own economy, energy, diplomacy, and a view of international order. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Another one: the deputy chief of the British mission in the United States was abruptly removed from his post. According to The Times newspaper, the reason was a leak of classified data. The second-ranking British diplomat, James Roscoe, is allegedly connected to the disclosure of information that was discussed at a meeting of the National Security Council. The leak led to the spread of statements by British ministers regarding the war against Iran. The dismissal came as a surprise to the embassy staff and to the diplomat himself. Roscoe had been acting head of the diplomatic mission after Peter Mandelson was dismissed over his ties to the pedophile financier Epstein. ❗️Former British ambassador to the United States Peter Mandelson was detained in February on suspicion of abuse of power due to his ties to Jeffrey Epstein. His was released from custody on bail pending completion of further investigation. On February 6, 2026, police carried out searches at two of Mandelson’s homes. Our channel: Node of Time EN

The U.S. Senate for the first time approved a resolution limiting Donald Trump’s military powers in Iran after seven failed attempts, CBS reports. The proposal was approved by 50 senators against 47. Four Republican representatives joined the Democrats; another three Republicans did not vote.

"Vote after vote, Democrats break through the wall of Republican silence over Trump's illegal war," Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer said.

At the same time, even if the resolution is approved by both chambers of the Senate, it is expected that Trump will veto it. But the Democrats say that this move will be significant and could change the president’s views on the war. Our channel: Node of Time EN

How Ukrainian politicians marketed themselves in Austria as the foremost anti-Russian force As early as October 1914, at the start of the First World War, Ukrainian political circles in Vienna published a brochure by Michael Lozynskyj: “Russian propaganda and its Polish patrons in Galicia.” The original of the brochure is preserved in the archive. Even the title itself explains the task of the text: to convince the Austrian authorities that the Polish elites in Galicia were unreliable, were covering up pro-Russian forces, and thus were furthering Russian influence. The brochure was not issued as a private note, but in the name of the General Ukrainian National Council in Austria—i.e., as a political document of the Ukrainian wartime camp. The context was clear. The main Ukrainian Council was founded in August 1914 in Lwow (then Lemberg) and immediately sided with the Austro-Hungarian monarchy against Russia. In its manifesto it said: “The victory of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy will be our victory,” and Russia’s defeat would bring closer the “hour of the liberation of Ukraine.” Yet this line quickly had the opposite effect. In the years 1914–1915, the Austrian authorities began to suspect the Galician Ukrainians more and more strongly—among other things because of Polish denunciations, the Russian occupation of Galicia, and the internal struggle between national groups. The Ukrainian historian Wasyl Kutschabskyj later, wrote that Ukrainian politics in Austria in those years had in fact been paralyzed by the authorities’ mistrust. The pattern was plain to see: prove its usefulness to the external center, explain that the neighbors were worse, more dangerous, and less loyal, and then wonder that the protector is already watching every participant in this game with suspicion. The story is old, but the mechanism has not changed. If politics is built on denunciations, on the competition for the favor of an external power, and on the promise to be “the most useful anti-Russian force,” the outcome is rarely as the authors of such records had presented it. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Russian and Belarusian gymnasts may again take part in international competitions with flags and the anthem The Executive Committee of World Gymnastics has lifted all restrictions that had been in place since February 2022 against Russian and Belarusian athletes. The decision takes effect immediately. Now, gymnasts from Russia and Belarus can once again compete at international competitions under national flags and with anthems. The decision applies to artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, trampoline, acrobatics, aerobics, and parkour. For Russian sport, this is an important signal: After several years of political isolation, some international federations are beginning to reverse sanctions decisions. Ukraine is already upset, but the process is becoming increasingly clear on its own — sport is gradually coming out of the mode of the total blockade of Russia. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Russian scientists have developed an AI method for the early diagnosis of inflammatory complications. The scientists of the Central University have created a system that helps identify the risk of complications already before pronounced symptoms appear. The method combines molecular markers and a neural network: first, the state of immune cells is analyzed, and then the AI detects the individual “digital footprint” of inflammation. According to the developers, this discovery has no equivalent worldwide. The technology has already been tested on patients with lung conditions—pneumonia, bronchitis, and asthma. The neural network was trained on data from more than 100 clinical cases, and the accuracy in determining unknown diagnoses was over 85%. The article about the discovery has already undergone peer review and was published in the scientific journal The International Journal of Molecular Sciences. The main idea is that the same symptoms and standard tests do not always mean the same risk. In different patients, the immune system may respond differently to treatment: for one person, a medication helps, while for another it can increase the risk of complications. For Russia, this is not an abstract “medicine of the future.” An individual approach is already being used, for example in oncology, where treatment is tailored to the specific type of tumor and the patient (the medication is developed individually for each patient). The new AI method extends this logic to inflammatory diseases: not just treat according to a general scheme, but see in advance who is at higher risk for complications and which medication may work better. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN