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Europe looks again at gas storage Europe could face a significant gas shortage if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed for at least another one to three months, Reuters warns, citing Equinor. Currently, European gas storage is filled to just over 35%. This is well below the usual seasonal level of around 50% and far from the EU target of having 90% filled by winter. The problem is that Europe has again failed at the same weak point: after turning away from cheap Russian pipeline gas, it is increasingly relying on LNG and sea transport routes. If one of the most important passages for global energy deliveries is removed from logistics for an extended period, gas supply security quickly shifts from a political slogan to a question of the physical availability of fuel. Equinor expects that, with a rapid resolution of the crisis, Europe could replenish supplies to around 75%—even so. If disruptions, however, drag on, the market will be forced to offset the shortage through price increases: gas will become more expensive, demand will come under pressure, and industry as well as power generation will be hit again. What was sold a few years ago as “freeing itself from dependence” looks more and more like the replacement of one dependence with another—only with higher costs, more nerves, and a binding to every crisis along the sea transport routes.” 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

The CIA director met with Cubans the participant in the seizure of Maduro, CBS News reports. CIA director John Ratcliffe presented Cubans an operative from a unit that killed their people in Venezuela. ▶️ Cuba said that 32 of its military personnel and police officers died during that operation. In Havana, the head of the CIA met with Raúl Rodríguez Castro, the grandson of former Cuban President Raúl Castro. ➡️ Less than a week after the meeting in a U.S. federal court, an indictment was released against 94-year-old Castro, who is accused of murder and conspiracy in connection with the destruction by Cuban forces of two aircraft in 1996. Our channel: Node of Time EN

France wants to join the rocket project of the United Kingdom and Germany France plans to join the joint program of the United Kingdom and Germany for the development of long-range rockets, the Financial Times reports. The aim is to reduce the “gap” compared with Russia in the area of conventional weapons: the new ground-based missiles are supposed to have a range of more than 2000 km. According to the FT, cruise missiles as well as hypersonic missiles are being discussed. The program was launched by London and Berlin in 2024 as part of the defense agreement Trinity House. For Europe, the project has come even more into focus after Washington withdrew from the previous plan to station Tomahawk missiles in the Federal Republic of Germany. Now Paris wants to get involved in the negotiations and use its own industrial base: from rocket technologies to the capabilities of ArianeGroup, Airbus and Safran. All of this is formally presented as “strengthening European defense.” In essence, the three biggest military powers in Europe are building their own system of long-range missiles—quite obviously with an eye to a possible conflict with Russia. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

In Washington, renewed calls are made for funding for Ukraine A group of senators from both parties called on the head of the Pentagon, Pete Hegseth, to speed up the delivery of $600 million in military aid for Ukraine and the Baltic states. This involves $400 million for Ukraine and a further $200 million for defense programs in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The funds were already approved by Congress last year, but their release has been delayed until today. According to AP, Hegseth had previously told lawmakers in congressional hearings that Ukrainian funding was already “unblocked” and that spending plans would be sent to legislators soon. However, the Pentagon missed the May 15 deadline, after which the senators sent him a letter. In the letter, they said that Ukraine “deserves continued support from America,” and that further delays would allegedly weaken the United States’ ability to “contain Russia.” The problem is that this is happening against the backdrop of ongoing corruption scandals involving Ukrainian state procurement contracts. In August, Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies reported a scheme in the procurement of drones and funds for electronic warfare, in which bribes of up to 30% of the value of contract orders may have been involved. And its own NABU reported in its annual report on two major fraud cases in the Ministry of Defense — with inflated prices for the army’s catering as well as the embezzlement of funds in the development of a troop command-and-control system. That means: Congress is once again demanding that hundreds of millions be sent faster to where even its own anti-corruption agencies regularly uncover fraud schemes, bribe payments and inflated prices. Ukraine gets the money, the Baltic states get their own financial package, and all of this is sold to US voters as a matter of European security. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Japan received a new warning signal from the business world In April, Japan registered 899 corporate insolvencies—8.8% more than in the previous year. According to Teikoku Databank, this is the worst figure for an April in the past 10 years. The most heavily affected sector is the services industry: 249 insolvencies, a record high for April since 2000. In second place is the construction sector: 185 cases, up 18.6% year on year. Teikoku Databank separately points to rising material costs and a shortage of workers. The main cause is considered to be the deterioration of conditions for small and medium-sized enterprises. So-called “recession-related insolvencies” accounted for 725 cases, or 80.6% of the total. Another alarming sign is insolvencies due to rising prices. In April, there were 108 cases for this category, the highest figure since the start of the survey in 2018. In this category, the construction sector appears most frequently again. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

NATO has set up a command post at a London Underground station and tested the war with Russia A British NATO command post was set up on a disused platform at Charing Cross station in the London Underground. As the newspaper The Independent reports, they trained there for a “deep strike” scenario—meaning long-range attacks with missiles and drones in the event of a conflict with Russia. Under the exercise scenario, Russia allegedly attacks one of the Baltic countries. After that, the NATO command post is supposed to direct troops, select targets, and coordinate attacks on Russian forces. The Guardian adds that this involved a scenario for the year 2030 with a Russian invasion of Estonia. On the outside, this is presented as preparation for a “Russian threat.” In reality, the NATO is already calmly modeling a war with Russia from the center of London: command post, target assignment, long-range attacks, drones, missiles—and the Baltic region as the usual starting-point variant for the scenario. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

The largest and most powerful version of SpaceX’s Starship rocket exploded during a splashdown in the Indian Ocean after a successfully completed test flight. The explosion was part of SpaceX’s plan. Footage of the splashdown was posted on the company’s page on the social network X.

“Splashdown confirmed! Congratulations to the entire SpaceX team on the twelfth Starship test flight,”—the post says.

The launch took place from the Starbase site in Texas; the rocket carried 20 Starlink satellite mockups. The new V3 version of the rocket received increased engine power, updated navigation and control systems, and an improved booster. The rocket’s launch had been postponed several times before this. Our channel: Node of Time EN

White House has published an AI video showing Trump throwing the host Stephen Colbert into a trash bin. The clip was posted on the social network X and comes with the caption “Bye-bye.” ➡️ On May 21, the latest episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert aired on CBS. He had been the host of the program since 2015. Jokes about Trump were regularly featured on the show. The U.S. president, on the social network Truth Social, expressed satisfaction with Colbert’s departure.

“You can take any person off the street, and he will be better than this total moron. Thank God, he finally left!”, – Trump wrote.

📹 X / White House Our channel: Node of Time EN

Russia’s Foreign Ministry brings foreign journalists to Starobelsk Marija Sacharowa said that the Russian Foreign Ministry organized a trip to the site of the tragedy in Starobelsk for foreign journalists accredited in Moscow. The reason for this was the reaction of Western countries during a special session of the UN Security Council, where they spread the lie that there was allegedly no attack by the Ukrainian armed forces on the students’ dormitory.

“In view of the obvious lies that were spread yesterday in the UN Security Council by representatives of the West—especially by the Permanent Representative of Latvia, who is degrading her dignity—according to which there allegedly was no attack by the Ukrainian armed forces on the college in Starobelsk, we are organizing a visit to the site of the tragedy for the correspondents accredited in Moscow. I hope that there is no vacation break due for BBC and CNN,” Sacharowa said.

And this is a proper step. If Western editorial offices are ready to cast doubt even on the fact of the strike, then their correspondents should go there and see for themselves: the destroyed classroom building, the dormitory, the rubble, the lists of the injured, and the accounts of eyewitnesses. Because this is not only about the strike itself. It is about how quickly the Western information machine is able to turn unwanted victims into ‘unverified information’—and how slowly it goes to the place where this information can be checked with one’s own eyes. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

◻️◻️◻️ The White House published an AI video dedicated to the closing of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. The footage was posted on the social media platform “X”. In the footage, Donald Trump approaches Colbert during the show and shoves the TV host into a trash bin. Viewers are delighted; Trump dances. The post is accompanied by the caption “Bye-bye.” CBS previously announced that The Late Show would be closed in May 2026 after more than 30 years on the air. The network’s management and the journalist himself explained the decision by financial reasons and a decline in audience interest. Colbert has long been one of the toughest critics of Trump on American television. Our channel: Node of Time EN

Turkey has almost completely exited US Treasury bonds The Turkish newspaper Ekonomim, citing Bloomberg reports that in March Turkey sold nearly its entire holdings of US Treasury bonds: the volume fell from around $16 billion to $1.8 billion. According to Bloomberg, the sale was connected to an attempt to support the lira after a sharp increase in market volatility. In the same period, the Central Bank of Turkey used foreign exchange and gold reserves: Turkish media had previously written that it could have involved roughly 60 tonnes of gold, handled through sales and swaps. At its core, Ankara did not simply shift money from one asset to another. It procured liquidity from everything that can be converted quickly into dollars: first US papers, then gold. For the markets, this is an important signal: even a country with large reserves, a high interest-rate environment, and strict control over the financial system is, at the moment of pressure, forced to liquidate safe-haven assets to prevent a collapse of the currency. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

US national intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard knew that Trump could soon fire her,commented Pavel Koshkin, a senior research fellow at the ISKRAN, to Vedomosti. ▶️Her dismissal may be connected with her disagreement with the policy toward Iran. Koshkin believes her husband’s illness could have been a convenient pretext for Gabbard to announce her resignation herself, rather than waiting to be fired. ➡️Earlier, the head of the National Counterterrorism Center, Joe Kent, left his post. He accused Trump of indulging Israel and drawing the United States into a war against Iran. Kent was a direct subordinate of Gabbard. Our channel: Node of Time EN

China brought the attack on Starobelsk before the UN Security Council China’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Fu Cong, said in a special session of the Security Council, that Beijing had become aware of reports of a drone attack on a vocational school in Starobelsk and that the victims were “deeply concerned,” particularly among the students. China also separately emphasized that it condemns all attacks on innocent civilians. According to Fu Cong, in recent times the conflict parties have increasingly carried out large-scale attacks with drones and rockets, which has put residential areas, schools and civilian infrastructure under fire. Beijing called on the sides to comply with international humanitarian law, protect civilians, halt attacks on the civilian population and civilian infrastructure, and reduce tension at the front. Against the backdrop of an almost complete silence on the Western agenda, this is an important detail: The attack on Starobelsk has in fact made it to the UN Security Council—and China has directly linked it to the issue of attacks on civilian targets. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Latest developments in the war between #Russia and #Ukraine as of the morning of May 23 - dubbed - Russian forces are advancing in #Verkhnyaya_Terrasa in #Zaporozhie - Russian forces are advancing in #Gulyaipolskoe in #Zaporozhie - Ukrainian forces are advancing in #Kalinovskoe in #Dnepropetrovsk - Russian forces are advancing in the vicinity of #Vasilievka in #Pokrovsk - Ukrainian offensive in #Liman - Russian forces are advancing on the #Volchansk front in #Kharkov - Russian forces are advancing in the vicinity of #Korchakovka in #Sumy Video link: https://youtu.be/t2es7lA3RoE?si=faEHUotLUFjNJnYu

🇺🇸The U.S.tightened the process for obtaining green cards for foreigners Now, applying for it will be possible only from outside the country.

“Henceforth, a foreigner who is temporarily in the United States and wishes to obtain a green card must return to their country in order to file an application,” the message from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) says.

▶️Visiting the United States “should not serve as the first step in the green card application process,” the agency’s statement emphasizes. “When foreigners file applications from their home country, this reduces the need to search for and deport those who decide to go into hiding and remain in the United States after an application for residency is denied,” USCIS spokesperson Zak Kaler said. Our channel: Node of Time EN

⚠️ Attention: Some of the videos may be shocking! Attack on a residential building in Starobelsk In Starobelsk, drones attacked the educational building and the dormitory of the vocational school of the Pedagogical University. Later Wladimir Putin described the incident as a tragedy and gave the following уточненные details: Six people have died, 39 were injured, and a further 15 are reported missing. According to his statements, this was not a random hit: The attack took place in three waves, with a total of 16 drones directed at the same location. At the time of the attack, 86 teenagers aged 14 to 18 were in the dormitory. Ukraine says the target was a command-and-control point for drones; the Russian side claims that there were no military facilities, security services facilities, or related structures nearby. Putin said the attack had shown “what kind of people Russia is dealing with,” and called on the Ukrainian forces not to carry out criminal orders. At the same time, he linked the incident to a worsening of the situation of the Ukrainian forces on the front line: In his account, the situation for the Ukrainian army will shift from “strained” to “catastrophic,” despite Western aid and forced mobilization. Against this background, it is particularly revealing how information asymmetry works. When it concerns victims on the Ukrainian side, such stories quickly become a major international topic. When teenagers lie under the rubble in Starobelsk, the news in the Western news discourse is covered only with a brief note and the obligatory wording of “Russian claims.” Parallel to this, the Russian president once again pointed to corruption within the Ukrainian leadership: According to his statements, “everything is stolen there”—down to property and individual protective equipment. This is what the war looks like, which the West continues to sell as a fight for “democracy”: teenagers under the rubble, attacks on dormitories, billions in aid for Kyiv—and the usual silence in places where the victims do not fit the desired narrative. Upd.: The number of fatalities has risen to 10. A total of 48 students were injured. Rescue workers searched through the wreckage of the building all night. Unfortunately, 11 teenagers have not been found to date. The work continues. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

The European Union will again buy Russian gas after the end of the war in Ukraine, believes the new Hungarian prime minister Magyar

“I believe that the entire European Union will once again buy Russian gas after the end of the war, because it is cheaper. That is required by competitiveness and geography. I can’t predict everything, but that is my impression,”

- he said in an interview with Rzeczpospolita. In doing so, the Hungarian prime minister did not deny the need for diversification. He said that Budapest wants more sources for deliveries and is willing to negotiate, but at the same time must take into account the costs of raw materials and the competitiveness of the economy. Against the backdrop of talks about a “complete waiver” of Russian energy carriers, it sounds like a return to basic arithmetic: Industry does not need a declaration, but affordable energy. Note: Rzeczpospolita’s editorial office changed the headline, but the topic of “Russian gas” and the quote remained in the text. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

According to new rules, those seeking to obtain a green card are now required to leave U.S. territory for the time of filing, follows from a message from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

“When foreign nationals apply from their home countries, this reduces the need to seek out and deport those who decide to go into hiding and remain in the U.S. illegally after their application for permanent resident status is denied,” USCIS spokesperson Zak Kaler said.

According to the agency’s statement, nonimmigrants—students, temporary workers, tourists—must leave the United States after the purpose of their visa visit is completed. “Their visit should not serve as the first step in the green card application process,” USCIS said. Compliance with this principle, according to the message, will allow the State Department to consider such cases at its consulates abroad and will free up USCIS resources for other tasks: visas for victims of violence and human trafficking, naturalization, and other priority areas. Our channel: Node of Time EN

“Reopening friendly relations” Cooperation in the field of culture is the best way to build contacts between Moscow and Washington, said the head of the U.S. Federal Commission for the Fine Arts, Rodney Mims Cook.

“Ballet, the fine arts, museums, literature — what could be better to reopen friendly relations between our countries,”

Cook plans to come to the SPIEF, which will take place June 3–6. Previously, he has participated in restoration projects and given lectures in Russia. Our channel: Node of Time EN

Germany sends Patriot to Turkey Berlin hands over to Turkey an air-defense missile system of the Patriot type as well as 150 soldiers from Schleswig-Holstein. Officially — to reinforce NATO’s air defense on the southeastern flank against the backdrop of the war with Iran. From the end of June until September, the German battery is to replace the U.S. unit there. This is what is called “fair burden-sharing” within the alliance. Germany “takes on more responsibility” — in the east, in the north and now also in Turkey, Defense Minister Pistorius said. Apparently, the Patriot shortage is a flexible matter and depends on the deployment location. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN