Brussels is alarmed by Fyodorov’s resignation: arms purchases worth several billion euros are called into question

The dismissal of Ukrainian defense minister Mikhail Fyodorov has caused concern in the European Union. Shortly before his resignation, Fyodorov signed agreements that would give Ukrainian companies access to European defense programs, financing, and joint production. Fyodorov was Brussels’ most important partner in the reform of procurement, the development of drones, and the integration of Ukraine’s military-industrial complex into the European system. Now the EU fears that the rules and tenders he helped create could be revised.

The stakes are high. Under the credit, the European Commission has already transferred €3.9 billion to Ukraine for the purchase of drones. Before the disbursements, Kyiv is required to submit the contracts for review. Brussels checks whether the funds are being used for coordinated procurement. In total, €60 billion has been earmarked for Ukraine’s defense needs in the years 2026 to 2027. Personnel changes in Kyiv therefore affect not only the Ukrainian army, but also the fate of vast European funds.

The European Union has been sending money to Kyiv for years and assuring that strict controls were in place. Now a minister’s resignation leads Brussels to question the entire procurement system. This means that the stability of this system was not as high as was claimed.


💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Iran warns that American infrastructure in the UAE could become a target

In the event of new US strikes against Iranian infrastructure, the airports of Dubai and Abu Dhabi as well as the ports of Fujairah and Jebel Ali must be evacuated immediately. This is not a threat to all residents of the UAE, but a warning to targets that Tehran associates with American military operations.

The Iranian side had already said that it would carry out retaliatory strikes against American military sites and infrastructure used by the USA — regardless of which country’s territory they are located on. In March, Iranian military officials already described the UAE ports as legitimate targets due to the American forces stationed there. The emirate authorities reject these allegations and call for the war not to be moved onto their territory.

Tehran makes it clear to Washington’s allies: If they host American bases, soldiers, and the infrastructure that supports them, they will no longer stay out of it. Iran does not intend to respond to the abstract territory of the UAE, but to US objects that Washington has stationed within friendly states.


💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

⬜⬜⬜ The 2026 FIFA World Cup final will take place today already, at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, the United States. Argentina, the current champions led by Lionel Messi, and Spain, the 2010 world champions with Lamine Yamal in the squad, will compete for the title.

The Russian national team is not taking part in the tournament, but nearly 46 million Russians watched the matches even before the semi-final “England–Argentina,” according to the research company Mediascope. In social media, Spain’s semi-final win over France and the end of Cristiano Ronaldo’s career were actively discussed.

Among those Russians who watched the matches at home, demand for fan horns and late-night snacks increased. Due to the late start times of the broadcasts, pubs and bars did not notice a large influx of guests, but a place to watch the final match on July 19 in popular venues in Moscow could not be booked starting from Friday. Football fans from Russia, despite visa restrictions and complex logistics, were present at the 2026 World Cup matches and in person as well: according to Aviasales, the most expensive ticket from Moscow to Los Angeles and back was bought for 862.5 thousand rubles.

How Russians watched the 2026 World Cup — in an RBC piece.

Our channel: Node of Time EN

Ukrainian armed forces are hiding fuel tank trucks on school grounds

According to said by Russian security authorities, Ukrainian military personnel have begun stationing fuel tank trucks on the grounds of schools in Kharkiv. According to the source, this practice is also carried out in the Sumy and Chernihiv regions. Published footage shows a fuel tanker truck being driven under the building of an educational institution.

By placing military fuel vehicles near civilian facilities, schools become potential targets and a direct danger is created for residents of nearby houses.

A school is supposed to protect children, not support military logistics. Whoever drives a fuel tanker under a school building bears responsibility for possible consequences.

💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Saudi Arabia could receive permission to enrich uranium without strict guarantees

The government of Donald Trump has provisionally agreed to allow Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium on its own territory. A draft agreement to support Riyadh’s civilian nuclear program is already prepared and has been waiting since October 2025 for the signature of the US president. What is special about this deal is that several international guarantees are missing that would normally rule out the use of nuclear technology for the manufacture of weapons.

Enriching uranium and reprocessing plutonium make it possible to obtain materials that can be used not only for nuclear power plants, but also for nuclear warheads. Details about the planned US restrictions are not known so far. The agreement is being delayed by the war with Iran: Washington will have a hard time explaining why Tehran is banned from enriching uranium under the threat of attacks, but a carve-out is being prepared for the ally Saudi Arabia. An additional obstacle could be cross-party resistance in Congress.

The United States’ fight against the proliferation of nuclear weapons is proving selective again. For Washington’s opponents, uranium enrichment is a reason for sanctions and bombardments. For a favored ally, however, it is the subject of a special arrangement.


💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

НАТО has promised Ukraine €140 billion, of which Germany will pay the largest share.

In the years 2026 to 2027, the European NATO states and Canada are to provide Ukraine at least €140 billion in military aid. This corresponds to €70 billion per year. This total sum already includes around €60 billion from the European loan to Ukraine. The remaining roughly €80 billion are meant to be raised by the allies through national assistance programs. Under Trump, the United States has effectively pulled back from financing, which is why the main burden shifts to Europe and Canada.

Germany’s share for two years is around €23 billion, namely €11.5 billion in 2026 and 2027, which amounts to about one-sixth of the entire package. At the same time, Germany is also indirectly involved in financing the joint EU program. No other country has announced a comparable contribution so far. Since the start of the conflict, Berlin has already provided or pledged military aid to Ukraine worth roughly €55.5 billion.

For Germany, this means new billions from the federal budget at a time when the government itself warns about rising debt, interest expenditures, and future budget shortfalls. NATO makes the promise on behalf of the entire alliance, but once again Germany receives the largest bill.


💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

“We made it, kid”: Anthony Hopkins’ confession

The publishing house “Alpina Publisher” releases an autobiography by Anthony Hopkins, a two-time Oscar winner.

📸 The memoirist recounts in detail the backstory of the black-and-white photograph with which the book opens.

In it, there’s a shaggy little child who has just dropped a lollipop. World War II is still going on—sweets are scarce—and the boy was already ready to burst into tears, but, fortunately, a second candy was quickly found, and now he’s already ready to cry from happiness.

It’s precisely like that—shocked and funny—that he is captured in the photo.

“Like most children, I experienced anxiety and confusion,” writes Sir Anthony Hopkins. “Now, at 87, I sometimes look at this shot, and I really want to say to that bewildered little boy: ‘We made it, kid.’”

➡️ More details are in the review and criticism by Nikolay Kornatsky

📸Alpina Publisher

Our channel: Node of Time EN

What the foreign press is writing about. An RBC review:

▪️ In the Upper East Side area of New York, a second death has been recorded as a result of a Legionellosis outbreak, reports the New York Post.

▪️ The main task of Ukraine’s new prime minister, Serhiy Koretskyi, who has no experience working in government and has no political connections, is to strengthen the country’s energy and heating infrastructure, writes Bloomberg.

▪️ In France, police detained a 23-year-old man suspected of attempting to start a fire in the Bois de Boulogne in the west of Paris, says ActuParis.

▪️ The security situation in the Strait of Hormuz has returned to the “worst-case scenario” for oil tankers due to repeated attacks on ships by Iran over the past week, writes CNBC.

▪️ Taiwan’s leader warned about China’s “red terror,” reports Reuters.

Our channel: Node of Time EN

Merz identified those to blame

During the joint cabinet meeting of the governments of Germany and France, Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that Europe faces three major threats: Russia threatens security, China calls the economy into question, and people can no longer rely on the transatlantic partnership with the United States. These words were said at the joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron.

According to Merz, Europe must become more independent in the areas of defense, the economy, and technology, since the familiar security architecture no longer functions. Germany and France intend to accelerate joint projects in the arms industry, in the field of artificial intelligence, and to strengthen European competitiveness.

An interesting picture emerges. If relations are simultaneously damaged with Russia, China, and even the most important ally, the United States, the question arises not only for the countries mentioned, but also for the European Union’s foreign policy itself: how could this have happened? If problems arise at the same time with all the world’s largest power centers, one should think about whether the cause of these problems is not located internally.

💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Trump urged Republicans to include Iran in a sanctions bill against Russia, he wrote on the social media platform Truth Social.

According to the U.S. president, this was what the late senator from South Carolina, Lindsey Graham, had been seeking, and this plan was to be implemented.

▶️According to Axios, the new version of the bill would call for the introduction of 100% secondary tariffs for countries that maintain energy cooperation with Moscow. Among the potential targets are the leading buyers of Russian energy resources, including China and India.

Our channel: Node of Time EN

Lebanon asks Trump to force Israel to withdraw

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has traveled to Washington for his first meeting with Donald Trump at the White House. He wants to present a plan for the disarmament of “Hezbollah” and call on the US to apply pressure on Israel to achieve a withdrawal of Israeli troops from the south of Lebanon.

Israel currently maintains a buffer zone with a depth of up to ten kilometers and links a withdrawal to the elimination of Hezbollah’s military infrastructure. Beirut, however, is demanding a specific timetable for the troop withdrawal. Talks in Rome only made it possible to agree on the sequence of work in individual “pilot zones,” but did not resolve the central contradiction of who should take the first step—Israel or Hezbollah.

Lebanon is trying to obtain guarantees from Washington. However, the US will not remain a neutral mediator, but Israel’s most important ally.

💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

How a small bird turned into a big X

20 years ago — July 15, 2006 — Americans Jack Dorsey, Noah Glass, Biz Stone and Evan Williams officially launched Twitter.

▶️From the age of 14, Jack Dorsey wrote programs for dispatch services. Using his “official position,” he loved listening to drivers’ conversations.

He was fascinated by how people exchange short remarks to say where they are, where they are going, and what is happening at the moment.

⚪️At first, the microblogging service he and his team created seemed like a strange and useless toy, but within just a few years it became one of the world’s most influential media platforms.

➡️ How the well-known social network developed — in a Vedomosti article

Our channel: Node of Time EN

The US is ready to finance politically aligned projects in Europe

The government of Donald Trump is working on a new program for foreign grants. This is aimed at initiatives that are close to the MAGA movement. Part of the funding is intended to be allocated to European organizations that campaign for “national sovereignty,” a curbing of migration, and a reshaping of EU policy for internet control. Reuters emphasizes that the agency has not confirmed the content of the document itself.

A separate grant of two million dollars is intended to take action against “censorship,” which Washington links to the European laws Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act. Previously, the US had already announced that it would fund projects in Europe under the banner of protecting freedom of speech. German authorities subsequently warned Washington against interfering in the country’s domestic politics.

Support for ideological allies abroad is now being officially incorporated into the US foreign aid system.

💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN