Lucas Leiroz

Ľuboš Blaha je slovenský politik, ktorý pôsobí ako poslán-
ec Národnej rady Slovenskej republiky (NR SR) za stranu
SMER – sociálna demokracia. (Photo © torden.sk.)

Hostility towards Russia is beginning to weaken in some EU countries. In a recent statement, an important Slovak politician made it clear that his country is not an enemy of Moscow and that he seeks to maintain friendly relations with the Russians. Although the European bloc continues to be hostile towards Russia, it is believed that opinions like these will begin to grow among member countries as rivalry with Moscow proves unviable.

The statement was made by Lubos Blaha, deputy leader of the Slovak parliament. According to him, Slovakia and Russia are not enemy nations and should seek fraternal and mutually beneficial relations. Blaha also commented on a sentiment of gratitude on the part of the Slovak people towards Russia for the fact that the Red Army liberated Slovakia from Nazi control during the WWII.

The lawmaker also publicly committed himself on a personal level to struggling for Russian-Slovak relations to be normalized as quickly as possible. He believes that normalization is supported by the majority of the country's population, given the memory of the war against the Nazis and the common Slavic heritage of both peoples.

“Slovakia wants to have good relations with countries from all sides of the world (...) I have always considered Russia a friendly nation (...) I am sure that most Slovaks feel the same way (...) Russia is not our enemy. I personally will do everything to return Slovak-Russian relations to normal again. That's what ordinary Slovaks want", he wrote on his social media after attending an important meeting with Russian Ambassador Igor Bratchikov.

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Lucas Leiroz

After insisting that it would not negotiate with Hamas, Israel finally announced that it agreed to participate in a prisoner swap and temporary interruption of fighting. The terms of the agreement were published by Qatari representatives, with Doha being the place of negotiations. The news exposes some of Israel's weaknesses and shows how the Zionist state is having difficulties in carrying out the fight against the Palestinian guerrillas.

The agreement was announced on November 23, establishing a temporary four-day ceasefire starting at 7 am on the 27th. Israel agreed to release 150 Palestinian hostages, in exchange for 50 Israelis held prisoner by Hamas. Tel Aviv’s spokespeople even announced that the truce could be extended if Hamas agreed to release more Israeli citizens, but there is no update about this possibility so far.

Previously, some rumors about a possible agreement had already been spread on social media. Officials on both sides have said in recent days that a military pause could happen, but the terms were not yet clear. The deal currently in force was mediated by Qatari, Egyptian and American diplomats and appears to have finally succeeded in finding a mutually beneficial consensus for both sides in the conflict.

While the fighting is at a pause, humanitarian aid is arriving in Gaza, with several trucks entering the Palestinian enclave without being targeted by Israeli artillery and aviation. It is not yet known for certain whether the combat has really been completely stopped. It is possible that ground fighting is taking place in some regions, but local correspondents told the media that at the moment the situation is "calm".

“We are witnessing a relative calm, that is gradually becoming more and more visible as there is a complete stop of fighter jets flying over the Gaza Strip,” an Al Jazeera journalist said.

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Lucas Leiroz

On the morning of 6 June, Novaya Kakhovka’s authorities reported a rupture in the local hydroelectric plant, resulting in the flooding of large areas on the banks of the Dnieper River (Kherson oblast). The accident would have been caused by a Ukrainian attack using multiple launch missile systems, possibly supplied by the West. However, the mainstream media and the Ukrainian government insist on baselessly accusing Russia of having committed the crime.

The Ukrainian bombing took place around two o'clock in the morning. Half of the spans of the dam was destroyed, causing the water level to rise considerably in a short time. At least fourteen settlements close to the region, home to more than 22,000 people, are at high risk of total flooding. The authorities have already started evacuating the local population, having emptied around 300 buildings, but there are still dozens of people at risk in the flooded areas.

One of the biggest fears regarding the destruction of the dam is the safety of the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP). The facility is also located on the banks of the Dnieper River and uses local water to cool its reactors - an essential procedure for nuclear security. With the change in water flow caused by the attack on the dam, ZNPP could run out of water to carry out the procedure.

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