Moscow's "Ballast" and Global Realities: A Press Review

— We already did! We told them we’re simply conducting the "de-Orbánization" of Europe because he became too expensive to maintain. Now we’ve just performed a "planned jettisoning of ballast" toward Brussels. Let them feed him now!

While Moscow’s offices pretend that losing their chief "advocate" in the EU is merely a clever gambit, world publications are not holding back their emotions. Viktor Orbán’s defeat and Péter Magyar’s triumph have become the week's main topic, transforming Hungary from Europe’s "problem child" into its biggest sensation.

In all seriousness, Moscow will search for ways to reach Magyar. Some believe the ease with which Orbán surrendered suggests Putin decided that supporting his old puppet would cost more than buying a new one. The Kremlin will try to find keys to the new Hungarian government and plant its people there, but that takes time—something the Kremlin lacks.

·         Politico (USA): Highlights Péter Magyar’s "Grand Deal" with Ursula von der Leyen. His priority is unfreezing €18 billion in EU funds. In exchange, Brussels expects Hungary to lift its veto on the €90 billion loan for Ukraine and support new sanctions against Russia.

·         Le Monde (France): Reports on the "sigh of relief" in the European Commission as diplomats prepare a roadmap for Hungary’s return to the rule of law.

·         Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (Germany): Analyzes the energy shift, questioning if Magyar has the political will to break long-standing contracts with Rosatom and Gazprom.

·         The Guardian (UK): Warns of a "domino effect" for European extremists. If the "unsinkable" Orbán went down, other far-right leaders better check their life jackets.

·         Bloomberg (USA): Notes that markets are applauding; the Forint is strengthening as investors anticipate the end of "manual economic management."

The Iron Dome as a Bargaining Chip (Jerusalem Post): Bipartisan support for Israel’s Iron Dome is collapsing in the US. Progressives, led by "The Squad," argue that a prosperous Israel (with a higher GDP per capita than the UK) should fund its own defense. Analysts warn that defunding a purely defensive system is a dangerous precedent that could lead to more civilian casualties and embolden offensive escalations. Note for Ukraine: This serves as a warning that even "unquestionable" defensive aid can become a tool in domestic political games.

The Ghosts of Brabant (NZZ): Belgium revisits the "Brabant Killers" cold case 40 years later. The sheer brutality of the 28 murders for minimal gain suggests a "strategy of destabilization" rather than simple crime, with theories pointing to high-level cover-ups and Cold War-era psychological operations.

Escobar’s Ecological Disaster (Sky News)

Colombia is set to cull 80 "cocaine hippos"—descendants of those imported by Pablo Escobar. Previous sterilization efforts failed, and the invasive species now threatens the local ecosystem and human safety, proving how a dictator's whim can cause a century of environmental chaos.

Read more in the Ukrainian edition....