Current US buildup

Prime Minister Frederiksen: We have been able to take a very important decision within the European Union - to phase out fossil fuels from Russia. All Europeans can see now that it was a huge mistake to be dependent on Russian fossil fuels. We should never have done that.

These are the indicative estimates of Russia’s combat losses as of Jan. 26, according to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

‼️ High risk of US attack on Iran in the next 24 hours. Iran has already closed its airspace to UAVs and private planes.

"Recent events have brought Trump’s governing style into sharper focus," Jonathan Rauch argues. "'Fascist' best describes it, and reluctance to use the term has now become perverse."

Statement from Obama 👀🇺🇸

With the aid of chocolate I have brought myself to read the just-released National Defense Strategy. A few quick reactions: 1/7 media.defense.gov/2026/Jan/23/...

‼️ NATO plans unmanned robotic zone on border with Russia and Belarus

Erg goed: Explore this gift article from The New York Times. You can read it for free without a subscription. www.nytimes.com/2026/01/23/o...

🤬 Ukraine's Air Force: Russians launch nearly 400 drones and missiles, 17 locations hit

Russia launched a massive overnight attack on Ukraine during peace talks. Kharkiv was hit at least 25 times, injuring 19 people. Kyiv faced missile strikes, leaving one dead and thousands without heat or water. Chernihiv is nearly blacked out. #Ukraine

nieuwe national defence strategy van VS: media.defense.gov/2026/Jan/23/...

President Trump’s moves to destabilize Europe might pave the way for an unillusioned, and therefore durable, bond between the New World and the Old, Eliot A. Cohen argues.

Yesterday’s emergency summit of EU leaders turned into something far less dramatic after Trump backed down on taking Greenland. But the quiet realization that Europe’s post-1945 line had been crossed was all the more striking for it. 🔗 www.politico.eu/article/eu-l...

Only a few days ago, EU diplomats and officials were whispering furtively about the idea they might one day need to think about how to push back against Donald Trump. They’re not whispering anymore. www.politico.eu/article/dona...

Explore this gift article from The New York Times. You can read it for free without a subscription. www.nytimes.com/2026/01/23/o...

“Our friends and allies must stop indulging, enabling, and submitting to America’s president. Only forthright resistance and tough love will get us out of our downward spiral.” ~ @larrydiamond.bsky.social via @nickkristof.bsky.social. www.nytimes.com/2026/01/21/o...

Precies

President Stubb: People are saying that Russia wants to continue the war because they want more territory. That is rubbish. Russia has to continue the war because this war is too big for Putin to fail.

US law requires 2/3 Senate approval for international treaties

“Hedging is starting to become the norm, even if the alternatives to working with the US are often unattractive.” The great @ldfreedman.bsky.social

‘Diplomatiek meesterstukje’ en ‘held van Davos’: buitenlandse media roemen Rutte na draai Trump www.ad.nl/buitenland/d...

German Chancellor Merz: We have entered a time of great power politics. This new world of great powers is being built on power, on strength, and when it comes to it, on force. It's not a cozy place.

Donald Trump in Davos: “𝐂𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐄𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞, 𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐥𝐲, 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞… 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐲.” “𝐈 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐄𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐄𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐠𝐨 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.”

Goed stuk maar zie mijn eerdere draadje: aanhef iets te voorbarig

🇫🇮🇺🇦 Stubb: Putin wanted to take over Ukraine and make it Russian, he failed. He will not take over Ukraine and Ukraine WILL become a member of the European Union. Putin wanted to project power around the world and in the region.

De rouwadvertentie die sommige analisten al hadden gepubliceerd over de NAVO was voorbarig. De NAVO is meerdere dingen. Militaire organisatie met infrastructuur in Europa en de VS, eenheden die met elkaar oefenen, tactieken ontwikkelen,

The last few days have provided Europeans with an important lesson on how to handle Trump. Don't beg, don't bluster, but do use the leverage you have to impose costs of him for his reckless behavior. European Greenland actions should inform their Ukraine policy. open.substack.com/pub/phillips...

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte: what we need is to keep our eyes on the ball of Ukraine. Today,Kyiv,Kharkiv,Lviv,but also so many smaller cities in Ukraine are being hit by Russian missiles We know that the water supply is down, electricity is down, it is minus 20 degrees in Kyiv as we speak.

My new column is a strange one for an American columnist to write: "Please, world leaders, don't appease America!" All of us, Americans included, will be better off if Europeans have the gumption to stand up to an increasingly erratic Trump. www.nytimes.com/2026/01/21/o...

According to the New York Times, the US, Denmark, and NATO are negotiating a framework to grant the US limited sovereignty over parts of Greenland. The arrangement would resemble the UK’s base agreements on Cyprus, allowing US military construction and operations. #Greenland

🇺🇸👀 Rutte to Trump: There’s one thing I heard you say yesterday and today — you were not absolutely sure that the Europeans would come to the rescue of the US if it were attacked. Let me tell you — they will. And they did in Afghanistan, as you know.

veel kritiek op Rutte gekomen maar toch maar even deze credits.

Can't wait for the details of this "deal." Seems like Trump got bigger blowback than he expected--from Europe and from the markets--so he's done a face-saving climbdown. A TACO order is just what the world ordered. www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

🇩🇪🇬🇧🇫🇷 Germany joined Great Britain and France in declining an invitation to the US-led Gaza Peace Council.

“Do me this favor: If you see headlines today proclaiming that the big takeaway from Trump’s speech was that he renounced the use of military force to take Greenland, ignore them. That’s not what actually happened.” open.substack.com/pub/thebulwa...

“What happened is that Trump spent 72 minutes insulting and threatening America’s former allies while explaining that the liberal order in America is over.”

🇬🇧👀 "I will not give in. The UK will not give in to its principles and values ​​on the future of Greenland under the threat of tariffs. That is my clear position," — Prime Minister Keir Starmer

Denmark flatly rejected US proposals to discuss the sale of Greenland. Foreign Minister Rasmussen said the country “will not enter talks that abandon core principles,” adding, “that will never happen. We live in 2026.” His remarks followed Trump’s renewed push to buy the island. #Greenland

TACO Trump strikes again.

"The most important speech at Davos yesterday was by Canada’s Prime Minister, Mark Carney. It was not just an excellent speech. It was a very American one."

The important part is really the WaPo's mention of the "immediate negotiations to acquire Greenland." That is not something Europe/World can do without conceding it's for sale. It's as big a threat as any. Force is implicit and there is no diplomatic path to "buy" Greenland. 1/

In Trump's telling, the US are the equivalent of the Nazis

Slijmen bij Trump, hoe handig is dat? "Wie Trump behandelt als Keizer, zal Trump als keizer krijgen," zei HCSS onderzoeksdirecteur Tim Sweijs bij Dr Kelder en Co. "Trump is een bully, als je die zijn zin geeft gaat hij meer bullyen." Bekijk het hele interview hier: buff.ly/qU2l17P

🇺🇸🇬🇱 Pentagon has not been ordered to plan an invasion of Greenland yet. Military officials privately warn that seizing Greenland would mean attacking a NATO ally, risking a major alliance crisis, - NYT

Trump has forced all of Europe to discuss the completely invented threat of Russian annexation of Greenland and thereby ignore the actual Russian war and annexation in Ukraine. Very regrettable. In Davos, the paramount subject should be Ukraine, not Greenland.

People as ammunition: The structures behind Russian and Belarusian weaponized migration My latest report for the Global Initiative on how Minsk and Moscow have done this (and how they haven't) and potential future risks globalinitiative.net/analysis/rus...