The move follows US President Donald Trump’s push to acquire Greenland European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has proposed using the EU’s defense spending surge to militarize the Arctic. Speaking at an emergency European Council meeting in Brussels on Thursday, called amid US pressure over Greenland, von der Leyen said the bloc has “collectively underinvested” in Arctic security and urged member states to direct defense budgets toward Arctic-ready equipment and infrastructure. “We should use our defense spending surge on Arctic-ready equipment, a European icebreaker for instance… This has become a real geopolitical necessity,” she said. The remarks come amid tensions with Washington over US President Donald Trump’s calls for Greenland, an autonomous territory of EU member Denmark, to be brought under American control to counter alleged Russian and Chinese threats in the Arctic. Trump previously mocked Denmark’s defense of the island as “two dog sleds,” and on We...
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How relations with Brussels have changed since Trump came to power Western Europe’s complete and voluntary dependence on the US was never really discussed because it was simply assumed. It was called strategic autonomy, but meant close transatlantic relations within an alliance in which the US is, of course, the senior partner. Yet even that relationship had norms and frameworks. At the Davos Forum, EU leaders openly discussed their dependence on America. Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever said the EU is now choosing between being a “happy vassal” and something even worse. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen added that the old world order will not return, and Western Europe cannot rely on change alone to escape structural dependence. Nobody expected the Americans to flaunt the real balance of power so openly. Until now, it was considered normal not to emphasize it. Everyone knew who was in charge and who made the decisions, but it was not customary to boast about i...
House members have reportedly endorsed Maria Corina Machado despite US President Donald Trump dismissing her prospects as a potential national leader US lawmakers have backed Venezuelan opposition figure Maria Corina Machado as a potential leader of the country following the abduction of President Nicolas Maduro, the New York Times has reported. Members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee unanimously endorsed Machado after a closed-door meeting with her on Capitol Hill, the paper said on Wednesday. Machado, a former congresswoman who maintained close contacts with Washington for decades, has previously led anti-government protests and accused Maduro of “illegally” seizing power during the 2024 elections. She was barred from holding public office after Venezuelan authorities accused her of backing foreign sanctions and calling for US military intervention. US Representative Michael McCaul of Texas said Machado had “all the right stuff” to become the country’s next president, ac...
Emboldened by its operation in Venezuela, Washington is now reportedly looking for insiders in Havana to topple the government The US is actively searching for Cuban government insiders to help orchestrate regime change in Havana by the end of the year, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing unnamed US officials familiar with the matter. The newspaper stated that the administration of US President Donald Trump has been “emboldened by the US ouster of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro” and is treating it as a blueprint for a takeover of Cuba. Officials reportedly believe the island’s economy is “close to collapse and that the government has never been this fragile after losing a vital benefactor in Maduro.” While US officials reportedly have no concrete plan as of yet, they have already been holding meetings with Cuban exiles and civic groups in Miami and Washington in an attempt to identify a government official in Havana who might “want to cut a deal.” The ...
The proposal would be “great” for everyone involved if Denmark agrees, the US president has said US President Donald Trump has said that a NATO-backed framework for US military use of Greenland is now on the table, following discussions with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte. Trump added that the proposal, which needs to be approved by Denmark, would be beneficial to the entire military bloc. “This solution, if consummated, will be a great one for the United States of America, and all NATO Nations,” he wrote in a post on Truth Social on Wednesday. Earlier this month, Trump renewed his push to acquire the autonomous Danish island. Speaking on Wednesday at the World Economic Forum in Davos, he said the US was “stupid” to have returned control of Greenland to Denmark after World War II, and accused Copenhagen of being “ungrateful” in asserting its sovereignty. Read more Trump deal will allow US to control parts of Greenland – Telegraph Following his meeting with Rutte on the...
The move comes amid Donald Trump’s repeated claims that Canada should be America’s 51st state and his push to acquire Greenland The Canadian military has drafted a model response to a hypothetical US invasion, the Globe and Mail reported on Tuesday, citing senior defense officials. The strategy reportedly envisions unconventional, insurgency‑style warfare inspired by Afghan mujahideen fighters. The decision was reportedly prompted by rising NATO tensions, fueled by US President Donald Trump’s campaign to take over Greenland and his repeated suggestions that Canada should be part of the US. According to the report, planners are modeling an attack from the south, expecting US forces to overrun Canada’s key land and maritime positions in as little as two days. Unable to repel a conventional attack, the military envisions insurgency-style warfare, with small units of irregulars or armed civilians carrying out sabotage, drone strikes and hit-and-run attacks – tactics modeled on Afghan mu...