“I go to the street to celebrate the
victory of our revolution because
President Trump promised to rescue our
lives.”

US President Donald Trump threatened military strikes against Iran after the authorities killed thousands of people in a brutal crackdown on anti-government protests. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-internet-blackout-protest-death-toll-30000/33658995.html Trump recently backed away, although he has not ruled out an attack on the Islamic republic.

Experts say the military buildup along with planned US naval exercises in the region increases the pressure on Iran and provides more offensive military options if Washington chooses to attack Iran.

“This can be a message to Iran that we’re ready, our capabilities are in place,” Farzin Nadimi, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, told RFE/RL’s Radio Farda.

Nadimi added that the chances of US strikes on Iran were “very high,” pointing to the “overtly aggressive” military buildup in the Persian Gulf.

The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and three accompanying destroyers are headed toward the Middle East carrying over 5,000 troops. US Central Command has said that F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets were deployed to the region.

Meanwhile, the US Air Force said on January 25 that it was set to launch a multiday military exercise across the Middle East “to demonstrate the ability to deploy, disperse, and sustain combat airpower” in the region. https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2026/01/26/us-air-force-to-begin-middle-east-exercise-amid-iran-tensions

The activity is reminiscent of last year when the United States moved military assets to the region before Israel and then Washington carried out air strikes targeting Iran’s nuclear sites.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), the elite branch of Iran’s armed forces, has responded by raising alert levels and urging Iranian-backed armed groups in Iraq, Lebanon, and Yemen to support Tehran.

Fraught With Risks
US media reports say Trump is weighing up a range of military options against Iran — from a sustained aerial campaign that could last weeks or months to modest and largely symbolic strikes targeting Iran’s security forces. Nonmilitary options, including additional economic sanctions, have also been reportedly discussed.

Experts say any US military action against Iran is fraught with risks and could drag in the entire region. Tehran has vowed to hit US bases in the Persian Gulf as well as Israel, a key US ally.

“The costs are unpredictable — retaliation against US allies and attacks on Persian Gulf shipping. Regional partners don’t want to pay that price,” Mehrdad Khansari, a former Iranian diplomat, told Radio Farda.

Regional countries have privately urged Washington to exercise restraint, concerned that a US-Iran conflict could trigger a wider conflict.

Khansari argued that an aerial campaign alone, without a ground incursion, would not lead to regime change, if that was even Washington’s end goal.

A ground invasion of Iran, the largest and most populous country in the Middle East, is considered a nonstarter by many military experts.

“It keeps the file open — like the Sword of Damocles hanging over the regime — but air strikes alone cannot topple the regime or eliminate its security forces,” he said, speculating that government forces would simply hide during strikes and reemerge afterward.

How Might A Strike Unfold?
Nadimi said planned US military exercises in the coming days could provide cover for actual operations.

He said the United States could use electronic warfare and cyberattacks to disrupt Iranian radar and communications networks. Stealth bombers and fighter jets could then penetrate air defenses in radio silence, striking command centers and missile sites.

But Iran would not be defenseless in case of a conflict, experts say.

Iran possesses cruise missiles capable of threatening US warships in the Persian Gulf’s confined waters, as well as ballistic missiles that could hit regional bases. Iran has even alluded to this, erecting a large banner in a major square in Tehran over the weekend depicting a US aircraft carrier struck by a deluge of missiles.

Even if Washington resorts to a largely symbolic strike, Iran is likely to respond in kind, Nadimi said.

French authorities have taken into custody the captain of the oil tanker Grinch, which was traveling from the Russian Murmansk and belongs to the “shadow fleet” of Russia. This is reported by Le Monde with reference to the prosecutor’s office in Marseille. Arrested 58 years old, he is a citizen of India. https://www.lemonde.fr/international/article/2026/01/25/le-capitaine-du-grinch-petrolier-russe-intercepte-par-la-france-place-en-garde-a-vue_6664066_3210.html The agency specified that the other crew members, who also have Indian citizenship, remain on board the ship. The investigation, according to the prosecutor’s office, is focused on checking the legality of the flag under which the tanker sailed, as well as the navigation documents required for its operation.

BFMTV notes that the tanker itself has been placed at the disposal of the Marseille prosecutor’s office. The investigation believes that Grinch used a false flag of the Comoros Islands. After the detention of the tanker was taken to the Gulf of Fos-sur-Mer and since January 24 is anchored at the oil terminal of the port of Marseille-Fos, where it is guarded by ships of the French Navy and two boats gendarmerie of Toulon.

More importantly, it requires an understanding of who performs this work. The enduring legacy of caste-based social and occupational segregation means that Dalit and other historically oppressed communities remain overrepresented in sanitation and waste collection.

According to a government survey conducted in 2023–24, covering 38,000 workers from 3,000 urban local bodies in 29 states and Union Territories, around 92 percent of those engaged in [5] cleaning urban sewers and septic tanks belonged to Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), and Other Backward Class (OBC) communities. Dalit sub-castes [6] have been involved across the sanitation value chain, namely communities such as Valmiki, Bhangi, Mehtar, and Chooda in northern and western India; Bassfor, Dom,and Ghaasi in eastern India; and Thotti, Arunthathiyar, and Madiga in southern India. These communities reportedly comprise around six million households, with approximately 40–60 percent engaged in extremely hazardous sanitation work.

In 2023 and 2024, the Centre for Labour Research and Action (CLRA) [7], a labour rights organisation based in western India, conducted two research studies to understand [8] the impact of privatisation and contractualisation on sanitation workers. We spoke to contract workers, permanent employees, and those classified as self-employed in Ahmedabad and Surat. These conversations revealed how shifts in the waste and sanitation sector have compounded caste-based inequalities, leaving workers increasingly vulnerable

Privatisation, contractualisation, and the intersections of caste-based oppression
Sanitation jobs today are split between permanent roles and contracted work. However, our research [9] indicates a growing trend of hiring sanitation workers almost exclusively on contract. Permanent hirings are declining, and workers from the Valmiki community are being relegated to predominantly contractual roles.

In the absence of any standard operating procedure for hiring contract workers, employment records are poorly maintained or not maintained at all.

Workers estimate that nearly 60 percent of the sanitation workforce on the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation’s payroll consists of Valmikis. At the same time, there has been an influx of dominant-caste workers into [10] permanent positions such as peons and attendants. In Surat, workers alleged that non-Valmikisoften bribe recruitment officers to secure permanent jobs. This practice is also prevalent in Rajasthan [11]. Although these workers do not perform actual sanitation work, their salary slips classify them as ‘labour,’ creating the misleading impression that sanitation roles have been equalised across castes. In reality, where dominant-caste workers are assigned sanitation duties, they frequently subcontract the work. At a public toilet in Ahmedabad, for instance, the person assigned to manage the toilet identified as a Brahmin and reported hiring other workers to clean the toilets twice a day, paying INR 100–150 per visit.

Workers also revealed overt forms of untouchability and discrimination in their work environment. A Valmiki worker recounted instances where he was made to sit on the ground during events while his savarnacolleagues sat on chairs. Others shared that Sanitary Inspectors and Sub-Sanitary Inspectors, who are often from dominant castes, regularly displayed insensitive and casteist behaviour.

In the absence of any standard operating procedure for hiring contract workers, employment records are poorly maintained or not maintained at all. This leads to the systemic invisibilisation of contract workers as well as the denial of statutory minimum wages. We found that contract workers were paid significantly less for municipal sanitation work, often as little as one-fourthof the wages earned by permanent workers. They are typically given a daily hazri (attendance-based wage), which has remained unchanged since 2016 at around INR 200–250.

Securing permanent employment has become increasingly difficult. Earlier, contract roles could be turned into permanent roles once workers completed 900 days of work over a five-year period. This pathway has now effectively been closed. This raises serious legal concerns under the Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act, 1970 [12], which mandates equal wages for contract workers performing similar work as regular employees; a provision that is routinely violated.

Even compensatory mechanisms have failed to offer meaningful mobility. Under the warasdar system, the next of kin of sanitation workers who die or are injured on duty are entitled to employment. However, these jobs are still confined to low-paid, manual labour. One safai karamchari in Surat, who inherited his mother’s job under thissystem, shared that despite holding a BCom degree, he was offered the job of a cleaner and has been waiting for a promotion for a long time.    

Contradictions of the Warasdar system

For some workers, the warasdar system provides one of the few remaining paths to an assured government job amid precarity and rampant caste-based discrimination in employment. [13] For others, it reinforces caste-based occupations, by tethering families to sanitation work across generations. The system itself is limited to lower-grade roles and is revoked if a worker accepts a promotion to a higher-level position. Left with no other choice, workers are compelled to decline promotions and remain in low-paying positions that pose constant threats to their health and safety. 

In 2006, through strong advocacy, 900 workers were added into municipal service under the warasdar system. In fact, most permanent sanitation workers we spoke to in Ahmedabad had secured their jobs through this route.

However, not everyone wishes to continue working in sanitation, but leaving poses another hurdle.

Not everyone wishes to continue working in sanitation, but leaving poses another hurdle.

The struggle to leave the system

Workers described the hindrances they face when attempting to exit sanitation work altogether. One worker shared, “Agar koyi nayi dukaan bhi kholte hein aur pata chal jaata hai, toh wahan koyi nahi aata (Even when we open a new shop, once people get to know our identity, they do not come).” Caste identity becomes a significant barrier to access, acceptance, and mobility in other livelihoods.

Workers repeatedly expressed the desire for their children to receive quality education, and to not have to continue working in sanitation. However, many reported being denied admission in private schools upon learning the occupation of the parents and producing their caste certificates. A worker said, “Chuua-chuut abhi bhi chaalo hai humare samaaj mein. Mein mehnat kar raha hun ki apne bachche ko padhaun, lekin admission nahi de rahe toh ab kya karun(Untouchability still exists in our society. I am working hard to educate my children, but when they are not being given admission, what can I do?).” Another added, “Koi acche school mein padhana chaah rahe ho toh nahi milega (If we want our children to get educated in a good school, we will not get admission).”

Structural barriers compound these challenges. One of the workers in a Valmiki basti in Ahmedabad shared that there are no schools near their bastis. Sending their children to distant schools is expensive, and long working hours make daily travel and supervision difficult.

Given such conditions, sanitation workers across various urban areas have repeatedly mobilised to raise collective demands, which continue to remain unheard. 

Key demands and way forward

Based on conversations with workers—both permanent and contractual—a set of immediate demands emerged:
• Abolish contract work and regularise the employment of existing contract workers.
• Ensure dignified wages that recognise sanitation work as essential labour.
• Guarantee safe and dignified working conditions with proactive support for healthcare, education, and adequate housing.
• Recognise deaths while cleaning septic tanks under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, rather than treating them as accidents or cases of negligence.  
• Provide reparations for the systemic and historical injustice meted out to sanitation workers and their communities. While reservations remain an important tool to deliver justice, the urgent task should be to speak of reparations as a critical tool to ensure social and economic justice [14].

It is critical that labour unions recognise that caste is a labour issue and alter their approach and strategies accordingly. Failure [15] to address the caste divide within unions has led to the emergence of caste- or identity-based unions to articulate the demands of workers from historically oppressed groups. However, this fragmentation reflects a larger refusal to confront how caste structures the labour market.

Caste shapes economic exploitation and in India; it is inseparable from class.

Caste shapes economic exploitation and in India; it is inseparable from class. At a recent meeting in Mumbai on the need for solidarity between labour and identity movements, activists argued that unions must begin to document local economic activities and modes of production through a caste lens. They also called for building a counter-culture that challenges dominant norms of subjugation. This can be done through sustained collaboration with anti-caste organisations, community-level mobilisation, and political education. Crucially, this shift must also be reflected in union leadership. 

The socio-cultural indignity associated with caste-based sanitation work will persist as long as workers are denied occupational mobility. Thus, a key demand of sanitation workers’ unions should also be the freedom to leave sanitation work and the abolition of the contract system, without losing access to secure employment.

These demands have also found judicial recognition. In a landmark judgement [16], the Bombay High Court directed a municipal corporation to regularise the employment of 580 sanitation workers. The court stated that “in a welfare state, cleanliness for one class of citizens cannot be achieved by engaging in ‘slavery’ of others.” It also explicitly acknowledged the caste-based nature of sanitation work, distinguishing it from other contract labor disputes. Anand Teltumbde has emphasised [17] how the government’s nationwide Swachh Bharat Mission will remain merely rhetorical unless caste hierarchies are dismantled. He astutely argues that a few workers from historically marginalised communities cannot be responsible for managing the waste generated by an entire population.

Ultimately, organising sanitation workers, including contract workers, is the only way to build a collective voice capable of challenging systems that restrict dignity, safety, and occupational mobility. The experience of workers in urban Gujarat shows that the fear expressed by Chennai’s conservancy workers are well-founded. Their organised struggle for recognition and dignity of their labour must not only be recognised but should be actively supported.  

Know more
• Read more about the state of sanitation work for Valmikis as a result of ‘badli’ work. https://theprint.in/ground-reports/the-great-indian-sanitation-scam-general-castes-bag-govt-jobs-valmikis-do-the-work/2349211/
• Learn about India’s unorganised labour sector. https://socialistregister.com/index.php/srv/article/download/5757/2653/7684
• Read more about the systemic issues that prevent progress for sanitation workers. https://idronline.org/article/water-sanitation/no-progress-for-sanitation-workers-what-must-change/

Iran’s nationwide Internet blackout remained largely in place as the reported death toll from recent protests continued to rise, with one account saying the number of fatalities may exceed 30,000.

The digital rights watchdog NetBlocks said on January 25 that Iran’s Internet shutdown has now passed 400 hours, adding that “brief connectivity spikes” may give a false impression of wider restoration. https://x.com/netblocks/status/2015352026381639764 It said circumvention tools such as VPNs have allowed limited online communication.

Human rights groups say the blackout has hampered protesters’ ability to organize and restricted the flow of information, making independent verification of casualties difficult.

The US-based rights organization HRANA, whose figures RFE/RL has been regularly citing since the violent crackdown began in Iran earlier this month, says its confirmed death toll is now 5,459, and the number of fatalities still under investigation is 17,031. https://www.en-hrana.org/day-twenty-eight-of-the-protests-arrests-uncertainty-over-detainees-fate-and-international-calls-for-accountability/

However, a report published by Time magazine says the number of fatalities in the Iran protests may exceed 30,000, according to two senior Iranian health officials it spoke to.

The report, published on January 25, says the majority of deaths occurred during January 8–9, when the government’s crackdown on nationwide protests reached its peak. https://time.com/nextgen-preview/7228edd7c55f97e885492382190da5ed793b2bc4232f62e28dc1fe33fca070ed/article/7357635/ Due to intense censorship and the prolonged Internet shutdown, reported death toll figures for the protests cannot be independently verified.

The toll reported by Time sharply contradicts the official death toll of 3,117 announced earlier this week by Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, but aligns more closely with international estimates. https://apnews.com/article/iran-protests-araghchi-trump-threat-crackdown-299375ebfd004dd6098c77a6bb8079a5

 The United Nations has suggested significantly higher casualties, and Mai Sato, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Iran, said on January 22 that the number of civilians killed could exceed 20,000 as reports from doctors continue to surface. Amnesty International has described the killings as occurring on an “unprecedented scale.” https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2026/01/iran-massacre-of-protesters-demands-global-diplomatic-action-to-signal-an-end-to-impunity/

The Norway-based Iran Human Rights group, meanwhile, on January 25 said that Iranian security forces have been targeting doctors and volunteers who were helping injured protesters.

“Security forces are violently arresting doctors and volunteer citizens by raiding homes and clinics, and destroying their property,” reported the group, which says it has members inside and outside off Iran.

“Security agencies have detained doctors and raided makeshift medical shelters with the aim of creating fear and preventing the injured from receiving treatment,” the group said, citing informed sources. https://iranhr.net/fa/articles/8553/

Additional details have emerged about injuries sustained during the crackdown.

Iran’s semi-official ISNA news agency reported that Qasem Fakhrayi, head of Tehran’s Farabi Hospital, said the number of patients with pellet-related eye injuries surged to around 1,000 on January 9, compared with about 55 cases in the preceding days. https://x.com/RadioFarda_/status/2015368993687662721 Nearly 200 injured people were transferred to other hospitals due to capacity constraints.

Maryam Sabbaghi, the hospital’s head nurse, said all beds were filled, stretchers were borrowed from another facility, and patients were placed in hallways.

The economic impact of the shutdown has also deepened.

Majidreza Hariri, head of the Iran–China Chamber of Commerce, said merchants have been allowed to access the Internet for only 20 minutes a day under official supervision, a level he said was insufficient for conducting business. Ali Hakim-Javadi, head of Iran’s Computer Trade Organization, said the shutdown is causing 20–30 trillion rials ($18–28 million at the current free-market rate) in daily losses.

SEE ALSO:
Live Blog: Report: Sudden Surge In Eye Injuries, Says Hospital Director https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-protests-live-blog-trump-khamenei/33640284.html

Separately, the Coordinating Council of Teachers’ Trade Associations has published the names of more than 40 students it said were killed during the crackdown, citing information it said it got from trusted sources. The umbrella body of independent teachers’ unions in Iran says the list will be updated gradually.

The violence has drawn criticism from a senior Sunni cleric inside Iran. Molavi Abdolhamid Esmailzehi, the Friday prayer leader in Zahedan, called the killings a “systematic massacre.”https://x.com/AbdolhamidNet/status/2015356089122902122

“This tragedy has created a deep and irreparable rift between the people of Iran and the ruling establishment,” he said.

Iran is a Shi’a-majority country, with about 90 percent of the population belonging to the branch of Islam. The Sunni Islam minority is about 5-10 percent, according to recent statistics.

Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC) and Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Politburo member Zhang Yuxia is suspected of passing key technical data on Chinese nuclear weapons to the United States, according to The Wall Street Journal citing sources.

The allegations against the general were revealed at a briefing for the army’s most senior officers. There are also allegations against Zhang of accepting bribes, including for promoting an officer to defense secretary and for promoting him to positions in the military procurement system, WSJ sources said. In addition, abuse of power and “forming political cliques” are among the charges. The reporters specified that they are talking about attempts to create influence networks that undermine party unity.

China’s leader Xi Jinping has launched an investigation into his most powerful military associate, marking the most sweeping reorganization of the country’s armed forces in decades. The move is aimed at stepping up the fight against military corruption and political disloyalty, writes The Wall Street Journal. https://www.wsj.com/world/china/chinas-xi-places-his-top-general-under-investigation-as-military-purges-heat-up-d07f9c7d?mod=hp_lead_pos3

General Zhang Yuxia, the elder of two vice-chairmen of the Communist Party of China’s Central Military Commission and the country’s de facto No. 1 general, is under investigation for “serious violations of Party discipline and state laws.”

General Liu Zhenli, the chief of China’s Joint Chiefs of Staff responsible for battle planning and military operations, is being investigated along with him. He is also accused of similar violations.

A blow to the elite of military modernization

Zhang and Liu were key figures in China’s military modernization program and belonged to the few generals with real combat experience. Their ouster demonstrates the extent of Xi Jinping’s drive to purge the military of officers seen as corrupt or politically unreliable.

Dozens of senior military and defense leaders have been ousted in China in recent years, casting doubt on Beijing’s stated goal of building a fighting force capable of standing up to the West on equal footing.

Harsh Public Criticism

The official newspaper of China’s People’s Liberation Army published an editorial sharply criticizing Zhang and Liu. The piece said they had undermined Xi Jinping’s authority, contributed to political and corruption problems in the military and weakened the Communist Party’s control over the army.

12 Squadron has regularly deployed to Qatar to conduct joint training and share experiences which enhance national and regional security. Recently, the RAF deployed on exercises such as EPIC SKIES and SOARING FALCON – further reinforcing the operational capability between our two nations.

Defence Secretary, John Healey MP, said:
Qatar and the UK are close partners with historic defence ties going back decades. This partnership bolsters the national security of both our nations and supports stability in the Gulf region.  

Today’s deployment builds on those shared aims as Typhoon jets from our joint squadron deploy to support its defence.

Coming alongside our announcement of half a billion pounds investment to upgrade our Typhoons, this deployment is further demonstration of the crucial role of these jets in reinforcing global security.

The deployment, upon invitation of the Qatari government, is in a defensive capacity and builds on the UK’s established defence partnership with Qatar and reflects the UK Government’s commitment to collaborating with international partners to maintain regional stability.

The UK and Qatar share a long history of cooperation, particularly with flying training including both Hawk and Typhoon in the UK and this deployment highlights the importance of working alongside allies and partners to address shared security challenges.

UK forces regularly operate alongside regional partners as part of established defence commitments, working collaboratively and actively to provide peace and stability in the region. 12 Squadron’s deployment is a testament to the UK’s commitment to our partners and to the wider stability of the region.

Everyone remembers the great American film “Groundhog Day” with Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell. But no one would want to live like that – repeating the same thing for weeks, months, and, of course, for years. And yet, that’s exactly how we live now. And it’s our life. And every forum like this one proves it. Just last year, here in Davos, I ended my speech with the words: “Europe needs to know how to defend itself.” A year has passed – and nothing has changed. We are still in a situation where I must say the same words.

But why?

The answer is not just about the threats that exist or may appear. Each year brings something new – for Europe and for the world.

Everyone turned attention to Greenland. And it’s clear – most leaders simply are not sure what to do about it. And it seems like everyone is just waiting for America to “cool down” on this topic, hoping it will pass away. But what if it will not? What then?

There was so much talk about the protests in Iran – but they drowned in blood. The world has not helped the Iranian people enough. And it’s true – it has stood aside. In Europe, there were Christmas and New Year celebrations. The seasonal holidays. By the time politicians came back to work and started forming a position – the Ayatollah had already killed thousands.

And what will Iran become after this bloodshed? If the regime survives, it sends a clear signal to every bully: kill enough people, and you stay in power. Who in Europe needs that message to become a reality?

And yet – Europe hasn’t even tried to build its own response.

Let’s look at the Western Hemisphere. President Trump led an operation in Venezuela. And Maduro was arrested. And there were different opinions, but the fact remains: Maduro is on trial in New York.

Sorry, but Putin is not on trial. And this is the fourth year of the biggest war in Europe since World War II – and the man who started it is not only free, he’s still fighting for his frozen money in Europe. And you know what? He’s having some success. It’s true. It’s Putin who’s trying to decide how the frozen Russian assets should be used – not those who have the power to punish him for this war. Thankfully, the EU decided to freeze Russian assets indefinitely – and I am grateful for that – thanks, Ursula, thanks, António, and all the leaders who helped. But when the time came to use those assets to defend against Russian aggression, the decision was blocked. Putin managed to stop Europe. Unfortunately.

Next point. Because of America’s position, people are now avoiding the topic of the International Criminal Court. And that’s understandable – it’s American historical position. But at the same time, there’s still no real progress on establishing a Special Tribunal for Russian aggression against Ukraine, against the Ukrainian people. And we have an agreement – it’s true. Many meetings have taken place. But still, Europe hasn’t reached even the point of having a home for the Tribunal – with staff and actual work happening inside. What’s missing – time or political will? Too often in Europe, something else is always more urgent than justice.

Right now, we are working actively with partners on security guarantees, and I am grateful for that. But those are for after the war ends. Once the ceasefire begins, there will be contingents and joint patrols, and partner flags on Ukrainian soil. And that is a very good step, and a right signal, that the UK and France are ready to actually commit their forces on the ground – and there is already a first agreement on that. Thank you, Keir, thanks, Emmanuel, and all the leaders in our Coalition. And we are doing everything to make sure that our Coalition of the Willing truly becomes a Coalition of Action.

And again – everyone is very positive, but – always but – but the backstop of President Trump is needed. And again – no security guarantees work without the U.S.

But what about the ceasefire itself? Who can help make it happen? Europe loves to discuss the future but avoids taking action today – action that defines what kind of future we will have. That is the problem. Why can President Trump stop tankers from the shadow fleet and seize oil – but Europe doesn’t? Russian oil is being transported right along European shores. That oil funds the war against Ukraine. That oil helps destabilize Europe. So Russian oil must be stopped and confiscated and sold for Europe’s benefit. Why not?

If Putin has no money, there’s no war for Europe. If Europe has money, then it can protect its people. Right now, those tankers are making money for Putin, and that means, that means Russia continues to push its sick agenda.

Next point. I’ve said it before, and I’ll repeat it again: Europe needs united armed forces – forces that can truly defend Europe. Today, Europe relies only on the belief that if danger comes, NATO will act. But no one has really seen the Alliance in action. If Putin decides to take Lithuania or strike Poland, who will respond? Who will respond?

Right now, NATO exists thanks to belief – belief that the United States will act, that it will not stand aside, and will help. But what if it doesn’t?

Believe me, this question is… It’s everywhere, in the minds of every European leader. And some try to get closer to President Trump. It’s true. Some wait – hoping the problem will disappear. Some have started acting – investing in weapons production, and et cetera, building partnerships, getting public support for higher defense spending…

But let’s remember: until America pressured Europe to spend more on defense, most countries were not even trying to reach 5% of GDP – the minimum needed to ensure security. Europe needs to know how to defend itself.

You either declare that European bases will protect the region from Russia and China – and establish those bases – or you risk not being taken seriously because 30 or 40 soldiers won’t protect anything.

And we know what to do. If Russian warships are sailing freely around Greenland, Ukraine can help – we have the expertise and weapons to ensure not one of those ships remains.

They can sink near Greenland just as they do near Crimea. No problem – we have the tools, and we have people. For us, the sea is not the first line of defense, so we can take actions, and we know how to fight there. If we were asked, and if Ukraine were in NATO – but we are not – we would solve this problem with the Russian ships.

As for Iran, everyone is waiting to see what America will do. And the world offers nothing; Europe offers nothing and does not want to enter this issue as a supporter of the Iranian people and the democracy they need.

But when you refuse to help a people fighting for freedom, the consequences return – and they’re always negative. Belarus in 2020 is an example. No one helped their people. And now, Russian “Oreshnik” missiles are deployed in Belarus – within range of most European capitals. That would not have happened if the Belarusian people had won in 2020.

And we’ve told our European partners multiple times: act now. Act now against those missiles in Belarus. Missiles are never just decoration. But Europe still remains in “Greenland mode” – maybe… someday… someone will do something.

The issue of Russian oil is the same. It’s good that many sanctions exist. Russian oil is getting cheaper. But the flow has not stopped. And Russian companies that fund Putin’s war machine are still working. And that will not change without more sanctions. And we’re grateful for all the pressure put on the aggressor. But let’s be honest – Europe must do more, so its sanctions block enemies as effectively as American sanctions. Why is that important? Because if Europe is not seen as a global force, if its actions don’t scare bad actors, then Europe will always be reacting – catching up with new dangers and attacks.

We all see that the forces trying to destroy Europe do not waste a single day – they operate freely, even operate inside Europe.

Every “Viktor” who lives off European money while trying to sell out European interests deserves a smack upside the head. And if he feels comfortable in Moscow, it doesn’t mean we should let European capitals become little Moscows. We must remember what separates Russia from all of us. The most fundamental line of conflict between Russia and Ukraine and all of Europe is this: Russia fights to devalue people, to make sure that when dictators want to destroy someone – they can. But they must lose power, not gain it.

For example, Russia’s missiles are produced only because there are ways to bypass sanctions. It’s true. Everyone sees how Russia tries to freeze Ukrainians now, our people, Ukrainians, to death at –20°C. But Russia couldn’t build any ballistic or cruise missiles without critical components from other countries. And it’s not just China. Too often, people hide behind the excuse that “China helps Russia.” Yes, it does. But not only China. Russia gets components from companies in Europe, the United States, and Taiwan.

Right now, many are investing in stability around Taiwan. To avoid war… But can Taiwanese companies stop contributing electronics to Russia’s war? Europe says almost nothing. America says nothing. And Putin makes missiles.

And I thank every country, of course, and every company that helps Ukraine repair its energy system. This is crucial. Thank you to all who support the PURL program, helping us buy Patriot missiles. But wouldn’t it be cheaper and easier to just cut Russia off from the components it needs for missile production? Or even destroy the factories making them?

Last year, most of the time was spent talking about long-range weapons for Ukraine. And everybody said that the solution was within range. Now, no one is even talking about it. But Russian missiles and “shaheds” are still here. And we still have the coordinates of the factories where they’re made. Today, they target Ukraine. Tomorrow, it could be any NATO country.

And here, in Europe, we’re advised not to mention Tomahawks to the Americans – not to spoil the mood. And we’re told not to bring up Taurus missiles. When the subject is Türkiye, diplomats say – don’t offend Greece. When it’s Greece, they say be careful with Türkiye.

In Europe, there are endless internal arguments and things left unsaid that stop Europe from uniting and speaking honestly enough to find real solutions. And too often, Europeans turn against each other – leaders, parties, movements, and communities – instead of standing together to stop Russia, which brings the same destruction to everyone. Instead of becoming a truly global power, Europe remains a beautiful but fragmented kaleidoscope of small and middle powers. Instead of taking the lead in defending freedom worldwide, especially when America’s focus shifts elsewhere – Europe looks lost, trying to convince the U.S. President to change. But he will not change.

President Trump loves who he is. And he says he loves Europe. But he will not listen to this kind of Europe.

One of the biggest problems in today’s Europe – though it’s not often talked about – is the mindset. Some European leaders are from Europe, but not always for Europe. And Europe still feels more like a geography, a history, a tradition – not a real political force, not a great power.

Some Europeans are really strong. It’s true. But many say: “We must stand strong.” And they always want someone else to tell them how long they need to stand strong. Preferably – until the next election. But that’s not how great power works, to my mind. Leaders say: “We must defend European interests.” But they hope someone else will do it for them. And speaking of values they often mean valuables.

They are all like: “We need something to replace the old world order with.” But where is the line of leaders who are ready to act – act now on land, in the air, and at sea – to build a new global order? You can’t build the new world order out of words. Only actions create real order.

Today, America has launched the Board of Peace. Ukraine was invited. So was Russia, Belarus – though the war hasn’t stopped. And there is not even a ceasefire. And you’ve seen who joined. Everyone had their reasons. But here’s the thing: Europe hasn’t even formed a united position on the American idea.

Maybe tonight, when the European Council meets, they will decide something. But the documents were already signed this morning. And tonight they might also finally decide something on Greenland. But last night, Mark Rutte had spoken to President Trump – thank you, Mark, for your productiveness. America is already changing its position – but nobody knows exactly how.

So things move faster than us, things move faster than Europe. And how can Europe keep up?

Dear friends, 

We should not degrade ourselves to secondary roles – not when we have a chance to be a great power together. We should not accept that Europe is just a “salad” of small and middle powers, seasoned with enemies of Europe. When united, we are truly invincible. And Europe can and must be a global force. Not one that reacts late, but one that defines the future.

That would help everyone – from the Middle East to every other region in the world. That would help Europe itself because the challenges we face now are challenges to the European way of life, where people matter, where nations matter.

Europe can help build a better world. Europe must build a better world. And a world without war, of course.

But for that, Europe needs strength. For that, we must act together – and act in time. And most of all – we must have the courage to act.

And we are actively working to reach solutions. Real solutions. Today we met with President Trump – and our teams are working almost every day. It’s not simple. The documents aimed at ending this war are nearly ready. And that really matters. Ukraine is working with full honesty and determination. And that brings results. And Russia must become ready too, to finish this war, to stop this aggression – Russian aggression, Russian war against us. So the pressure must be strong enough. And the support for Ukraine must grow even stronger.

Our previous meetings with the President of the United States brought us air defense missiles. And thanks, Europeans. They helped also. And today, we also spoke about protecting the skies – which means protecting lives, of course. And I hope America will continue to stand with us.

And Europe must be strong. And Ukraine is ready to help – with anything needed to guarantee peace and prevent destruction. We are ready to help others become stronger than they are now. We are ready to be part of a Europe that truly matters – a Europe of real power – great power.

Today, we need that power to protect our own independence. But you need Ukraine’s independence, too, because tomorrow, you may have to defend your way of life. And when Ukraine is with you, no one will wipe their feet on you. And you will always have a way to act – and act in time. This is very important – act in time.

Dear friends,
Today is one of the last days of Davos – though definitely not the last Davos, of course. And everyone agrees on that. Many people believe that, somehow, things will work out on their own. But we cannot rely on “somehow.” For real security, faith is not enough – faith in a partner, in a lucky turn of events.

Grieving relatives searching for their loved ones among piles of bodies outside the Tehran Province Forensic Diagnostic and Laboratory Center in Kahrizak, Iran, are shown in UGC images posted on social media on January 13.

US warships are heading toward Iran as Iranian officials defend a brutal suppression of anti-leadership protests that the United Nations is calling the deadliest crackdown by the Islamic republic on its people since it took power during the 1979 revolution.

Amid a weeks-long Internet blackout, information about the extent of the crackdown on protests — which started with shopkeepers in Tehran demonstrating over an inflation spike and currency freefall — continues to trickle out as rights groups cobble together reports from hospitals and eyewitnesses.

The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) says that as of January 22, following 26 days of unrest, it had verified 5,002 deaths, including 201 security forces, with more than 9,787 deaths still under investigation. https://www.en-hrana.org/day-twenty-six-of-the-protests-government-commits-violence-denies-responsibility-and-continues-mass-arrests/

Mai Sato, the United Nations special rapporteur on human rights in Iran, said on January 22 the number of civilians killed in the crackdown could even surpass 20,000 as reports from doctors surface.

During a January 23 hearing on the events in Iran, the UN Human Rights Council expressed deep concern over the “unprecedented scale of the violent repression of peaceful protests by security forces in Iran, reports of extrajudicial killings of protesters, including women and children, and the excessive and lethal use of force, which has resulted in the deaths of thousands of peaceful protesters and the injury of many more.”

Trump said on January 22 that the United States had an “armada” heading toward Iran but hoped he would not ‌have to use it, as he renewed warnings to Tehran against killing protesters or restarting its nuclear program.

“We have a lot of ships going that direction, just in case. I’d rather not see anything happen, but we’re watching them very closely…. We have an armada…heading in that direction, and maybe we won’t have to use it,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One as he flew back to Washington from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and several guided-missile destroyers are reportedly due to arrive in the Middle East in the coming days.

The US Treasury Department on January 23 also announced sanctions on nine ships that are part of what it called Iran’s “shadow fleet” that carry embargoed Iranian oil and petroleum products around the world. https://ofac.treasury.gov/recent-actions/20260123

“Today’s sanctions target a critical component of how Iran generates the funds used to repress its own people. As previously outlined, Treasury will continue to track ⁠the tens of millions of dollars that the regime has stolen and is desperately attempting to wire to banks outside of Iran,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement.

Mohammad Javad Haj Ali Akbari, an influential cleric who leads Friday Prayers in Tehran, said on January 23 that Iran would retaliate for any US attacks on the country, including targeting US investments in the region.

That came after Ali Abdollahi Aliabadi, head of Iran’s Khatam-al Anbiya Central Headquarters, which coordinates the army and the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), said any military strikes would makes all US bases in the region “legitimate targets.”

Iranians have been cut off from the outside world since January 8, when the authorities imposed a near-total nationwide Internet shutdown as the crackdown on protests intensified.

It remains unclear when services will resume, but even when they do, experts fear the authorities will force Iranians to use a domestically designed “intranet” that works independently from the world’s Internet.

Watchdog Netblocks said on January 23 that the wider availability of messaging apps inside Iran “had been confirmed and more VPN tunnels are connecting from Iran.” https://x.com/netblocks/status/2014664973541142736

“However, service is heavily filtered and observable international connectivity remains low, indicating a ‘filternet plus’ configuration,” it added.

In an interview with ABC News this week, Sato estimated that the number of civilians killed was at least 5,000. However, she also said that figure could be 20,000 or more, according to reports she had received from doctors inside Iran. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01-20/united-nations-iran-deaths-investigation-crimes-against-humanity/106238634

The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) says that the number of confirmed fatalities has reached 5,002, while the number of deaths still under investigation has risen to 9,787.

Sara Hossain, head of the UN Fact-Finding Mission on Iran, said on January 23 that Iranian security forces have used “assault weapons and heavy machine guns” against protesters since the evening of January 8, leaving a “shocking” death toll.

Speaking online and remotely to an emergency session of the UN Human Rights Council, Hossain said the information gathered by the mission indicated serious human rights violations, “including the disproportionate use of force that has resulted in arbitrary killings and injuries, torture, sexual violence, arbitrary arrest and detention, and forced confessions.”

Referring to statements by Iranian officials, the Bangladeshi lawyer recalled that the Islamic republic’s judiciary had called for detainees to be punished “as soon as possible and without leniency” and had threatened to prosecute “rioters” on charges of “enmity against God,” which carries the death penalty.

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky flew to Davos on Thursday to meet with Trump. Trump said he was ready for a “framework agreement” on Greenland and simultaneously said he would not impose trade tariffs against European countries.

This dramatically reduced tensions between the US and the EU, but embarrassed Russia.

Ukraine is returning to the negotiating center

With these statements as a backdrop, Zelensky arrived in Davos. His visit signaled that Ukraine is once again seen as a key player in future agreements, not a secondary topic.

According to Reuters, Trump has already announced a personal meeting with Zelensky and said that the moment for an agreement is “reasonably close.”

At the same time, he emphasized that it is up to Ukraine and Russia to make a move, but if they don’t, “they’re stupid.”

Europe is nervous, but Ukraine is a priority

Trump’s dramatic change in rhetoric has caused confusion in European capitals. As the Financial Times notes, EU leaders do not understand how sustainable Washington’s new stance will be.

But NATO chief Mark Rutte has made it clear: the number one priority is Ukraine. European diplomats recognize that Trump is acting pragmatically and trying to play on divisions within the EU, but he is not abandoning his support for Kiev.

With this background, Moscow’s actions look increasingly desperate. Putin said he was “ready to consider participation” in the Peace Council created by Trump and even offered to channel funds from frozen Russian assets there. However, these words did not provoke a serious reaction.

We want Europe to be strong. Ultimately, these are matters of national security and perhaps no current issue makes the uh situation more clear than what’s currently going on with Greenland. Would you like me to say a few words of Greenland? I was going to leave it out of the speech, but I thought I think I would have been reviewed very negatively.

I have tremendous respect for both the people of Greenland and the people of Denmark. Tremendous respect.

But every NATO ally has an obligation to be able to defend their own territory.

And the fact is, no nation or group of nations is in any position to be able to secure Greenland other than the United States. We’re a great power, much greater than people even understand. I think they found that out two weeks ago in Venezuela.

We saw this in World War II when Denmark fell to Germany after just six hours of fighting and was totally unable to defend either itself or Greenland. So the United States was then compelled, we did it, we felt an obligation to do it, to send our own forces to hold the Greenland territory. And hold it we did at great cost and expense. They didn’t have a chance of getting on it and they tried.

Denmark knows that. We literally set up bases on Greenland for Denmark. We fought for Denmark. We weren’t fighting for anyone else. We were fighting to save it for Denmark. Big beautiful piece of ice. It’s hard to call it land. It’s a big piece of ice.

But we saved Greenland and successfully prevented our enemies from gaining a foothold in our hemisphere. So we did it for ourselves also. And then after the war, which we won, we won it big.

But how ungrateful are they now?

So now our country and the world face much greater risks than it did ever before because of missiles, because of nuclear, because of weapons of warfare that I can’t even talk about.

Two weeks ago, they saw weapons that nobody ever heard of. They weren’t able to fire one shot at us. They said, “What happened?” Everything was discombobulated. They said, “We’ve got them in our sights. Press the trigger.” And nothing happened. No anti-aircraft missiles went up. There was one that went up about 30 ft and crashed down right next to the people that sent it. They said, “What the hell is going on?”

Those those defensive systems were made by Russia and by China.

So, they’re going to go back to the drawing boards. I guess Greenland is a vast, almost entirely uninhabited and undeveloped territory that’s sitting undefended in a key strategic location between the United States, Russia, and China.

That’s exactly where it is, right smack in the middle. Wasn’t important nearly when we gave it back. You know, when we gave it back, wasn’t the same as it is now. It’s not important for any other reason, you. know, to everyone talks about the minerals. There’s so many play there’s no rare earth. No such thing as rare earth. There’s rare processing, but there’s so much rare earth and this to get to this rare earth. You got to go through hundreds of feet of ice. That’s not the reason we need it. We need it for strategic national security and international security. This enormous unsecured island is actually part of North America on the northern frontier of the Western Hemisphere. That’s our territory.

It is therefore a core national security interest of the United States of America. And in fact, it’s been our policy for hundreds of years to prevent outside threats from entering our hemisphere. And we’ve done it very successfully. We’ve never been stronger than we are now.

That’s why American presidents have sought to purchase Greenland for nearly two centuries. You know, for two centuries, they’ve been trying to do it.

They should have kept it after World War Il, but they had a different president. That’s all right. People think differently. Much more necessary now than it was at that time, however.

It’s the United States alone that can protect this giant mass of land, this giant piece of ice, develop it, and improve it and make it so that it’s good for Europe and safe for Europe and good for us.

And that’s the reason I’m seeking immediate negotiations to once again discuss the acquisition of Greenland by the United States just as we have acquired many other territories throughout our history as many of the European nations have. They’ve acquired there’s nothing wrong with it. Many of them some went in reverse actually if you look some had great vast wealth great vast lands all over the world. They went in reverse. They’re stuck back where they started. That happens, too.

But some grow. But this would not be a threat to NATO.

This would greatly enhance the security of the entire alliance. The NATO alliance. The United States is treated very unfairly by NATO. I want to tell you that. And when you think about it, nobody can dispute it. We give so much and we get so little in return. And I’ve been a critic of NATO for many years. And yet l’ve done more to help NATO than any other president by far, than any other person. You wouldn’t have NATO if I didn’t get involved in my first term. The war with Ukraine is an example. We are thousands of miles away, separated by a giant ocean. It’s a war that should have never started….

Until I came along, NATO was only supposed to pay 2% of GDP. But they weren’t paying.

Most of the countries weren’t paying anything. The United States was paying for virtually 100% of NATO. And I got that stopped. I said that’s not fair.

But then more importantly, I got NATO to pay 5% and now they were paying and now they are paying. So something nobody said was possible. They said we will never go up higher than 2%. But they went to 5% and now they’re paying the five. They didn’t pay the two and now they’re paying the five and they’re stronger for it. And they have an excellent, by the way, secretary general who’s possibly in the room.

Yes, he’s here. Hello, Mark [Rutte].

We never asked for anything and we never got anything. We probably won’t get anything unless I decide to use excessive strength and force where we would be frankly unstoppable.

But I won’t do that.

Okay, now everyone’s saying, “Oh, good.” That’s probably the biggest statement I made because people thought I would use force. I don’t have to use force. I don’t want to use force. I won’t use force.

All the United States is asking for is a place called Greenland where we already had it as a trustee, but respectfully returned it back to Denmark not long ago after we defeated the Germans, the Japanese, the Italians, and others in World War II. We gave it back to them.

We were a powerful force then, but we are a much more powerful force now. After I rebuilt the military in my first term and continue to do so today, we have a budget of $1.5 trillion. We’re bringing back battleships. The battleship is 100 times more powerful than the great battleships that you saw in World War II. Those great big gorgeous ships, the Missouri, the lowa, the Alabama. because I thought maybe we could take them out of mothballs. They said, “No, sir. These ships are 100, think of that, 100 times more powerful than those big, big, magnificent pieces of art that you saw so many times ago that you still see on television, you say, “Wow, what a force.” 100 times each ship 100 times more powerful than the big battleships of the past. So that was the end of the mothball story.

So what we have gotten out of NATO is nothing except to protect Europe from the Soviet Union and now Russia. I mean we’ve helped them for so many years. We’ve never gotten anything except we pay for NATO and we paid for many years until I came along. We paid for in my opinion 100% of NATO because they weren’t paying their bills.

And all we’re asking for is to get Greenland including right title and ownership because you need the ownership to defend it.

You can’t defend it on a lease. Number one, legally it’s not defensible that way totally. And number two, psychologically, who the hell wants to defend a license agreement or a lease, which is a large piece of ice in the middle of the ocean where if there is a war, much of the action will take place on that piece of ice. Think of it. Those missiles would be flying right over the center of that piece of ice.

All we want from Denmark for national and international security and to keep our very energetic and dangerous potential enemies at bay is this land on which we’re going to build the greatest golden dome ever built. We’re building a golden dome that’s going to just by its very nature going to be defending Canada.

Canada gets a lot of freebies from us by the way. They should be grateful also, but they’re not. I watched your prime minister yesterday. He wasn’t so grateful. But they should be grateful to us. Canada lives because of the United States.

Remember that, Mark [Carney] , the next time you make your statements.

What we did for Israel was amazing. But that’s nothing compared to what we have planned for the United States, Canada, and the rest of the world. We are going to build a dome like no other. We did it. We did it for Israel. And by the way, I told Bibi [Netanyahu], “Stop taking credit for the dome. That’s our technology. That’s our stuff.” But they had a technology. That’s our stuff.” But they had a lot of courage and they were good fighters and they did a good job. And we wiped out the Iran nuclear threat like nobody can believe. Nobody’s ever seen anything like it….

And I’m dealing with President Putin and he wants to make a deal. I believe I I’m dealing with President Zelenskyy and I think he wants to make a deal. I’m meeting him today. He might be in the audience right now. But uh they got to get that war stopped because too many people are dying needlessly dying. Too many souls are being lost. It’s the only reason I’m interested in doing it. But in doing it, I’m helping Europe. I’m helping NATO.

When I and I’ve until the last few days when I told them about [Greenland], they loved me.
They called me daddy right last time. Very smart man said, “He’s our daddy. He’s running it.” I was like running it. I went from running it to being a terrible human being.

But now what l’m asking for is a piece of ice, cold and poorly located that can play a vital role in world peace and world protection.

1. At the invitation of His Excellency Li Qiang, Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China, the Right Honourable Mark Carney, Prime Minister of Canada, paid an official visit to China from 14-17 January 2026. During the visit, His Excellency Xi Jinping, President of the People’s Republic of China, met with Prime Minister Carney. Premier Li Qiang held talks with Prime Minister Mark Carney. His Excellency Zhao Leji, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress also met with Prime Minister Mark Carney. Leaders exchanged views on Canada-China relations, as well as regional and international issues of common interest in an in-depth, pragmatic and constructive manner.

2. Leaders reaffirmed the principles and policies that have guided Canada-China relations. Canada reaffirmed its long-standing commitment to its One China policy. The two sides committed to advancing the Canada-China new Strategic Partnership in the spirit of mutual respect, equality, and mutual benefit to bring more positive outcomes to both peoples.

3. Leaders welcomed the progress made in recent bilateral dialogues. They committed to strengthening exchanges at all levels and to advancing outcomes in the following areas:
Macroeconomic engagement: The two sides decided to reinvigorate the high-level Canada-China Economic and Financial Strategic Dialogue (EFSD) to discuss wide ranging related issues to strengthen bilateral economic relations.
Economic and trade cooperation: Leaders committed to strengthening the economic and trade partnership between Canada and China and welcomed progress in the negotiations to resolve trade issues. The two sides committed to expanding bilateral trade, strengthening two-way investment, and deepening cooperation in diverse sectors of mutual interest. The two sides reaffirmed the importance of a fair and open business environment for enterprises of both countries, and committed to addressing economic and trade issues of mutual concern through constructive consultation, including through a renewed Canada-China Joint Economic and Trade Commission (JETC). Leaders welcomed the signing of the Canada-China Economic and Trade Cooperation Roadmap, and instructed officials to advance the work related to the document.

The two sides developed a preliminary joint arrangement to address bilateral economic and trade issues. The two sides committed to strengthening agricultural cooperation and food security, including through a revitalized Canada-China Joint Agriculture Committee.
Energy: The two sides concurred to support exchanges and cooperation in clean energy, and strengthen cooperation in conventional energy such as oil and gas resource development. The two sides decided to launch a Ministerial Energy Dialogue to outline key areas to support two-way investment and trade in clean and conventional energy. They also committed to building on existing collaboration for responsible management of bilateral civil nuclear energy and to strengthening cooperation in natural uranium trade in accordance with the highest international standards, including relevant International Atomic Energy Agency instruments.
Finance: The two sides welcomed the establishment of a Financial Working Group to enhance bilateral engagement on financial issues. The working group will report to the co-chairs of the EFSD. Leaders welcomed the signing of the Third Agreement to Extend and Amend the Chinese Yuan/Canadian Dollar Bilateral Currency Swap Arrangement between the People’s Bank of China and the Bank of Canada.
Public security and safety: The two sides committed to strengthening law enforcement cooperation to combat corruption and transnational crimes, including telecommunication and cyber fraud and illegal synthetic drugs in accordance with their respective laws. The two sides committed to continuing their bilateral law enforcement cooperation annual working group meeting mechanism, under which a counternarcotics dialogue is a key part, and securing more concrete achievements to ensure the security and safety of the two peoples.
People-to-people ties and cultural exchanges: The two sides concurred that people-to-people ties are the foundation of the bilateral relationship and committed to fostering these ties to promote greater mutual understanding and cooperation. The two sides decided to restart the Canada-China Joint Committee on Culture. The two sides committed to strengthening exchanges and cooperation in areas such as culture, education, arts, heritage, creative industries and to promoting legislative and sub-national exchanges. The two sides consented to provide mutual support and convenience for media to work in each other’s countries, and provide greater convenience for two-way travel. The two sides concurred to provide facilitation for respective diplomatic premises.
Multilateralism: The two sides reaffirmed their commitment to multilateralism, supporting the central role of the United Nations (UN) in international affairs, safeguarding and improving the rules-based multilateral trading system underpinned by the World Trade Organization (WTO), and keeping global industrial and supply chains stable and smooth. Canada notes the Global Governance Initiative (GGI) proposed by China. The two sides committed to working to improve global governance, and to strengthening coordination and cooperation in the accelerated implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and on the reform of the international financial system. Canada supports China’s hosting of the 2026 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings and looks forward to a successful APEC year, and appreciates China’s support for Canada’s offer to host in 2029. The two sides will look for opportunities to enhance exchanges and cooperation within the G20 and committed to deepening cooperation on climate and the environment, including under the frameworks of the Ministerial on Climate Action (MoCA), the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED), and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), as well as under the Memorandum of Understanding on Climate Change Cooperation and the Memorandum of Understanding Concerning Environmental Cooperation.

4. Prime Minister Mark Carney expressed appreciation to the government and people of the People’s Republic of China for their warm and friendly hospitality. China welcomed the invitation of the Canadian side for Chinese leaders to visit Canada at a mutually convenient time.

In a more divided and uncertain world, Canada is building a stronger, more independent, and more resilient economy. To that end, Canada’s new government is working with urgency and determination to diversify our trade partnerships and catalyse massive new levels of investment. As the world’s second-largest economy, China presents enormous opportunities for Canada in this mission. 

To forge a new Canada-China partnership, the Prime Minister, Mark Carney, visited Beijing, the People’s Republic of China, this week. This marked the first visit to China by a Canadian Prime Minister since 2017. In Beijing, Prime Minister Carney met with the President of China, Xi Jinping, the Premier of China, Li Qiang, and the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China, Zhao Leji. After their meeting, Prime Minister Carney and President Xi released a joint statement outlining the pillars of Canada and China’s new strategic partnership. https://www.pm.gc.ca/en/news/statements/2026/01/16/joint-statement-canada-china-leaders-meeting

Central to this new partnership is an agreement to collaborate in energy, clean technology, and climate competitiveness. Canada and China are both energy superpowers focused on expanding two-way energy cooperation – reducing emissions and scaling up investments in batteries, solar, wind, and energy storage. While in Beijing, the Prime Minister met business leaders in energy and clean technology to identify and accelerate Chinese investment opportunities in Canada.

To help deliver the full potential of these partnerships, and build up our domestic manufacturing sector, Canada will allow up to 49,000 Chinese electric vehicles (EV) into the Canadian market, with the most-favoured-nation tariff rate of 6.1%. This amount corresponds to volumes in the year prior to recent trade frictions on these imports (2023-2024), representing less than 3% of the Canadian market for new vehicles sold in Canada. It is expected that within three years, this agreement will drive considerable new Chinese joint-venture investment in Canada with trusted partners to protect and create new auto manufacturing careers for Canadian workers, and ensure a robust build-out of Canada’s EV supply chain. With this agreement, it is also anticipated that, in five years, more than 50% of these vehicles will be affordable EVs with an import price of less than $35,000, creating new lower-cost options for Canadian consumers.

Agri-food and trade are foundations of the longstanding relationship between Canada and China – and China continues to be our second-largest export market. To renew and strengthen that relationship, Prime Minister Carney and President Xi secured a preliminary agreement-in-principle with landmark measures to remove trade barriers and reduce tariffs: https://www.international.gc.ca/news-nouvelles/2026/2026-01-16-china-chine.aspx?lang=eng
* By March 1, 2026, Canada expects that China will lower tariffs on Canadian canola seed to a combined rate of approximately 15%. China is a $4 billion canola seed market for Canadian producers, and this change represents a significant drop from current combined tariff levels of approximately 85%.
* Canada expects that Canadian canola meal, lobsters, crabs, and peas will not be subject to relevant anti-discrimination tariffs from March 1, 2026, until at least the end of this year.

Together, these results will help unlock nearly $3 billion in export orders for Canadian workers and businesses as they realise the full potential of the massive Chinese market of 1.4 billion people.

Finally, to build on this momentum, Canada has set an ambitious goal to increase exports to China by 50% by 2030. To achieve this outcome, Prime Minister Carney and President Xi discussed increasing two-way investment in clean energy and technology, agri-food, wood products, and other sectors.

Canada and China are both strong advocates of multilateralism. As a key pillar of this partnership, we will deepen our engagement on improved global governance. We will collaborate closely in key areas of shared interest, including climate competitiveness and financial and macroeconomic stability. Canada looks forward to contributing to China’s 2026 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Presidency and appreciates China’s support for Canada’s bid to host the 2029 Summit.

Canada and China will also pursue pragmatic and constructive engagement in public safety and security. Our law enforcement agencies will increase cooperation to better combat narcotics trafficking, transnational and cybercrime, synthetic drugs and money laundering – and create safer communities for people in both of our countries.

They will also explore further opportunities for cultural exchanges and partnerships, including supporting museums, digital content creators, visual artists – to increase travel exchanges and cultural ties. Prime Minister Carney welcomed the agreement between Destination Canada and China Media Group to facilitate further outbound tourism to Canada, especially as we prepare to co-host the FIFA World Cup 26. The Prime Minister welcomed President Xi’s commitment to introducing visa-free access for Canadians travelling to China.

The Prime Minister’s visit to Beijing was the culmination of constructive, pragmatic engagement with the Chinese government over many months by the Prime Minister, members of his cabinet and caucus, and other officials. The Prime Minister looks forward to returning to China for the 2026 APEC Leaders’ Summit.

Quote
“At its best, the Canada-China relationship has created massive opportunities for both our peoples. By leveraging our strengths and focusing on trade, energy, agri-food, and areas where we can make huge gains, we are forging a new strategic partnership that builds on the best of our past, reflects the world as it is today, and benefits the people of both our nations.”

The Rt. Hon. Mark Carney, Prime Minister of Canada

Canada and Qatar enjoy a positive and growing partnership built on shared priorities, similar values, and mutual respect. Since establishing diplomatic relations over 50 years ago, our countries have been continuously working to deepen ties through high-level visits and agreements that advance cooperation in trade, defence, education, and international development. Recent milestones include a visit of HH the Amir of Qatar to Ottawa in September 2024, during which both sides signed Memoranda of Understanding on development cooperation as well as annual political consultations and finalized expanded air transport arrangements, underscoring a commitment to closer dialogue and connectivity.

The Canada-Qatar relationship holds immense potential for growth. Prime Minister Carney’s visit has deepened bilateral relations through trade and investment, security, technology, mining, and agriculture. Both countries are committed to advancing shared objectives – Canada’s goal of trade and security diversification and Qatar’s Vision 2030 – that deliver economic benefits for both Canada and Qatar.

Today, we have marked a new chapter, one that will strengthen our ties and create new opportunities for cooperation in the years ahead; several Memorandums of Understanding were signed in areas of cooperation that will pave the way for a strategic partnership through institutional frameworks that will sustain long-term and structured cooperation.

Canada and Qatar will elevate their bilateral consultations to a Foreign Ministers-level Strategic Dialogue, reflecting the growing strength of their relationship.

Both sides recognize the growing strategic relevance of the region and the value of deepening practical ties to support coordination. In this context, the two countries acknowledge ongoing Canadian efforts to establish a resident Defence Attaché presence in Doha and a broader set of cooperation initiatives including an intention to establish a defence, security, and intelligence framework, including military training.

Looking ahead to the 2026 FIFA World Cup tournament co-hosted by Canada, the two sides signed a Letter of Intent on Security Cooperation for the FIFA World Cup 2026, committing to strengthening security cooperation for the tournament, building on Qatar’s experience and success during the 2022 tournament.

Investment plays a critical role in advancing economic prosperity. Qatar affirms its commitment to make significant strategic investments in Canada’s nation-building projects. Likewise, Canada commits to bringing a delegation of investors, including its major pension funds, to Qatar to explore opportunities for bilateral and joint investment.

Canada and Qatar further share a desire to establish a foundation for enhanced collaboration across key sectors in trade and investment, including mining, agriculture, telecommunications, information, and communication technology, science, transportation, and other areas of mutual interest. To enable this, the two sides signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Joint Economic, Commercial and Technical Cooperation, establishing a Joint Economic Commission to augment bilateral economic ties.

Canada and Qatar have a shared commitment to leveraging innovation for global progress. Both countries are committed to building a strategic partnership that supports the ambitious growth and diversification objectives of Vision 2030, particularly in artificial intelligence and emerging technologies. To further the bilateral partnership in this domain, the two sides signed a Memorandum of Understanding for Cooperation in the Field of Information Technology.

Recognizing the value of deepening economic ties and supporting expanded investment opportunities for Canadian and Qatari businesses, as well as reinforcing long-term growth in our bilateral commercial relationship, both sides commit to conclude negotiations on a Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement in a timely fashion, with a view to signing the agreement in the summer of 2026. The two sides also agreed to commence negotiations on a Double Taxation Agreement. The two countries further agreed to enter a negotiation phase on a Memorandum of Understanding for cooperation in the financial and economic fields, with a view to enhancing coordination, exchanging expertise, and strengthening institutional cooperation between the two countries.

Based on a shared understanding of the importance of bilateral air connectivity and its role in strengthening economic ties Canada and Qatar affirmed their intention to further expand air services under the Canada-Qatar Air Transport Agreement.

This year marks Qatar’s Year of Culture with Canada, which comes at a time when the strength of international relationships needs to be shaped by understanding. The 2026 Year of Culture offers an opportunity for Canada and Qatar to deepen people-to-people ties, strengthen cultural literacy, and invest in the soft-power foundations that support stability and dialogue. Through culture, creativity, and shared experience, this partnership can contribute to a more resilient and durable bilateral relationship as cultural exchange remains one of the most effective ways to build trust, reduce misperception, and create the conditions for long-term cooperation.

Many have noted that, tragically, Beth Israel has experience recovering from violent attacks. The congregation withstood a Ku Klux Klan bombing in the 1960s, following then-rabbi Perry Nussbaum’s support for civil rights. Beth Israel could have closed its doors. Instead, it persisted and is Mississippi’s largest Jewish congregation.

Not An Isolated Attack
Even as we are grateful that no lives were lost, we are keenly aware that this attack is not an isolated incident. The past decade has been particularly dangerous for Jewish Americans. This fire is the latest in a trend of anti-Semitic incidents across the nation and around the world.

American Jewish congregations will never forget the 2018 shooting at the Pittsburgh Tree of Life synagogue—the deadliest assault on a Jewish community in our country’s history. The following year, a worshipper was killed at a synagogue near San Diego. In 2022, Jewish congregants were held hostage during a service in Colleyville, Texas.

The barbaric October 7, 2023, attacks escalated the threats against these communities. Hamas committed horrors against Israeli civilians, and Israel fought back against the terrorists. Instead of support, many Jewish persons experienced a backlash. According to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), 2024 saw 9,354 hate incidents against Jewish people. That figure is the highest single year amount since ADL began tracking 46 years ago. It is a 362 percent increase over 2020 and an 893 percent rise from 2015.

Resist All Sources of Anti-Semitism
Our Jewish friends know all too well that anti-Semitic bigotry can come from all ends of the political spectrum. In the hateful elements of the anti-Israel protests, left-wing fanatics created dangerous conditions for Jewish Americans. A rabbi at Columbia University even advised Jewish students to stay home until the protests ended.

The perpetrators of the shootings in Pennsylvania and California cited far-right ideologies. The suspect in this month’s arson attack called Beth Israel a “synagogue of Satan.” That phrase comes from the Christian New Testament, but it has been twisted by anti-Semites. In the past few years, it has been used by far-right influencers. I am grateful that President Trump emphatically denounced these bigots in a recent interview.

We must condemn these hateful and dangerous ideas wherever we find them. In the past few years, American Jewish college and K-12 students have faced unacceptable discrimination from school students, teachers, and administrators. As Israel fought to defeat the murderous Hamas terrorists, I voted to supply the nation with military and economic aid.

This month, my colleagues and I introduced a Senate resolution to reaffirm America’s leadership on religious freedom matters. Of course, we have the ultimate affirmation in the First Amendment. The Constitution guarantees that no government can punish or promote any religion. Its citizens should likewise treat with respect every person’s right to free religious expression.

Read the Chairman’s speech as delivered below.
Mr. President, we live in a dangerous time. There are a number of flashpoints all around the globe. In this hemisphere, in Europe, and the Indo-pacific. But I want to remind my colleagues today that, still, the most dangerous thing going on around the world today is Vladimir Putin’s war against freedom and the West in Ukraine. And I would point out that for the past year, Vladimir Putin has mocked the Ukraine peace process by steadily escalating his attacks on his neighboring country.  He’s recently launched the biggest air attack the conflict has ever seen and shown repeatedly that he is not interested in peace talks. He gives lip service to peace talks, but his acts show that he’s not interested.

Now, by contrast, in the last few weeks, the United States, Ukraine, and our European friends have come together on a common negotiating position centered on several key principles.

Here are the key points:
* Ukraine should not be forced to give up the sovereign territory it deserves and it currently controls.
* Also, Putin should not achieve through negotiation what he has not managed to achieve on the battlefield – and there have been great disappointments to Putin on the battlefield.
* In addition, the United States should play a role in Ukraine’s security guarantees on a permanent basis. The Senate should ratify these security guarantees if they’re ever agreed to.

In the meantime, Mr. President, the Ukrainian people should be assisted in continuing to fight for their freedom.

I commend President Trump, President Zelensky, and European leaders for continuing to come together to reach a consensus.  As we seek to end this brutal, unprovoked war, I urge everyone in Washington, in Kyiv, in the great capitals of Europe to remain united and to remember who we are dealing with in the form and person of Vladimir Putin.

Vladimir Putin is unrepentant. He is ever, and will always be, the KGB agent.  He is a dictator with decades of bloodshed on his hands. He is the biggest thief in the history of the world, a war criminal who should be behind bars at this moment, Mr. President.  And of course, Putin is a liar.  When Vladimir Putin smiles to American negotiators, he acts as our friend, and he acts as if we believe he’s our friend.  We have no reason to smile back at Vladimir Putin or trust him with anything but caution and contempt. 

After four years, Putin knows a Russian victory is not inevitable.  More and more, the American people see this and know this.  A November poll found that 70 percent of Americans do not trust Putin to honor any peace agreement with Ukraine.  He is cut from the same cloth as terrorists all over the world and terrorists down through history.

In Putin’s attacks on civilians for example, we see parallels with the Hamas terrorists who rampaged through Israeli neighborhoods on October 7th.  The terrorists are Putin’s friends.

And don’t forget this, and sometimes it’s not publicized as it ought to be, Putin has abducted over 20,000 Ukrainian children and subjected many to brainwashing schemes.  In those horrors, we see the likes of Xi Jinping and his Uyghur re-education camps.  

Putin routinely locks dissidents in jail—just like his kindred spirits in other censorship regimes. This tyrant who wants to be treated as a peer in the world’s great halls of democracy should be known by the company he keeps. When the brutal Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad was toppled, thankfully, where did Bashar al-Assad run? He ran for safe haven to Moscow. That’s where he went to be under the protection of Vladimir Putin who seeks to make us believe that he is an honest negotiator.

Nicolas Maduro was wisely counseled to flee Venezuela.  If he had run, where would he have run, Mr. President? He would have run to Moscow.  For decades, Russia has been a friend to the murderous Cuban regime.  And now, as the Supreme Leader in Iran considers his options, where might he go for refuge?  The only place he could go is Moscow. So that’s the company Vladimir Putin keeps in the current day.

But Putin even echoes the likes of Adolf Hitler.  Putin routinely talks about—quote—“liberating” the Russian-speaking Ukrainians living in the Donbas, and other areas of Ukraine.  This is the same vile, absurd pretext that Adolf Hitler used when he invaded the German-speaking regions of neighboring countries including Poland. That’s who Vladimir Putin is.

Regrettably, the people of Russia are led brutally by Putin, this world-historical villain. Ukrainians will continue fighting against his unprovoked attacks, but not because they hate peace.  The Ukrainians continue to fight because their alternative is the extinction of their country.  The West needs to stand with them. We need to stand with Ukraine. 

And we must keep assisting our friends.  We need to send a clear message that Putin cannot wait us out.  In December, I’m grateful to say to my colleagues, that Congress overwhelmingly passed and President Donald Trump enthusiastically signed the National Defense Authorization Act.  That law extends the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative and our commitment to sharing intelligence with Ukraine. Good for the President, and good for our friends in the House and Senate.  

Our allies across the Atlantic are taking the lead now, as my colleague from Kentucky just pointed out, in financing security assistance for Ukraine. NATO allies are buying equipment from us in the United States and giving it to Ukraine. I certainly applaud that, as all Americans should

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has reported a conversation with U.S. President Anold Trump that concerned the situation around Greenland.

Rutte wrote in X.
Mark Rutte @SecGenNATO
Spoke with @POTUS regarding the security situation in Greenland and the Arctic. We will continue working on this, and I look forward to seeing him in Davos later this week.
6:42 PM · Jan 18, 2026 https://x.com/SecGenNATO/status/2012928533094363411

The conversation came after Trump threatened 10 percent tariffs on European countries that disagree with his stance on Greenland.

Ukraine’s Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko has confirmed that a consortium led by TechMet and The Rock Holdings has won the tender to develop mineral resources in Kirovohrad Oblast.

Source: Svyrydenko on Telegram https://t.me/svyrydenkoy/1369

Quote: “The deposit will make it possible to attract a minimum amount of capital investment of US$179 million, of which US$12 million will be allocated for new geological exploration and an international audit of reserves, and US$167 million for organising extraction and processing if industrial reserves are confirmed.”

Details: Svyrydenko added that Ukrainian and foreign companies and consortia were invited to participate in the selection process, which was conducted under a 100-point evaluation system.

The Dobra Lithium Holdings JV, LLC, whose shareholders are TechMet and The Rock Holdings, won the tender.

“The Dobra site is only the first step in an ambitious plan to integrate Ukraine into the supply chains of our strategic partners”, Svyrydenko noted.

Background:

• The New York Times reported earlier that the winning consortium is closely linked to the administration of US President Donald Trump. https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2026/01/09/8015360/
•
It includes Ronald Lauder, the heir to the Estée Lauder cosmetics company. Lauder is a friend of Trump. They have known each other since their college days. In addition, Lauder has been a donor to the Republican Party.
•

The largest shareholder in TechMet is the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), which was set up by Trump during his first term in the White House.
•
On 30 April 2025, Ukraine and the United States signed a minerals deal envisaging the establishment of a joint Ukrainian-American investment fund to manage Ukraine’s resources. https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2025/05/01/7509997/
•

Source: The New York Times, citing two members of a Ukrainian government commission that made the decision https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/08/world/europe/trump-lauder-ukraine-lithium.html

Details: The site, known as the Dobra lithium field, is one of Ukraine’s largest reserves of lithium, which is a key component in technologies such as electric batteries.

Quote: “While [the decision] requires formal approval from Ukraine’s cabinet of ministers [Ukrainian government – ed.], the officials said the deal was essentially sealed.”

More details: The winning consortium reportedly has close links to US President Donald Trump’s administration. Its members include Ronald S. Lauder, heir to cosmetics company Estée Lauder. The New York Times states that Lauder is a friend of Trump’s, having known each other since their college days. The newspaper also describes him as a donor to the Republican Party.

TechMet’s largest shareholder is the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), a US government agency.

Tender terms require a minimum investment of US$179 million, but a commission member who took part in the vote on 8 January says the consortium’s offer is significantly higher.

Background:

Sources told The New York Times about this. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/16/world/europe/us-ukraine-minerals-deal.html

According to sources, the Ukrainian government has agreed to begin preparing recommendations for opening a tender for companies to develop a lithium deposit at the Dobra site in Kirovohrad region.

Among the potential bidders is a consortium of investors that includes energy investment company TechMet (partly owned by the US government) and billionaire Ronald Lauder, a friend of Donald Trump. This group called on President Volodymyr Zelensky in late 2023 to allow participation in the tender for this field.

The preparation of the recommendations will take several weeks, and the government may still refuse to hold the tender. The Ukrainian government has not officially commented on this decision.

Subsoil Agreement
On May 1, Ukraine and the United States signed an agreement on subsoil resources— that is, on the creation of a Reconstruction Investment Fund between the United States and Ukraine, which will attract global investments into our country. https://babel.ua/en/news/117601-ukraine-and-the-united-states-signed-an-agreement-on-subsoil-resources-document-details

The fund is a key instrument of cooperation between the United States and Ukraine for the countryʼs post-war reconstruction and its integration into the global economy. More information about the agreement is available here and here. https://babel.ua/en/news/117601-ukraine-and-the-united-states-signed-an-agreement-on-subsoil-resources-document-details https://babel.ua/en/news/117612-the-cabinet-of-ministers-has-published-the-full-text-of-the-agreement-with-the-us-on-subsoil-what-is-in-the-document

The signing of the agreement was preceded by months of political battles between Ukraine and the US. Ukrainian Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko noted that in the end, a version of the agreement was formed that provides for mutually beneficial conditions for both countries.

On May 6, the Verkhovna Rada Committee on International Policy recommended ratifying the minerals agreement. https://babel.ua/en/news/117753-the-verkhovna-rada-committee-supports-ratification-of-minerals-agreement-with-the-us However, on May 7, the Committee voted down the decision — a text was added to the preamble of the resolution, stating that the deputies had not seen other agreements concluded along with the general minerals agreement. https://babel.ua/en/news/117772-the-verkhovna-rada-committee-re-voted-the-decision-on-the-subsoil-agreement

On May 13, the Verkhovna Rada voted in the first reading for Bill No. 13256, which provides for amendments to the Budget Code to implement the Minerals Agreement. https://babel.ua/en/news/117926-the-verkhovna-rada-supported-amendments-to-the-budget-code-this-is-necessary-for-the-agreement-on-minerals

Dubbed “Will For Peace 2026,” the naval exercise brings together countries from BRICS Plus, an intergovernmental group of developing countries. This year’s exercise will be led by China and hosted by Simon’s Town Naval Base, South Africa, according to the South African Defense Department. The naval drills began Friday and will run until Jan. 16.

The week is meant to be an intensive program of joint maritime safety operations, interoperability drills and maritime protection serials, reads a news release from the South African Defense Department. Participating nations agreed the exercise theme would be “Joint Actions to Ensure the Safety of Shipping and Maritime Economic Activities.”https://www.gov.za/news/media-advisories/government-activities/defence-hosts-exercise-will-peace-2026-9-16-jan-30-dec

“This theme reflects the collective commitment of all participating navies to safeguard maritime trade routes, enhance shared operational procedures and deepen cooperation in support of peaceful maritime security initiatives,” reads the release.

The exercise will include drills on counter-terrorism rescue and maritime strike operations, as well as professional technical exchanges and ship visits, China’s Ministry of National Defense said Friday.

The South African National Defense Force on Thursday released photos of People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) destroyer CNS Tangshan (122), fleet oiler CNS Taihu (889) and Iranian Navy expeditionary sea base IRIS Makran (441) arriving in Simon’s Town. South African Navy frigate SAS Amatola (F145) was also docked at the base. https://www.facebook.com/SANationalDefenceForce/posts/pfbid0QSVLWXWYAhDDdQuHKCttmzoywLLSKYTwUTtmEpQ2MwM15BgkLJf6oZvaCkxWABwTl

Additionally, South African newspaper Daily Maverick posted photos of Iranian Navy corvette IRIS Naghdi (82) and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy expeditionary sea base IRIS Shahid Mahdavi(L110-3) in the waters off Simon’s Town. https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-01-08-iran-russia-and-china-sail-into-simons-town-as-exercise-will-for-peace-kicks-off/ Russian corvette RFS Stoikiy (545) and fleet oiler Yelnyaarrived Friday in False Bay, Cape Town, to participate in the drills, according to a social media post by South African defense journalist Dean Wingrin. https://x.com/deanwingrin/status/2009575645836365888 United Arab Emirates Navy corvette Bani Yas (P110) is also reportedly taking part in the drills.

Tangsan and Taihu with frigate Daqing (576) form the PLAN’s 48th Chinese Naval Escort Task Force, which left Oct. 11 from Qingdao to conduct China’s ongoing anti-piracy escort mission in the Gulf of Aden. Along with anti-piracy escort missions, ships of the naval task forces are also detached to conduct drills and engagements with countries in Africa and the Middle East while carrying out multinational exercises with China’s partners Russia and Iran. Daqing currently remains on station around the Gulf of Aden.

In December, Iran’s Navy Chief Rear Adm. Shahram Irani said he dispatched the 103rd and 104th flotillas toward South Africa with the 103rd slated to take part in an exercise there while the 104th would escort commercial shipping. The Iranian military officer did not disclose the composition of the flotillas. Stoikiy and Yelnya are part of the Russian Navy’s Baltic Fleet and departed Russia in October 2025 to sail to Africa. During their transit through European waters, the two Russian ships were shadowed by NATO ships, including Royal Navy offshore patrol vessel HMS Severn (P282). https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news/2025/november/24/20251124-royal-navy-tracks-russian-ships-including-research-ship-yantar

Will For Peace 2026 was originally slated to be “Mosi III,” the third of the biennial Mosi series of naval exercises hosted by South Africa alongside China and Russia. However, Mosi III was called off because its original scheduled date of November 2025 clashed with the G20 summit hosted by South Africa. South Africa ultimately rescheduled and renamed the exercise, opting to have it be a BRICS Plus exercise.

BRICS originally consisted of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – with the acronym representing each of the member countries – before the group was expanded to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

Founding members Brazil and India are not taking part in the ongoing drills.

South Africa’s Democratic Alliance party, which is part of the ruling government coalition, criticized the exercise and called for a full parliamentary briefing on the drill. https://www.da.org.za/2026/01/naval-exercise-will-for-peace-does-not-fix-the-problem-it-deepens-it The Democratic Alliance took issue with China leading the exercise, noting the country conducts large-scale military exercises and rehearses a possible invasion of Taiwan. The Democratic Alliance also spoke against the participation of Russia and Iran, both heavily sanctioned countries that are involved in active conflicts.

The 15 January elections in Uganda are almost a foregone conclusion, preceded, as has become customary, by a violent crackdown against the opposition. As the results begin to trickle in, what are the prospects for the NUPs Bobi Wine and Uganda’s Gen Z?

The January 15, 2026, elections in Uganda were a battle between the old and the new. The election pits a geriatric autocracy against a deeply dissatisfied youth mobilising around the electoral issues that could loosen the ruling National Resistance Movement’s calcified grip on power. President Yoweri Museveni, aged 81, of the NRM – marking 40 years in office later this month – is running against pop-star-turned-politician Kyagulanyi Robert Sentamu of the National Unity Platform, popularly known as Bobi Wine, aged 43.

If the past four elections are anything to go by, the outcome of these elections is almost certainly predetermined. Paradoxically, these elections are far from ordinary. They are likely to transcend the usual, predictable cycle of irregularities: the uneven playing field, a compromised electoral commission, the violent suppression of the opposition, and allegations of tampered results that have historically defined Ugandan politics. Bobi Wine was three years old when Museveni seized power after a five-year bush war, triggered, ironically, by allegations that the 1980 elections were stolen. Plus ça change.

The polls represent yet another case of the precarity of civic freedoms in Uganda. After a campaign in which Bobi Wine resorted to wearing a flak jacket and a helmet – the standard-issue gear for non-combatants in a war zone – the 2026 elections are shaping up to be the most repressive, and potentially the most violent, polls in the East African nation’s history. Yet the election is not only about ballots, blood and the regime’s survival: it is perhaps the most profound chapter in Uganda’s struggle for generational change.

While the militarisation of the ballot box is a common pathology among authoritarian states, in Uganda, it has evolved into a deeply structured, institutionalised operation. However, after four decades of unbroken rule, Museveni finds himself increasingly haunted by a demographic for which he long ran out of solutions: the vast Gen Z population.

The statistics tell a story of a regime on a collision course with its own citizens. Uganda has the world’s second-youngest population. With a median age of 16.9 years, over 70% of Uganda’s 46 million people are under the age of 30, yet they face a staggering 43% youth unemployment rate. That is the official statistic. Since the previous election cycle, the electorate has been bolstered by 3.5 million new Gen Z voters, who now comprise a full quarter of the voting population. The youth’s aspirations have been captured by Bobi Wine, seen as an outspoken personality embodying the desires of urban youths and the working class, representing the power of disruption, resistance and renovation.

The overwhelming presence and sheer size of the security apparatus during the campaign period failed as a deterrent for the youth saturated by the inequality that surrounds them, trapped in cycles of unemployment, lack of services, corruption and nepotism – all of which are the very core issues that mobilised other Gen Z revolutions around the world. The main warning from Gen Z revolutions in Nepal, Bangladesh, Madagascar, Peru and Kenya is that attempts to silence a generation’s voice can ignite a fire that few can contain.

If Museveni succeeds in completing his seventh term, he will secure his place among Africa’s most enduring dictators, surpassed only by Cameroon’s Paul Biya and Equatorial Guinea’s Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo. Once embraced by the West as one of Africa’s most promising neoliberal reformers, Museveni is now accused by his old friends of cultivating a legacy of exclusion, brutality, corruption, and the complete destruction of constitutionally mandated institutions.

While Museveni is unlikely to lose the elections, at age 81 there is much speculation about his succession, especially given Uganda’s near-total militarisation. Under the NRM, the military has permeated every aspect of public life – its society, politics, government policy, development agenda, and its foreign relations. In its current violent and repressive incarnation, the post-Museveni order envisions the state ruled by Museveni’s son, Muhoozi Kainerugaba. At the moment, he heads the military and, disturbingly, displays the antics and violent idiosyncrasies reminiscent of Idi Amin. He has publicly threatened to behead Bobi Wine, hang opposition leader Dr Kizza Besiyge, and took to social media to boast about detaining and torturing Wine’s bodyguard Eddie Mutwe in his basement.

The violence is an inherent trait of the myopic philosophical and ideological vacuity that has characterised the ‘rule by the gun’ approach of the Museveni clan. It has failed to create a political order that projects a future vision for the nation that the majority of Ugandans now needs. In his astute and level-headed demeanour Bobi Wine has filled this void, eschewing violence, providing the political vision (of People Power) where the younger generation can imagine a future where they have agency. Because of this Museveni has placed the entire security apparatus on full active deployment, supported by armed militias, private security, and mercenaries to assist in bludgeoning the aspirations of the Gen Z.

The campaign period resembled a warzone. Bobi Wine campaigned wearing defensive gear (a bullet proof vest, helmet and goggles to protect against teargas). He faced relentless harassment, restrictions on his movements, brutal attacks and intimidation. Despite legal and procedural barriers aimed at frustrating the NUP’s electoral aspirations (restricted access to media, financial constraints, and targeted legal actions designed to drain their resources and divert attention from campaigning), Bobi Wine attracted massive crowds, even in the Southwest, the ethnic stronghold of the President.

Museveni campaigned on a now-familiar platform of guaranteeing security and stability, in line with the militarised rhetoric presenting the NRM as the guardian of peace. After 40 years, security and continuity are now investments with progressively diminishing returns; the generation that survived the civil wars between the 1960s and 1980s has been replaced by those that have only known Uganda under Museveni, and have no memory of war.

While the economy reached 6% growth in 2025 and is expected to hit 10% in 2027, wealth distribution has benefited mainly the southwestern and central regions. The youth have mobilised on socio-economic issues, on dignity, inclusion and employment. They primarily want the government to prioritise health, water, education, and infrastructure development, creating more jobs, economic opportunities, and ending corruption. They want political participation, demilitarised governance, and demand opportunities and accountability.

On the campaign trail, Bobi Wine spoke openly about the prospect of Gen Z protests. For his part, and without a trace of irony, Museveni criticised the youth for their inaction. In a live UBC radio interview on December 13, 2025, Museveni asked: ‘You Gen Z, what have you done so far?’ He continued: ‘When I was 26, we started the FRONASA movement to liberate this country. But for you Gen Z, all I hear is “vibe, vibe.” What is your vibe doing for the country?’

The army and the police have been deployed massively in the cities. While the security state is a complex web of units, political and ethnic affiliations, as well as economic interests, the main structures of concentrated power have remained in the Ugandan People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), the Presidential Guard Brigade, the Special Forces Command (SFC), and the three intelligence services (military, internal and external).

The UPDF is the largest of the units having over 55,000 troops. Police units and military intelligence are part of a wider ethnicised network of security units that defend the interests of the NRM elite and keep the regime in power. https://intelwatch.org.za/2025/06/17/ugandas-counter-terrorism-laws-suppression-of-democratic-dissent/ The powerful Special Forces Command (SFC) is considered a private army under Museveni’s direct control. In 2021, it was reported to have around 10,000 soldiers. All these agencies have been used to entrench Museveni’s power, allowing him to win re-elections in 2001, 2006, 2011, 2016 and 2021. Under the guise of national security threats, these agencies have isolated, surveilled and targeted opponents. They are vital instruments to ensure an NRM victory, together with an array of fraudulent strategies of results tampering.

A recent report by Makerere University’s Human Rights and Peace Centre, Guns, Bread, and Butter, on Uganda’s militarisation, explains how a slow coup occurred under Museveni with the military’s increased dominance and control over the economy (fisheries, land, minerals, wildlife) and public institutions (police, courts, legislature). https://huripec.mak.ac.ug/download/guns-bread-and-butter-militarization-of-economic-sectors-and-public-institutions-in-uganda-a-socio-legal-analysis/ Their incursion into the state allowed the security apparatus to neutralise dissent by weaponising several laws, including the Anti-Terrorism Act; weaken the powers of the parliament and the judiciary by deploying police units to arrest and surveil opposition supporters, and even ensure loyalty from within the NRM.

During the 2016 elections, Finfisher spyware was used by the CMI and deployed against perceived political opponents, which included members of parliament, civil society and activists. In 2019, an investigation by the Wall Street Journal revealed how China’s Huawei helped spy on political opponents by intercepting encrypted messages and tracking their locations. In 2018, the government also imposed a social media tax used to curb online dissent. This was used during the 2021 elections, where NUP supporters were tracked via their phones and social media and subsequently arrested.

Israeli cyber security company, Cellebrite, had previously provided Uganda with phone hacking tools that allowed for digital forensic investigations via its UFED technology. https://theafricancriminologyjournal.wordpress.com/2023/01/24/israeli-sold-phone-hacking-tools-to-ugandas-brutal-regime/ During the 2021 polls, the police operationalised a new unit to suppress violence, which guarded TV and radio stations. Together with the creation of ad hoc militias to shadow and intimidate the opposition, Uganda’s political intelligence machine grew, only deepening intrigue by fabricating threats, diverting from actual security threats, and deploying different units to trigger electoral violence to justify a violent crackdown. In 2021 over 100 people were killed in post-election protests and over 400 arrested.

Ahead of these 2026 elections, the police recruited an additional 12,000 constables to enhance security across the country while increasing the span of the CCTV surveillance system and the capacity for forensic analysis. In early 2024, the intelligence services launched a new security unit under the command of military intelligence mandated to monitor the opposition. This unit worked in coordination with the police’s Directorate of Criminal Investigation that installed operatives in key neighbourhoods in the capital. In each of the country’s 146 districts men were recruited at the NRM cell level to violently repress, beat, intimidate and disarticulate any opposition activity.  The group was formed to act under the guise of election constables operating under the Resident District Commissioners countrywide trained, armed and mandated to ensure the NRM wins in their areas. This militia has now grown to over 20,000 men.

This decentralisation of violence (that allows for the denial of responsibility at the command level) is also occurring at the intelligence level with operatives and informers operating within all institutions from hospitals to private companies and schools. These informers are told to recruit children aged 12–14 to report on which teachers held anti-government views, and which parents were supporting the opposition. Other militias, like the Ghetto Structure, operate in particular areas. https://www.citizen.digital/article/ugandan-opposition-denounces-military-state-ahead-of-election-n375654 This group will roam working class neighbourhoods of the capital Kampala, a stronghold of the opposition.

Steps to disarticulate civil society and the counterforces that drive the youth’s protest have intensified in the last few months. A few days ago, the regime suspended the activities of Uganda’s most active human rights NGOs, freezing their accounts and curtailing their ability to support dissenting voices with legal representation. Chapter Four Uganda, Alliance for Election Finance Monitoring (ACFIM), Human Rights Network for Journalists-Uganda (HRNJ-U), National NGO Forum, and National Coalition of Human Rights Defenders received letters from the NGO Bureau notifying them of the suspension.

Chapter Four Uganda was informed that the intelligence agencies had received information alleging the organisation is engaged in activities that threaten national security. Like in Tanzania in October 2025, where an internet shutdown for six days facilitated the country’s worst massacre, Uganda has had an internet shutdown from 13 January to stifle mobilisation but also to impede ability to document state violence. Live broadcasts of ‘protests’ or ‘riots’ have been banned. Leaders of the 2024 ‘March to Parliament’ protest have been identified for arrest, abduction and intimidation. Many have fled the country.

Whichever the outcome, the message is clear: the regime may win the battle of these elections, but they are unlikely to silence a generation that demands more. The African proverb that ‘no matter how tall the man, he cannot see the future’ sums up the Ugandan scenario for Museveni, Muhoozi and the many securocrats who have already lost the future – despite their show of force.

And yesterday our house was raided by some police officers together with a number of other unknown individuals in plain clothes. They used ladders to climb over our fence. They cut off our electricity. They cut off our cameras and they were being assisted by a helicopter that was hovering in the sky of our compound and providing them light as they were doing what they were doing. Amidst that trade, I was able to use my skills and escape my house. But I know they’re looking for me. But even if they succeed and get me and do whatever, I want to say this to you fellow Ugandans:

First and foremost, we reject whatever is being declared by Mr. Yavakama because those so-called results that they’re declaring are fake and they don’t in any way reflect what happened at the polling stations or what is at the declaration forms. Therefore, those results, those so-called results are fake. After arresting almost all our agents, after ballot staffing and after shutting off the internet, the regime is trying to once again rig the elections.

Speaking at the Israel-America Council in Florida on January 15, he said a potential diplomatic deal with the Islamic republic would cover four issues: uranium enrichment, ballistic missiles, Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium, and Tehran’s support for its proxies.

Citing Iran’s dire economic situation, Witkoff said the Islamic republic could be willing to compromise on the issues.

“If they want to come back to the league of nations, we can solve those four problems diplomatically, then that would be a great resolution. The alternative is a bad one,” he said.

Colleagues, let me be clear: The level of violence, the level of repression that the Iranian regime has unleashed on its own citizens, its own people, has repercussions for international peace and security. You’re going to hear today that it doesn’t, that it’s an internal matter. Absolutely wrong and false. This demands this Council’s attention.

The people of Iran are demanding their freedom like never before in the Islamic Republic’s brutal history. Unarmed peaceful people – who love their country – are taking to the streets in pursuit of their legitimate aspirations for a better future.

Well, this is our message: President Donald J. Trump and the United States of America stands by the brave people of Iran. Period.

And regardless of its excuses – and you will hear many today from the Iranian regime and from its friends – the regime is solely – solely responsible for the economic misery of the Iranian people and the repression of their freedom, and they will be held accountable.

The estimates of the numbers of protesters killed by the regime so far range from the thousands to the tens of thousands, although visibility into the totality of the violence has been obscured deliberately by the regime’s nationwide internet blackout.

Why has the internet been shut down for weeks? Why have the phone lines been cut? Why are commercial satellite communications being jammed in a very sophisticated manner? We’ve had a complete blackout. No internet. No phones. Nothing.

Only thanks to the Starlink system do we even have some window – a limited window – into the atrocities that are ongoing.

Well, President Trump has been clear: He will not – nor should the international community – tolerate innocents being slaughtered in the streets.

Since 1979, for decades, the regime has posed a threat to peace and security. In the name of a religious ideology, the regime calls for death to America and the annihilation of Israel. Even as its own citizens cannot afford the very basics: food, drinking water, very basic medicines. It spends billions to develop its nuclear and ballistic missile programs to threaten its neighbors and the world in its support of terrorism.

Well, from its inception, the regime has been the world’s number one state sponsor of terrorism, so declared year after year, bringing uncountable death and suffering to innocents from Beirut all the way to Buenos Aires, while its rulers have become rich off of oppression and misery meted upon the Iranian people.

The Iranian regime has also been a serial human rights abuser from its very first day in power.

And as you heard today, young women – young women like Mahsa Amini – have been murdered for daring to uncover their hair in public while religious minorities have been subjected to the most severe persecution. These abuses have been documented right here by this body, have been documented at length by the United Nations, have been documented by the Secretary-General’s own regular reports on the situation of human rights in Iran, the most recent of which was released just last year in 2025.

Colleagues, in addition to the gross human rights abuses, in addition to its illegal march towards a nuclear weapon, in 1979, the regime we now know – led by Ayatollah Khomeini – gave support to radical students who attacked the United States Embassy in Tehran, took over 50 Americans hostage, and held them in captivity for over 400 days.

That was followed by the bombing attack on the United States Embassy in Beirut, killing 17 Americans and scores of Lebanese civilians.

Followed by the support and direction of terrorists who drove two trucks filled with explosives into U.S. and French barracks in Beirut, killing 241 American soldiers and 58 French military personnel, all part of a multinational force invited by the Lebanese government.

It’s responsible for the deaths of over 600 American service members and countless others in Iraq.

Bottom line is Iran’s partners and proxies – with Iranian weaponry, documented by the United Nations Yemen Panel of Experts – have repeatedly attacked our partners in the Gulf and attempted to damage global energy infrastructure.

And then finally, the Iranian regime state television amplifies calls for a “one bomb solution” to wipe Israel off the map, which ironically would be not only a massacre of all Israelis, but also the Palestinian people whom the regime claims to support.

In 2011, the regime attempted to assassinate the Saudi Ambassador to the United States in Washington, D.C. – but luckily the attempt was thwarted. And further, the regime has continued to plot assassination attempts against the President of the United States, against President Trump and other senior U.S. government officials – in addition to those who dare speak out living here in the United States.

Colleagues, Iran has destabilized the Middle East for decades. It has supported and enabled Hamas’ brutality, its hostage taking, its heinous October 7 attacks. It has funded Hizballah, it has funded the Houthis, Iranian-aligned militia groups in Iraq, including Kata’ib Hizballah, have attacked the United States in the region, again and again. It’s backed the brutal Assad regime. And at every turn, the regime has put terrorist proxies in other nations before the welfare of its own citizens.

And as a result of the regime’s actions – putting money in the pockets of terrorists, funding its nuclear and missile programs instead of the basic needs for the people of Iran – Iranians have had enough.

The regime’s dereliction of duty to its own citizens is what has put the Ayatollahs in the positions they are in today, with hundreds of thousands if not millions protesting in the streets after decades of neglect and abuse.

So, everyone should ask themselves – everyone sitting here today – how many people are dead, how many people are wounded, maimed, and abused in the Middle East – in Israel, in Gaza, in Syria, in Lebanon, in Yemen, Iraq – even Venezuela – because of the regime’s support for terrorism as the largest state sponsor.

And I would like to address the allegation put forward by the regime that these inspired protests are somehow a foreign plot to give a precursor to military action. Everyone in the world needs to know that the regime is weaker than ever before and therefore is putting forward this lie because of the power of the Iranian people in the streets. They are afraid.

They are afraid of their own people.

Iran says it is ready for dialogue, but its actions say otherwise. This is a regime that rules through oppression, through violence, and through intimidation, and has destabilized the Middle East for decades. Well, enough is enough.

We all have a responsibility to support the Iranian people and to put an end to the regime’s neglect and oppression of the Iranian nation.

He said to his family,
“I go to the street to celebrate the
victory of our revolution because
President Trump promised to rescue our
lives.”

UN Assistant Secretary-General Martha Pobee is expected to brief ambassadors along with two civil society voices. 

The nationwide demonstrations in Iran began in late December, sparked by record inflation, food prices and the sudden collapse of the national currency. 

UN Secretary-General António Guterres was shocked by reports of violence and excessive use of force by the authorities, his Spokesperson noted in a statement issued on Sunday that called for exercising maximum restraint. https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/sg/statements/2026-01-11/statement-attributable-the-spokesperson-for-the-secretary-general-the-islamic-republic-of-iran

Right to protest 

“All Iranians must be able to express their grievances peacefully and without fear. The rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly, as enshrined in international law, must be fully respected and protected,” it said. 

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has called for investigations into all killings, violence against protestors, and other violations, while those responsible must be held to account. 

“It is also extremely worrying to see public statements by some judicial officials indicating the possibility of the death penalty being used against protesters through expedited judicial proceedings,” he said. https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2026/01/iran-un-human-rights-chief-urges-authorities-end-violent-repression-and

New US sanctions 

The Security Council meeting was called by the United States, which announced on Thursday that it is “taking action against the architects of the Iranian regime’s brutal crackdown on peaceful demonstrators,” according to a press release from the Department of the Treasury. 

In the last two weeks, especially in the last four days, you have shaken the foundations of the illegitimate regime of the Islamic Republic with millions of demonstrations. Now, relying on your millions of responses to the calls of the past days, and with the legitimacy and acceptance that I have received from you, I am announcing another stage of the national uprising to overthrow the Islamic Republic and recapture dear Iran.

1. Inside Iran, in addition to capturing and maintaining the central streets of the cities, all institutions and devices responsible for the regime’s false propaganda and cutting off communications are considered legitimate targets. Employees of government agencies, armed forces and law enforcement have the opportunity to join the people and help the nation, or choose to cooperate with the murderers of the nation and buy the eternal shame and curse of the nation for themselves.

2. Outside of Iran, all Iranian embassies and consulates belong to the Iranian nation, and it is time to decorate them with the national flag of Iran instead of the disgraceful flag of the Islamic Republic.

We are on the verge of reclaiming dear Iran from the Islamic Republic. Khamenei and his regime have received several heavy blows from you and we should not give them time to breathe again. The regime is facing a serious shortage of repressive forces, and the increase in shooting at the people is not due to authority, but due to the lack of mercenaries, and the fear of a faster collapse and fall. We will not allow these people to spill the blood of our youth on the ground any more. We will not give them a chance. We are not going back.

In a statement issued on January 14, the rights group said that this number “only includes cases verified directly by IHRNGO or through two independent sources and is supported by hospital and morgue documentation.” https://iranhr.net/en/articles/8529/

 The group also said it had learned from sources within Iran’s Health Ministry that at least 3,379 protester deaths were recorded between January 8 and January 12 alone.



IHRNGO also warned that the actual death toll could be far higher than the reported figures.



According to the report, more than 10,000 people have also been arrested during the protests.



The organization said it had “also received numerous reports of wounded individuals being “finished off,” with witnesses reporting that this occurred both on the streets and in medical facilities.

“

IHRNGO further warned of the risk of mass executions of detained protesters following what it described as “show trials,” and urged the international community “to prevent the atrocities and protect the people of Iran.”

May I ask him about a separate aspect of the Iranian situation?

Could he update the House on any of those reports, which suggest that the regime is preparing for life after the fall?

Russian military transport planes have been making frequent flights to Tehran since the start of the mass protests that are spreading across Iran and threaten the current regime with loss of power. Russia can provide it with military and technical support while preparing the evacuation of the supreme leader with his closest aides, including the removal of gold.

Similarly, it helped dictator Bashar al-Assad escape from Syria just over a year ago.

From December 27, 2025 to January 1, 2026, IL-76TD planes disguised as civilian aircraft flew regular flights from Mineralnye Vody to Tehran, flying over the Caucasus and avoiding airspace controlled by NATO countries, writes the specialized publication Air Cargo Week. https://aircargoweek.com/heavy-airlift-flights-in-operation-between-russia-and-iran/

These are not random charters, but a purposeful activity, as indicated by the repeated use of the same aircraft and the fact that operators give apparent priority to the speed and reliability of transportation over its economic efficiency, the publication points out: “The decision to carry out multiple flights instead of one consolidated movement of cargo is in line with the doctrine of military logistics.”

Protests in Iran broke out on December 28 and have since spread to many cities. The immediate cause was the fall of the rial to a record low; in addition, “the population is experiencing gigantic – if not unbearable – problems due to the deteriorating economic situation and crises in the supply of water, electricity and gas,” notes orientalist Mikhail Krutikhin. Although mass demonstrations due to worsening living conditions have happened in Iran more than once, the regime is now weakened after the defeat in the 12-day war with Israel in June, Krutikhin adds. Against this background, there have been reports of preparations for Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to flee to Moscow and take out gold.

British MP Tom Tugendhat said Thursday that there are reports of Russian cargo planes landing in Tehran and taking out large amounts of gold from the country. “We are also seeing Russian cargo planes arriving in Tehran, presumably carrying weapons and ammunition, and we are hearing reports of large quantities of gold being taken out of Iran,” he was quoted as saying by the UK-based opposition publication Iran International.

Tugendhat asked the British government to comment on the information, which he said could indicate preparations “for life after the fall” of the Islamic regime in Iran. Deputy Foreign Secretary Hamish Falconer, who is responsible for the Middle East and North Africa, said he was “not prepared to provide details” on the matter.

A few days ago, The Times reported, citing intelligence sources, that Ali Khamenei had drawn up an evacuation plan in case the authorities failed to quell mass protests. Twenty people from his inner circle, including aides and family members, are expected to follow. Former Israeli intelligence official Beni Sabti told the newspaper that Khamenei was fleeing to Moscow.

With a cargo of gold, Bashar al-Assad, whom Putin failed to protect in late 2024 from a show of armed opposition, also fled to Moscow.

It is believed that Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi also took out a lot of gold when he fled Iran in January 1979 during the Islamic Revolution. He loaded his Boeing with so much precious metal that it barely took off, says a CIA official in “Operation Argo,” a movie about the removal of U.S. embassy staff from revolutionary Iran.

According to Air Cargo Week, flights of IL-76TD aircraft to Tehran have been organized by cargo transport companies – Russia’s Aviakon Cytotrans and Belarus’ Rubystar Airways – since late December: “Both airlines have a long history of performing government and defense missions in Eurasia, Africa and the Middle East.”

Ayatollah @khamenei_ir has butchered your people, made rial the weakest currency in the world, and squandered your country’s resources.

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), chairman and ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released a statement expressing solidarity with the people of Iran amid reports of violent repression of peaceful protestors. 

“Congress and the American people stand with the resilient people of Iran in their aspiration for a free and prosperous future.

We condemn in the strongest possible terms the reported killing of thousands of peaceful protestors for exercising their right to free speech.

We demand that the government of Iran immediately cease suppression of its people.

In a social media post on January 13, Trump urged Iranians to continue to protest against the authorities and said he had canceled all meetings with Iranian officials “until the senseless killing of protesters stops.”

Trump did not elaborate, but his post comes after a series of stern warnings that said the United States was “watching the situation very carefully” and insisting authorities refrain from killing protesters in one of the biggest challenges to clerical rule since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

His comments followed a social media post late on January 12 saying any country doing business with Iran will face a tariff rate of 25 percent on any trade with the United States. He gave no further details.

The uprising in Iran was sparked by spiraling inflation and a free fall of the currency but has since turned into a broader anti-government protest.

Rights groups say officials have waged a brutal crackdown on the demonstrations, with more than 600 people dead. Reuters, quoting an unnamed official, reported the number of deaths at around 2,000 people.

Some say that with Internet access cut by authorities to limit the flow of information between protesters and to the international community, the actual death toll may rise further into the several thousands.

“It’s about five days now that all connections have been shut down, and there is no way to communicate with Iran. They can easily kill people there without the world knowing about it,” one man, who was protesting outside the Iranian Embassy in the Armenian capital, Yerevan, told RFE/RL when asked if he had been able to communicate with relatives still inside Iran.

Demanding More Than Reforms

Another noted the tone of the current demonstrations has changed.

“Previous protests called for reforms in Iran. This time, people are no longer demanding reform. They are demanding a change of the system,” they said.

“What you see today is that people at protests are not talking about reforms. They are naming ayatollahs and mullahs whom they want out of the country.”

Trump’s warning came amid a global outcry over the deadly actions of Iranian authorities.

Britain on January 13 condemned Iran’s leadership for the “horrendous and brutal killing” ‌of protesters and summoned the Iranian ambassador “to answer for the horrific reports that we are hearing.”

“The United Kingdom condemns in the strongest of terms the horrendous and brutal killing of Iranian protesters, and we demand that the Iranian authorities respect the fundamental rights and freedoms of their ⁠citizens,” British Foreign Minister Yvette Cooper told parliament.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Iran’s leadership appears to be in its “final ‍days and weeks.”

“When a regime can only maintain power through violence, then it is effectively at its end.

The population is now rising up against this regime,” he told reporters during a trip to India.

In a sign of the brutality of the crackdown, rights groups said on January 13 that Iran is set to execute the first protester charged in the unrest.

The groups, including Norway-based Iran Human Rights and Hengaw, quoted sources as saying that 26-year-old Erfan Soltani, charged with “waging war against God” due to his role in protests that have rocked the country since late last month, would be executed on January 14, six days after his arrest.

Iranian officials have not commented publicly on the reports about Soltani. But the Tasnim news agency, which is close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), reported on January 13 that the judiciary had issued its first indictments against several protesters.

‘Killing Of Peaceful Demonstrators Must Stop’

Serious cases, including those charged with “waging war against God,” an offense subject to the death penalty under Islamic law in Iran, would be prioritized, the agency said.

“The killing of peaceful demonstrators must stop, and the labelling of protesters as ‘terrorists’ to justify violence against them is unacceptable,” United Nations human rights chief Volker Turk said in a statement on January 13, decrying the authorities’ decision “to inflict brutal force to repress legitimate demands for change.”

A doctor inside Iran has told RFE/RL’s Radio Farda that security forces have stormed hospitals and executed wounded protesters amid a brutal state crackdown on nationwide antiestablishment protests.

The doctor, who said she works in a hospital in southern Iran, said members of Iran’s security forces had “finished off” protesters who had been admitted to hospital for treatment.

“They killed many [demonstrators], arrested many, and many are on the run,” said the doctor, who spoke to Radio Farda on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution. “The situation is very bad.”

The groups, including Norway-based Iran Human Rights, quoted sources as saying that 26-year-old Erfan Soltani, charged with “waging war against God” due to his role in protests that have rocked the country since late last month, would be executed on January 14, six days after his arrest.

The ongoing protests are one of the biggest challenges to clerical rule since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Iranian officials have not commented publicly on the reports about Soltani. But the Tasnim news agency, which is close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), reported on January 13 that the judiciary had issued its first indictments against several protesters.

‘Killing Of Peaceful Demonstrators Must Stop’

Serious cases, including those charged with “waging war against God,” an offense subject to the death penalty under Islamic law in Iran, would be prioritized, the agency said.

“The killing of peaceful demonstrators must stop, and the labelling of protesters as ‘terrorists’ to justify violence against them is unacceptable,” United Nations human rights chief Volker Turk said in a statement on January 13, decrying the authorities’ decision “to inflict brutal force to repress legitimate demands for change.”

The uprising was sparked by spiraling inflation and a freefall of the currency but has since turned into a broader anti-government protest.

Rights groups say officials have waged a brutal crackdown on the demonstrations with more than 600 people dead. Reuters, quoting an unnamed official, reported the number of deaths at around 2,000 people.

Some say that with Internet access cut by authorities to limit the flow of information between protesters and to the international community, the actual death toll may rise further into the several thousands.

“It’s about five days now that all connections have been shut down, and there is no way to communicate with Iran. They can easily kill people there without the world knowing about it,” one man, who was protesting outside the Iranian Embassy in the Armenian capital, Yerevan, told RFE/RL when asked if he had been able to communicate with relatives still inside Iran.

Demanding More Than Reforms

Another noted that the tone of the current demonstrations has changed.

“Previous protests called for reforms in Iran. This time, people are no longer demanding reform. They are demanding a change of the system,” they said.

“What you see today is that people at protests are not talking about reforms. They are naming ayatollahs and mullahs whom they want out of the country.”

The United States and other Western nations have condemned the government’s crackdown on protesters and previously placed sanctions on Tehran for what they say is an attempt to develop nuclear weapons, which Iran denies.

US President Donald Trump, who has warned Iranian authorities several times of “very strong” consequences if protesters are killed, wrote on social media late on January 12 that ‍any country that does business with Iran will face a tariff rate of 25 percent on any trade with the United States. He gave no further details.

Iran Human Rights said that according to an account by a doctor inside Iran, authorities have used markedly stronger suppression methods, including weapons that inflict more serious injury than those previously used against protesters.

“The form and size of the shots fired at protesters have changed from shotguns to direct live ammunition at close range, and this change in the type of weapons was clearly visible in the nature of the injuries,” the doctor said, referring to what they saw after a night of violence in the streets on January 8.

In the last major wave of protests in 2022 when people took to the streets nationwide under the slogan “Women, Life, Freedom” following the death of Mahsa Amini while she was in police custody for allegedly improperly wearing her headscarf, at least 12 people tied to the unrest were executed.

With the Internet blackout, it is incredibly hard to get information from inside Iran. And for Iranians living abroad, desperate for news of their loved ones inside the country, that can mean a tortuous wait.

For Maedeh Soltani, the daughter of a well-known human rights lawyer Abdolfatah Soltani and civil rights activist Masoumeh Dehghan, the news, when it finally came, was not good.

In an interview with RFE/RL’s Radio Farda, Soltani, who lives in Germany, confirmed the killing of her uncle, Ali Dehghan Joghan. She said that there were so many bodies in Tehran that it took her relatives four to five days to find her 55-year-old uncle.

“My uncle was a resident of Shahr-e Rey, in the south of Tehran, but it is not clear to me where he was shot or where his body was found,” Soltani said. “I believe my family searched for his body in places such as Behesht-e Zahra, Tehran’s main cemetery, as well as other locations in the south of the city.”

“I cannot say with certainty exactly what happened. However, relatives who contacted us from Iran said that the body of my uncle (her mother’s brother), who was killed on Thursday [January 8] or Friday [January 9], was not found until the morning of January 13,” the exiled Iranian said.

‘Thousands Of Bodies’

Soltani said that she had heard from a “trusted source, someone reliable to both me and my family” that the number of people killed and being kept in Tehran’s morgues and cemeteries is extremely high. “This person spoke of thousands of bodies,” she said.

At least 648 protesters have been killed and thousands injured amid the ongoing protests, according to the Norway-based NGO Iran Human Rights. Rights groups warn the true death toll could be significantly higher, potentially reaching into the thousands.

“My uncle was around 55 years old. He had two daughters, approximately 20 and 15 years old. He was not necessarily politically active, but he deeply cared about bread, inequality, and the catastrophe we are witnessing in social justice.

Unconfirmed reports say that more than 500 people have been killed — some rights groups say the death toll may be several times higher — in suppressing the uprising, one of the biggest challenges to clerical rule since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

The demonstrations were sparked by spiraling inflation and a freefall of the currency, but have since turned into a broader protest against the country’s authorities.

Both Washington and Tehran have signaled that they are open to talks. But US President Donald Trump has said action may be taken anyway given reports of the brutal actions against protesters.

“We might meet with them. A meeting is being set up, but we may have to act because of what is happening before the meeting,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One on January 11.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on January 12: “The Islamic Republic of Iran is not seeking war but is fully prepared for war.”https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-protests-trump-military-options-negotiations/33645712.html

So, what are Washington’s options if diplomacy fails?

Limited Strikes

On the plus side, limited strikes against symbolic targets would entail less risk for the US armed forces and for hitting civilians.

They would also more easily fall within the US military capabilities in the region and beyond — and could conceivably be carried out without involving US Gulf allies.

Some analysts have said that this option carries multiple downsides, primarily enabling the regime to rally patriotic support and deflect attention from the grievances fueling the nationwide demonstrations — while also causing little significant damage.

It could also signal to protesters that Washington is not riding to the rescue as Iranian security forces kill and arrest them.

An example of such a target would be a facility such as a barracks belonging to the police, Basij paramilitaries, or Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).

A Sustained Campaign

A more concerted campaign of strikes against the IRGC could have more impact, especially if it went further and included strikes on Iranian missile facilities, command and control, and other security forces.

One problem is that US naval forces are not currently in the region in sufficient numbers and capacity. The nearest aircraft carrier, the USS Abraham Lincoln, is currently in the South China Sea, where it has been conducting live-fire exercises. This is several days voyage from the Persian Gulf.

US forces do have military bases in the region, in countries such as Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar. But these countries have reportedly asked Washington not to take military action.

Many will be wary of an Iranian counterattack. During the 12-day war in June, when Israel and the United States targeted Iran’s nuclear program, an Iranian missile strike on an air base in Qatar rattled nerves.

That attack was largely symbolic, but Iran has threatened retaliation for a new US attack and this time it could be more substantive. Fossil fuel exports from US Gulf allies, passing through the Straits of Hormuz, could be disrupted. Israel could also be attacked, raising the specter of a wider regional conflict.

“The current situation for the Islamic Republic is existential. This is a battle…that directly targets the very nature and essence of the regime,” Ali Mamouri, a research fellow at Deakin University in Australia, told RFE/RL’s Radio Farda. “If it is attacked, it will almost certainly retaliate with all its available capabilities.”

Special Forces, Assassination

After ousted Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, is Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei next on the list for detention by US special forces?

A similar operation appears unlikely. US forces were massed around Venezuela in far greater numbers and were also helped by intelligence sources within the regime, according to media reports.

Another scenario might be assassination, decapitating the regime and sparking a power struggle within Iran. This would also depend greatly on having excellent intelligence.

A key downside here would be that the outcome is unpredictable and may lead to greater chaos and bloodshed. But a new regime, even one led by the IRGC, may be willing to do business with Washington.

“I think that’s likely,” Michael Rubin, a former Pentagon official who is a senior fellow at the Washington-based American Enterprise Institute, told Radio Farda on January 6.

Blockades, Cyberattacks, Sonic Weapons

Trump does have other options on the Resolute Desk.

“It’s quite likely that nonmilitary options are also being considered. These could include a complete economic blockade of Iran to prevent its oil exports to China or cyberattacks that disrupt the communication and decision-making systems of Iranian security agencies,” Ali Vaez, Iran project director for the International Crisis Group, told Radio Farda.

Cyberattacks have happened before.

In 2021, Iranian gas stations came under cyberattack, which Iran blamed on the United States and Israel without providing evidence. Similar attacks have happened since then.
In 2019, Iran claimed to have busted a CIA spy ring following a cyberattack on weapons systems. US media at the time reported that it was a US attack, citing unnamed government officials.

There may also be less conventional attack options.

Following the US operation in Venezuela, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt shared comments allegedly made by a man who survived an attack by sonic weapons.

“It was like a very intense sound wave. Suddenly I felt like my head was exploding from the inside. We all started bleeding from the nose. Some were vomiting blood. We fell to the ground, unable to move,” he was quoted as saying.

“Israel is closely monitoring the events unfolding in Iran. The protests for freedom have spread throughout the country. The people of Israel, and the entire world, stand in awe of the immense bravery of Iran’s citizens.

Israel supports their struggle for freedom and firmly condemns the mass killings of innocent civilians.

But instead, Khamenei exposed the regime’s brutality and turned the world against your country. He robbed you of money that should have been yours.
 
I want you to imagine – just imagine – how your life could be different if Iran was free. You could speak your mind without fear. You could make a joke without wondering if you’d be carted off to Evin prison. Close your eyes. Picture the faces of your children – beautiful innocent souls. Think of the endless potential they would have. Their entire lives are ahead of them.



Imagine how your children’s lives would look if billions of dollars were invested in them instead of being wasted on wars that can’t be won. They would receive world class education. You would receive beautiful roads. Advanced hospitals. Clean water. You know, Israel has the world’s most advanced desalination system and we’d be happy to help rebuild Iran’s collapsing water infrastructure. These and so many other things are the things that you could have.
 
But that’s what Khamenei’s regime denies you every single day. They obsess about destroying Israel, rather than about building Iran. What a shame.



Another attack on Israel would simply cripple Iran’s economy. It would rob you of many more billions of dollars. I know that you don’t want this war. I don’t want this war either. The people of Israel don’t want this war. There is one force putting your family in grave danger: the tyrants of Tehran. That’s it.
 
But there is also good news. Every day, that regime gets weaker. Every day, Israel gets stronger. The world has seen but a fraction of our power.
 


Yet there’s one thing Khamenei’s regime fears more than Israel. You know what it is? It’s you – the people of Iran. That’s why they spend so much time and money trying to crush your hopes and curb your dreams.
 
Well, I say to you this: don’t let your dreams die. I hear the whispers: Women, Life, Freedom.
 
Zan, Zendegi, Azadi.
 


Republican U.S. Congressional Senator Lindsey Graham in a X social media post addressed Iranian protesters who have spoken out against the country’s economic problems and assured them of support from U.S. President Donald Trump.

“To the Iranian people: your long nightmare is soon coming to a close. Your bravery and determination to end your oppression has been noticed by the President of the United States and all who love freedom,” Graham wrote.

He recalled Trump’s words about his intention to “Make Iran Great Again” and explained that they meant the need for protesters in Iran to defeat the Ayatollah.

“That is the clearest signal yet that he, President Trump, understands Iran will never be great with the Ayatollah and his henchman in charge. To all who are sacrificing in Iran, God bless. Help is on the way,” the senator emphasized.

Lindsey Graham @LindseyGrahamSC
TO THE IRANIAN PEOPLE: your long nightmare is soon coming to a close. Your bravery and determination to end your oppression has been noticed by @POTUS and all who love freedom.

In a series of recorded videos confirmed by Reuters as being filmed at the Kahrizak Forensic Medical Centre in the Iranian capital, people can be seen identifying their relatives among the bodies of those killed. The news agency said the date on which the footage was taken could not be verified.

Investigations carried out by RFE/RL’s Radio Farda indicate that Iranian military and security forces have fired live ammunition at civilians during the protests and there have also been reports of extrajudicial killings.

Posted on the Instagram account of RFE/RL’s Radio Farda. NOTE: Some viewers may find some of the scenes disturbing. https://www.instagram.com/reel/DTYAXZEilr0/

Vahid Online and Halesh Telegram channels, which report the news of Sistan-Baluchestan regions, have published pictures of the victims of the recent protests in Tehran at the forensic medical center of Kahrizak.

In a series of recorded videos, a large number of citizens are seen identifying their relatives among the bodies of the dead.

Investigations by Radio Farda show that the military and security forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran have shot at civilians with firearms during the recent repressions in Tehran, and the available evidence points to the occurrence of extrajudicial killings.

According to the announcement of this organization based in Norway, at least 192 protesters have been confirmed killed since the beginning of the protests, 9 of them were under 18 years old.

The report does not specify the city district, the exact location of the warehouse, or any other details.

Prior to this state TV report, which was broadcast on January 11, images received by Radio Farda on the previous night — and likely recorded near a medical facility and the Kahrizak morgue in Tehran — appeared to show the bodies of several people killed, with visible gunshot wounds on some of them. Their relatives were present at the site to identify them.

In its report on the afternoon of January 11, IRIB confirmed the authenticity of the images but attributed the killing of the “majority” of those shown to opponents of the government.

In the report, an IRIB correspondent shows scenes of bodies being transported by pickup trucks from a forensic medical facility to a large warehouse, along with numerous bloodied bodies lying on the floor of the hall, and — without providing any evidence — claims that the majority of the victims were “not killed by government forces.”

However, the reporter also acknowledges at one point that “among them there may have been individuals who intended to confront law enforcement.”

On January 11, the Iran Human Rights Organization said that reports “indicate widespread killing of protesters in different parts of the country, particularly in Tehran.”

According to the Norway-based rights monitor, the deaths of at least 192 protesters have been confirmed since the start of the protests, nine of whom were under the age of 18.

U.S. President Donald Trump believes that, despite Europe’s significant efforts to support Kyiv, they are not enough, and Russian leader Vladimir Putin is not afraid of Europe. He made this comment to journalists at the White House, Ukrinform reports. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXdwWQQHMho

“Europe has been doing so much for Ukraine, but it hasn’t been enough. And obviously, President Putin is not afraid of Europe. He’s afraid of the United States of America led by me,” Trump added.

He noted that Europe has “fallen behind,” Europe is changing, and “Europe has got to get its act together.”

At the same time, Trump said that he has a positive view of Europe, as he himself has European roots, but stressed that today it is “a different place” than it used to be.

When asked whether he could deal with Putin the same way he did with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro – sending a mission to capture the Russian dictator – Trump said: “I don’t think it’s going to be necessary.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBiLTL5ap78

He also noted that he has always had “a great relationship” with Putin, but is “very disappointed.”

“Last month they lost 31,000 people, many of them Russian soldiers and the Russian economy is doing poorly. I think we’re going to end up getting it settled,” Trump said.

He reiterated that the U.S. is not spending money to support Ukraine directly but is selling weapons for Ukrainian needs to NATO countries.

Videos from social media and sent to RFE/RL’s Radio Farda on the evening of January 9 are showing crowds massing in various parts of the capital, Tehran, and in the major cities of Shiraz and Mashhad. Earlier in the day, protests reached the southeastern city of Zahedan, where Sunni Baluch worshippers took to the streets after Friday prayers.

Speaking at a meeting with oil and gas executives on January 9, US President Donald Trump said that “Iran is in big trouble. It looks to me that the people are taking over certain cities that nobody thought was really possible just a few weeks ago.”

“We’re watching the situation very carefully. I’ve made the statement very strongly that if they start killing people like they have in the past, we will get involved. We will be hitting them very hard where it hurts. That does not mean boots on the ground, but it does mean hitting them very, very hard where it hurts.”

Brutal Crackdowns
The protests have grown to their biggest in several years as crowds flooded streets in major cities, small towns, and neighborhoods across Tehran late on January 8.

Raw footage from January 8 shows brutal crackdowns, but also protesters adopting bolder tactics: direct clashes with security forces and torching police and Basij paramilitary outposts.

“The crowd that was there will not not give in,” one protester in Mashad in northeast Iran told RFE/RL’s Radio Farda.

“Young and old had come out to protest, some elderly people could hardly walk but they were protesting. There was an old man who kept cursing at [Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali] Khamenei. We’re tired of the high prices, the [forced] hijab and everything else. It’s not just one or two things, we want the establishment to change (regime change).”

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei addressed supporters of the regime on January 9, saying that “saboteurs, agitators” had “destroyed the country’s buildings to please” President Trump.

He added that Trump has the “blood of Iranians on his hands” following US strikes on Iran in June, and that the US leader would be “overthrown.”

After his speech, pro-Islamic republic rallies were held in several cities after Friday prayers with heavy state media coverage. Antiestablishment protests are expected to resume at dusk.

Tehran’s prosecutor Ali Salehi described protesters who burn public property and clash with security forces as “terrorists” who will be charged with “moharebeh,” or waging war against God, which can carry the death penalty.

Several security bodies in separate statements also warned protesters on January 9.

The Intelligence Organization of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) said the “continuation of the situation is unacceptable” and repeated the claim that the protests are instigated by foreign backers.

On January 2, Trump said Washington would intervene in Iran if it kills protesters, stating in a Truth Social post: “We are locked and loaded and ready to go.”https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-economic-protest-death-arrest-tehran/33637972.html

He reiterated that stance late on January 8, saying in an interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt that Iranian authorities have been told “very strongly — even more strongly than I’m speaking to you right now — that if they do that [kill protesters], they’re going to have to pay hell.”

The law enforcement force, meanwhile, issued a statement telling people to “protect your teenager” from being swept up in the unrest in view of the police’s “no leniency” policy toward “rioters.”

Iranian media report that several members of security forces were killed in the unrest on January 8, including in Tehran and Marvdasht. A prosecutor and his bodyguards were also killed in the town of Esfarayen, North Khorasan Province.

Norway-based Iran Human Rights has said that 51 protesters have been killed as of January 9, with over 2,000 arrests. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, in a joint January 8 statement, accused Iranian forces of “unlawful use of force and firearms and mass arbitrary arrests.”https://www.hrw.org/news/2026/01/08/iran-authorities-renewed-cycle-of-protest-bloodshed

UN human rights chief Volker Turk said in a statement on January 9 he was “deeply disturbed” by reports of the violence and called for all deaths to be “promptly, independently, and transparently investigated.” https://www.ohchr.org/en/statements-and-speeches/2026/01/iran-turk-says-reports-violent-protests-are-deeply-disturbing

“Those responsible for any violations must be held to account in line with international norms and standards,” he added.

This round of protests, which began on December 28, 2025, in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar, quickly snowballed, spreading to dozens of towns. By the evening of January 8, videos poured in from nearly every corner of the country showing huge crowds chanting and marching.

Authorities first throttled nationwide Internet speeds before enforcing a near-total blackout at 10:15 p.m. local time on January 8, severing phone lines too.

News from inside is trickling out slowly amid the communications blackout, but US and European leaders have ramped up their focus on the chaos.

The Iranian authorities have the responsibility to protect their own population and must allow for the freedom of expression and peaceful assembly without fear of reprisal. 

In a public letter to Trump, posted on X, Pahlavi warned that the Iranian regime planned to use an internet blackout in the country to “murder” protesters. https://x.com/PahlaviReza/status/2009644016036450493?s=20 Earlier, Trump outlined that the killing of peaceful protesters would be decisive in the US reaction to the situation.

“[Iranian Supreme Leader] Ali Khamenei, fearing the end of his criminal regime at the hands of the people and with the help of your powerful promise to support the protesters, has threatened the people on the streets with a brutal crackdown. And he wants to use this blackout to murder these young heroes,” Pahlavi wrote on X.

“Last night, you saw the millions of brave Iranians in the streets facing down live bullets. Today, they are facing not just bullets but a total communications blackout. No Internet. No landlines,” he said. The NetBlocks cyber watchdog reported on January 9 that Iran had been “offline” for 24 hours. https://t.me/netblocks/1314

Ali Khamenei, fearing the end of his criminal regime at the hands of the people and with the help of your powerful promise to support the protesters, has threatened the people on the streets with a brutal crack down. And he wants to use this blackout to murder these young heroes.

I have called the people to the streets to fight for their freedom and to overwhelm the security forces with sheer numbers. Last night they did that. Your threat to this criminal regime has also kept the regime’s thugs at bay. But time is of the essence. The people will be on the streets again in an hour. I am asking you to help.

The United States’ swift strike that captured Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro has sent shock waves well beyond Latin America and is raising questions for one of Caracas’s closest partners: China.

The operation comes as Beijing faces parallel challenges elsewhere: widening protests in Iran, another key energy supplier to China, and brings implications for Taiwan, the self-governing democracy that Beijing claims as its own and has vowed to control, by force if necessary.

To examine what the Venezuela strike reveals about China’s global position, RFE/RL spoke with Michael Sobolik, a senior fellow at the Washington-based Hudson Institute and a former aide to US Senator Ted Cruz. Sobolik closely tracks US-China strategic competition and is the author of Countering China’s Great Game: A Strategy for American Dominance.

The interview below has been condensed and edited for clarity.
RFE/RL: China was a major economic and political partner for Maduro, investing north of $60 billion into Venezuela and Beijing signed an “all-weather partnership” agreement with Caracas. But what does the capture of Maduro and what’s materializing in Venezuela now mean for China in Latin America and tell us about Chinese support for its partners?

Michael Sobolik: It doesn’t mean that much, and I think that is a really important reality to underscore because Venezuela is not the first partner of the People’s Republic of China to come into some trouble and to receive next to no help at all from Beijing.

[In June], during Operation Midnight Hammer, when the United States bombed Iran’s nuclear facilities, China couldn’t do anything except stand on the sidelines and condemn it, and the past six months have highlighted a huge problem that the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has, which is that it is unable to project power in a meaningful way outside of its near abroad.

And it shouldn’t be overlooked that the operation to capture Maduro took place mere hours after a Chinese delegation met with him. [Editor’s note: Qiu Xiaoqi, China’s special representative on Latin American affairs, met with Maduro in Caracas the day before the US strike and reportedly was still in Venezuela when Maduro was captured and taken to stand trial in the United States.]

That is an enormous embarrassment for China. In that meeting, one can only imagine that there were future plans being drawn up [and] maybe some commitments being offered. All of the promises that China made to Venezuela mean very little right now.

It’s also an embarrassment for [Chinese leader] Xi Jinping because Venezuela was one of his most prominent beachheads into the Western hemisphere. Taking out Maduro doesn’t eliminate all of the inroads for China by any means, but it eliminates a big one.

RFE/RL: You mentioned China’s issues with projecting force and lack of meaningful options to support its partners under pressure. But isn’t there still value in the Chinese being able to use the rhetorical tools that it has and condemn the United States at international bodies to rally countries around it?

Sobolik: Talk is cheap in international politics. If all you have is diplomacy that isn’t backed up by force, then you just have words. Words are not enough to secure your interests and words are also not enough for your military to be successful.

I think where China is hopeful that their diplomacy can help them right now is they are already trying to paint the United States as an aggressor and as a violator of international law. I suspect that they are not only hoping that they can get some traction with that approach, but they are also hoping that America oversteps and overexpands right now.

You’ll notice that [US] President [Donald] Trump is talking about Greenland again, and talking about how we need Greenland and he’s not taking military force off the table. I do not expect there to be a war between the United States and Denmark over Greenland. However, the fact that force is not off the table is an opening for China rhetorically to say, look at what the United States just did in Venezuela. They will send their military wherever they want to send it. They did it with Iran. They did it with Venezuela. They’re threatening to do it with a NATO partner.

I’m sure that the Chinese are going to be quick to try to exploit that. And I think that also speaks to the importance of how the United States handles this moment.

RFE/RL: If we can pivot slightly, you mentioned Iran. This is another place where there is rising tension right now. We had strikes this summer from the US and Israel and expanding protests over an economic crisis that are picking up steam each day. If you’re Beijing, how do you support Iran?

Sobolik: So it’s a different situation for China. While Venezuela is in China’s oil import portfolio, it’s only about 7 percent of China’s oil needs, Iran, on the other hand, is enormous for China when it comes to oil.

So, China is going to have to stomach some embarrassment over Venezuela, but Iran is a different scenario. They depend on Tehran for oil in a substantial way. So the Chinese interests are implicated in a deeper, more core way with Iran than they are in Venezuela.

Of course, the Chinese were not about to do anything to stop incoming B2 bombers with bunker busters in June [2025], but it’s an interesting question: What would China be willing to do to shore up their energy security if the politics in Iran change overnight in a way that is unfavorable? That’s a lot of hypotheticals, and I don’t want to go too deep into that, but I think the important thing here is that the Chinese can afford to get embarrassed with Venezuela and they have the luxury of learning from their mistakes.

If things change rapidly in Iran, however, and they’re caught on their back feet, that could be an enormous strategic problem for them. So I expect the Chinese to be communicating with the Trump administration clearly and aggressively, and I expect they will take steps to shore up their energy needs.

RFE/RL: Another thing connecting Venezuela and Iran’s ties to China beyond oil is that both have Chinese military hardware, primarily air defense systems. https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/u-s-forces-raid-ship-seize-cargo-headed-to-iran-from-china-35a1e2ac The US operation that captured Maduro has drawn attention to the US military’s abilities to evade the Chinese radar systems that Venezuela possesses, particularly the JY‑27A mobile anti‑stealth radars that are supposed to be capable of detecting fifth‑generation stealth aircraft like US F‑22s and F‑35s. https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/jan/7/inside-ring-china-russia-air-defenses-faulted-venezuela/ What does this tell us about Chinese military hardware?

Sobolik: Venezuela has a few different Chinese air defense radars. You mentioned the JY‑27A, which is an older generation radar. So, it’s not the latest and greatest.

But it’s important to know how catastrophically those systems failed against the Americans because you had Chinese radars and you had Russian surface-to-air missiles coupled together that should have protected Venezuela. So, every other nation in the world that is a customer of China for air defenses needs to be asking the question: how well are my air defenses going to work, not only against the Americans, but what about the Israelis? What about other nations that are aligned with the United States that have their own security interests?

I do want to be clear: it’s not that the latest and greatest tech from China has been tested and found wanting, but systems that should be reliable have been found to be susceptible to countermeasures, not only from the United States, but from partners of the United States as well.

That’s another black mark for China and an embarrassment for their arms export industry. It should call into question for Xi what other capabilities could be suppressed or sabotaged by the Americans, which could decrease his confidence in using his military to secure his interests.

RFE/RL: Since the operation in Venezuela, some have argued that this provides a blueprint for Beijing to move on Taiwan, while other analysts have said that the strike breaks international norms and creates spheres of influence that would embolden China to attack Taiwan. https://www.newsweek.com/what-us-capture-of-maduro-means-for-chinas-designs-on-taiwan-11306654 https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-01-06/does-china-s-calculus-in-taiwan-shift-following-venezuela

The Taiwanese government, meanwhile, has said that this deters Beijing as it showcases US military might and a will to use it. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-01-05/taiwan-sees-trump-s-arrest-of-maduro-as-helpful-in-deterring-xi How do you see this affecting China’s calculus on Taiwan?

Sobolik: I do not think that what happened in Venezuela is heralding a new era of spheres of influence.

The biggest data point that I see that goes against that is that President Trump announced a $1.5 trillion defense budget. https://www.politico.com/news/2026/01/07/trump-calls-record-defense-budget-00715298 That is not the kind of defense budget that is optimized for only the Western hemisphere. That is a global budget for a global military with global missions.

I think that’s probably bad news for China. As much as they want the story of Venezuela to be about the United States being a violator of international norms and an aggressor, the real story here is that America was strong enough to secure its interests and China wasn’t strong enough to stop it.

For Taiwan, I think they’re absolutely right to say that this bolsters our deterrence for the same reason that our support of Ukraine can bolster our deterrence in the Indo-Pacific. Xi and Vladimir Putin met shortly in February 2022 shortly before Putin’s special military operation kicked off. And anyone who says that Xi has not been watching America’s and Europe’s reaction and response to Putin in Ukraine is fooling themselves. Anyone who says that they weren’t watching when we had that disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 is fooling themselves.

Everyone is trying to measure great powers for resolve and capability, so when the United States does a risky military operation like they did in Venezuela without a loss of personnel or equipment, that demonstrates that when the United States says something, it follows through.

That’s the crux of deterrence. Deterrence is a clear, credible threat that is communicated and it works if the other side believes that you’re actually going to follow through on that threat. So, I think this makes the Taiwanese safer, it bolsters deterrence.

Denmark’s strategic importance for Germany was limited. The invasion’s primary purpose was to use Denmark as a staging ground for operations against Norway, and to secure supply lines to the forces about to be deployed there. An extensive network of radar systems was built in Denmark to detect British bombers bound for Germany.

The attack on Denmark was a breach of the non-aggression pact Denmark had signed with Germany less than a year earlier. The initial plan was to push Denmark to accept that German land, naval and air forces could use Danish bases, but Adolf Hitler subsequently demanded that both Norway and Denmark be invaded.

Denmark’s military forces were inferior in numbers and equipment, and after a short battle were forced to surrender. After less than two hours of struggle, Danish Prime Minister Thorvald Stauning ended the opposition to the German attack, for fear that the Germans would bomb Copenhagen (København), as they had done with Warsaw during the invasion of Poland in September 1939. Due to communication difficulties, some Danish forces continued to fight, but after a further two hours, all opposition had stopped.

Before the war, Greenland was a tightly controlled colony of Denmark, otherwise closed off to the rest of the world. After the invasion of Denmark on 9 April 1940, Greenland was left on its own, because the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy seized any ships arriving from Axis-controlled Europe. The UK and Canada initially laid plans to occupy points of interest on the island, but the United States, still neutral, firmly rejected “third party” intervention there.

The sheriffs (landsfogeder) of South and North Greenland, Eske Brun and Aksel Svane, invoking the emergency clause of a 1925 law specifying how Greenland was ruled, declared Greenland a self-ruling territory, believing this to be in the best interests of the colony as Denmark was occupied by Nazi Germany. This step was taken in coordination with the Danish ambassador to the United States, Henrik Kauffmann, and the U.S. State Department, and comported with the American declaration of 1920 that no third nation would necessarily be accepted as a sovereign in Greenland. This diplomatic stance was seen as an extension of the Monroe Doctrine.[1]

Although the Danish government continued in power and still considered itself neutral, it was forced to obey German wishes in foreign policy matters. Kauffmann immediately recognized that his government was unable to exercise its full sovereignty, and therefore began to act in an independent capacity. On 13 April he took counsel with the Greenland sheriffs, and after some controversy they agreed to recognize him as their representative in the United States.

There can be little doubt that the German seizure of Denmark on the morning of April 9th came as a stunning surprise to all but a very few of the people of Denmark. The droning of swarms of German fighters flying low over all parts of Copenhagen and its suburbs conveyed the news to one million people that their capital, and presumably their entire country, was being occupied by German arms.

This was the more surprising since the official policy of Denmark since the World War had been one of extreme friendliness toward Germany. Definitely marking this friendly attitude, Denmark had, in May 1939, responded to Germany’s invitation to sign a Pact of
[Page 166]

Non-Aggression,30 an invitation which none of the other Nordic states had accepted. Although the Danes did not place over much reliance in the Pact itself, it did, nevertheless, appear as if Germany, on her part, appreciated the confidence which was implied by Denmark’s acceding to the German request.

Although the actual occupation came as a complete surprise to the majority of the Danish people, there was much concrete evidence for some days that some important German move was in progress. It is fair to believe, however, that the Danish authorities were generally under the impression that the preparatory measures in the waters about Denmark were destined elsewhere. However that may be, no steps were taken to mobilize either the military, naval, or air forces at the disposal of the Government, even at the very height of the crisis in the Scandinavian area.

To some extent Danish opinion has been influenced by the laying of mines in Norwegian territorial waters by the British Navy. Press criticism indicated that this action exposed and endangered the position of the Nordic countries. However well or ill founded this criticism may be, this view was held and expressed on April 10th by Dr. Munch31 himself in informal conversation with members of the Diplomatic Corps.

“Although the sovereignty of Denmark over Greenland is fully recognized, the present circumstances for the time being prevent the Government in Denmark from exercising its powers in respect of Greenland …”17a

With this situation in mind and in accordance with our understanding I informed the Government in Denmark of the agreement only when it was made public at noon on April 10th.

I did this in a telegraphic message to the Foreign Office in Copenhagen that was delivered after some delay on April 11th.

I indicated that I had signed the agreement
“…17a acting on behalf of His Majesty the King of Denmark in His capacity as sovereign of Greenland, whose authorities in Greenland have concurred herein, …”17a
and explained the reasons for my action, adding
“Under the circumstances, there was, to me, no doubt but that I must, in the interests of Denmark and Greenland, take this unusual step. The Government in Denmark will not, as long as Denmark is occupied, be able to obtain full information as to the background and necessity for this action. I, therefore, request that judgment of my decision be withheld until Denmark again is free, and the Danish Government and public can come to know the situation that made the step necessary. I earnestly beg His Majesty the King and the Danish Government to be assured that I have acted in the way which I felt to be right, after careful consideration and according to my best belief and the dictates of my conscience, fulfilling my allegiance to His Majesty the King.”

I thereupon received from the Foreign Office in Copenhagen at 4:30 P.M. Saturday, April 12, 1941, a telegram, the English translation of which reads as follows:
“The Government strongly disapproves the fact that you, without authorization from here, and contrary to the constitution, have concluded an agreement with the Government of the United States regarding the defense of Greenland. You are, therefore, by Royal Decree of April 12, 1941 recalled from your post as Denmark’s Minister to Washington. The Legation will temporarily be in charge of Mr. Blechingberg, Counselor of Legation, as Chargé d’Affaires. You are requested immediately to notify the President of the above, and to
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add that letters of recall will be forwarded later. You are requested to return at once to Copenhagen. Acknowledge receipt by telegram.”

From Press reports I have furthermore learned that the Government in Denmark yesterday also declared the agreement of April 9, 1941 relating to the defense of Greenland to be considered as void, but this Legation has hitherto received no official communication from Copenhagen to that effect.

On April 10, 1940 the day after the occupation of Denmark by German military forces, I issued a public statement declaring, that I would work for one thing, the reestablishment of a free and independent Denmark. Since that time as before my conduct has been dictated solely by what I have believed to be to the true interest of my King and my country. My work would have been impossible without the sympathetic understanding and cooperative attitude of the American Government for which I am deeply grateful.

My conduct in the situation that has arisen now will be dictated by the same convictions. I believe the action taken in Copenhagen with regard to my recall and in respect to the agreement of the 9th instant to have been taken under duress.

Consequently I consider it to be invalid both from the point of view of Danish and of generally recognized common law.

I believe it to be my duty towards my King and my country to carry on the work that was entrusted to me when I was appointed Danish Minister to Washington by a free Danish Government and to let myself be guided by the same principles as hitherto. This attitude of mine has the full support of all the other members of the Danish Foreign service stationed in the United States.

I have the honor, Mr. Secretary, to ask you please to bring this to the knowledge of the President.

Under President Trump’s bold and visionary leadership, US Coast Guard tactical teams worked closely with its counterparts at the Departments of War, Department of Justice and State and used their specialized expertise to conduct these operations and conduct two safe, effective boardings within hours of each other.

One of these tankers, Motor Tanker Bella I, has been trying to evade the Coast Guard for weeks, even changing its flag and painting a new name on the hull while being pursued, in a desperate and failed attempt to escape justice. The heroic crew of the USCGC Munro pursued this vessel across the high seas and through treacherous storms— keeping diligent watch, and protecting our country with the determination and patriotism that make Americans proud.  These brave men and women deserve our nation’s thanks for their selfless devotion to duty.

The world’s criminals are on notice. You can run, but you can’t hide. We will never relent in our mission to protect the American people and disrupt the funding of narco terrorism wherever we find it, period.

The interdicted vessel, M/T Sophia, was operating in international waters and conducting illicit activities in the Caribbean Sea. The U.S. Coast Guard is escorting M/T Sophia to the U.S. for final disposition.

The UK has provided enabling support to the United States at their request to interdict the vessel Bella 1 today.

UK armed forces provided pre-planned operational support, including basing, to U.S. military assets interdicting the Bella 1 between  the UK and Iceland following a U.S. request for assistance. RFA Tideforce is providing support for U.S. forces pursuing and interdicting the Bella 1, while the RAF provided surveillance support from the air.

The UK and U.S. defence and security relationship is the deepest in the world and the UK provided enabling support in full compliance with international law.

Defence Secretary John Healey MP said:
Our UK Armed Forces showed skill and professionalism in support of a successful U.S. interception of the vessel Bella 1 while on its way to Russia. This action formed part of global efforts to crack down on sanctions busting.

This ship, with a nefarious history, is part of a Russian-Iranian axis of sanctions evasion which is fuelling terrorism, conflict, and misery from the Middle East to Ukraine.

The UK will continue to step up our action against shadow fleet activity to protect our national security, our economy, and global stability – making Britain secure at home and strong abroad.

The U.S. is the UK’s closest defence and security partner and the security of the North Atlantic is critical to both our homelands. The depth of our defence relationship with the U.S. is an essential part of our security, and today’s seamlessly executed operation shows just how well this works in practice.

The Bella 1 is sanctioned by the U.S. under its counter-Iran sanctions, aimed at stopping Iran from fuelling instability in the Middle East through the profits of illegal oil sales.

The Russian flagging of the vessel shows their role in this interconnected shadow activity we are seeing across the world, which threatens our national security, harms our economy and undermines global security.

Further information
* Deterring and disrupting the Russian shadow fleet is a priority for the UK. To date, we have imposed sanctions on 520 Russian shadow fleet vessels.

The Russian Ministry of Transport said that the detained Bella 1 ship received temporary permission to sail under the Russian flag on December 24, 2025. “In accordance with the norms of the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, the regime of freedom of navigation applies on the high seas, and no state has the right to use force against vessels duly registered in the jurisdictions of other states,” the agency said in a statement.

Earlier, Russia sent a submarine and other military vessels to escort this oil tanker, which was pursued by the US Coast Guard in the Atlantic Ocean. This, in particular, was reported by The Wall Street Journal and CBS News with reference to American officials. https://www.wsj.com/world/russia/russia-sends-submarine-to-escort-tanker-the-u-s-tried-to-seize-off-venezuela-4bd78dc7 https://www.cbsnews.com/news/u-s-interdict-tanker-carrying-venezuelan-oil-after-maduros-capture

The US Southern Command reported the detention in the Caribbean Sea of the tanker Sophia, which is not registered in any country. It is on the US sanctions lists as a probable ship of the Russian “shadow fleet”. https://x.com/Southcom/status/2008905619424620879

The New York Times writes that three other tankers, which are located near the coast of Venezuela, recently changed their registration to Russian. https://x.com/trbrtc/status/2008770940554145989 Whether the United States made attempts to detain them is currently unreported.

Since the beginning of 2026, about 10 tankers with oil and fuel have left Venezuela’s territorial waters, despite the US export blockade, Reuters reported on January 6, citing industry sources, documents and data from the TankerTrackers monitoring service.

On Tuesday, in a speech to GOP representatives, US President Trump denounced the brutality of the Nicolás Maduro regime, highlighting the loss of Cuban lives during operations related to the arrest of the Venezuelan dictator.

President Donald Trump reaffirmed on Tuesday that many Cubans died during the US operation extracting Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro: “It was an amazing military feat that took place yesterday.… it was so complex, 152 airplanes, many, many. Talk about boots on the ground, we had a lot of boots on the ground. But it was amazing. And think about it, no one was killed, on our side no one was killed. And on the other side, many people were killed. Unfortunately, I say. Soldiers, Cubans, mostly Cubans, but many, many killed. And they were, they knew we were coming and they were protected. And our guys weren’t,” he said during the speech given to Republican representatives at the Kennedy Center.

The Havana regime confirmed on Sunday that 32 Cubans died during the operation. The official report assures that these members of the Armed Forces and the Ministry of the Interior of Cuba “fell, after iron resistance, in direct combat against the attackers or as a result of the bombing of the facilities.”

Trump’s account mentions how the events occurred. “You know, our guys are jumping out of helicopters and they’re not protected…. it was so brilliant. The electricity for almost the entire country was boom, turned off. That’s when they knew there was a problem. There was no electricity. Caracus said there’s no electricy. The only people with lights were the people that had candles. It was just off. So, we sort of got them a little by surprise. But it was a brilliant. It was brilliant. Tactically, it was a incredible thing.”

Trump reiterated the brutality of the Chavista regime and Nicolás Maduro, in particular. “He’s a violent guy and he’s killed millions of people. He’s tortured. They have a torture chamber in the middle of Caracus that they’re closing up. But he’s tortured people.”

The president proudly celebrated the greatness of the American armed forces, demonstrated once again in the January 3 operation in Venezuela: “The United States demonstrated once again that we have the most powerful, lethal, sophisticated and fearsome army on the planet, and there is no possible comparison… No one else could have done that.”

Joint Statement on Greenland

Statement by President Macron of France, Chancellor Merz of Germany, Prime Minister Meloni of Italy, Prime Minister Tusk of Poland, Prime Minister Sánchez of Spain, Prime Minister Starmer of the United Kingdom and Prime Minister Frederiksen of Denmark on Greenland.

Arctic security remains a key priority for Europe and it is critical for international and transatlantic security.

NATO has made clear that the Arctic region is a priority and European Allies are stepping up. We and many other Allies have increased our presence, activities and investments, to keep the Arctic safe and to deter adversaries. The Kingdom of Denmark – including Greenland – is part of NATO.

Security in the Arctic must therefore be achieved collectively, in conjunction with NATO allies including the United States, by upholding the principles of the UN Charter, including sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders. These are universal principles, and we will not stop defending them.

The United States is an essential partner in this endeavour, as a NATO ally and through the defence agreement between the Kingdom of Denmark and the United States of 1951.

One of the biggest problems that Venezuelans have is they have to declare independence Venezuela in some cases. One of the biggest problems that Venezuelans have is they have to declare independence from Cuba that tried to basically colonize it from a security standpoint. So, yeah, look, if I lived in Havana and I was in the government, l’d be concerned at least a little bit.

With Chávez, the 21st century began under the narrative of a supposed “Bolivarian movement,” which in reality ended up being the international expansion of the Cuban dictatorship. Paradoxically, the best thing that happened to that project was Chávez’s death. While he was alive, he was the undisputed leader thanks to the resources he controlled. That wealth financed mechanisms such as Petrocaribe, which guaranteed the votes of Caribbean countries in the Organization of American States (OAS) and the United Nations.

They advanced on South America with the same strategy: Kirchner in Argentina, Lugo in Paraguay, Mujica in Uruguay, Evo Morales in Bolivia, Correa in Ecuador, Ollanta Humala in Peru, and a growing influence in Colombia with Juan Manuel Santos. This is the political map of 21st-century socialism.

Two events are key to understanding this 25-year history. First, Chávez’s death, which unleashed an internal dispute between “Venezuelan Castroism” — represented by Nicolás Maduro — and the “Venezuelan Chavism” of Diosdado Cabello. Maduro won. And from that moment on, Venezuela formally became a political colony of Cuba, something that had not happened while Chávez was leading the project. Just look at the images from that time: Castro looked like Chávez’s assistant, not the other way around.

In this new context, Venezuela becomes Cuba’s geopolitical and logistical platform, taking advantage of its geographical position, infrastructure, and wealth. From there, the cocaine hub is built — a transnational operation coordinated with the FARC in Colombia, the Correa government in Ecuador, the Evo Morales regime in Bolivia, Nicaragua, and, of course, Cuba.
There are documented facts that confirm this. During the Chávez administration, and while Evo Morales governed Bolivia, it was revealed and published in the international press that Bolivian Air Force planes were transporting cocaine directly to the presidential ramp at Maiquetía, Venezuela. This was corroborated by a Bolivian [Air Force] officer, then Colonel [Marco Antonio] Rocha Venegas, who testified in the United States, where he now lives under protection. This is how narco-states operate. And this is also how narco-terrorism is consolidated, which arose when 21st-century socialism took control of much of the region.