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Trump’s NATO warning pushes Europe to face the cost of defending itself

Trump’s NATO warning pushes Europe to face the cost of defending itself

Speaking to global leaders in Davos, Switzerland, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy delivered a blunt warning to Europe about its self-defense.   “Europe needs to know how to defend itself,” he said, arguing that the continent still isn’t ready to stand on its own without U.S. backing. Zelensky’s remarks reflected a growing anxiety across Europe — that decades of reliance on American protection left the continent ill-prepared for a more dangerous era. While European countries have contributed troops, weapons and money to conflicts from Afghanistan to Ukraine, the ultimate backstop for NATO’s security has remained Washington. President Donald Trump has openly challenged that assumption, repeatedly warning NATO allies that U.S. protection should not be taken for granted, and insisting the U.S. needed to take Greenland from Denmark Before he ruled out the use of force to wrest control of the island, European officials had worried about a military dust-up between Western powers would mean the end of NATO. “Maybe we should have put NATO to the test: Invoked Article 5, and forced NATO to come here and protect our Southern Border from further Invasions of Illegal Immigrants, thus freeing up large numbers of Border Patrol Agents for other tasks,” Trump mused on Truth Social Thursday. Trump’s suggestion that the U.S. may not defend allies that fail to invest in their own security rattled the alliance and pushed European governments to pledge sharp increases in defense spending. Even so, European leaders continue to acknowledge how central U.S. power remains to NATO’s defense. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has pointed to the American nuclear umbrella as the alliance’s “ultimate guarantor,” alongside a strong U.S. conventional presence in Europe. “We are still having a strong, conventional U.S. presence in Europe,” Rutte said, “and, of course, the nuclear umbrella as our ultimate guarantor.” TRUMP: EUROPE WILL ‘TAKE A LOT OF THE BURDEN’ IN PROVIDING SECURITY GUARANTEES FOR UKRAINE Security analysts say that long-standing guarantee shaped Europe’s choices over time. “For much of the post–Cold War period, it is fair to say that Europeans underinvested in defense, partly because threats were low, and partly because a series of U.S. presidents did everything they could to convince Europeans that we would stay there forever,” Barry Posen, a professor of political science at MIT, told Fox News Digital. “Trump was right to argue that Europeans have been slow to fix up their forces as the situation changed — as Russia pulled itself back together and became more demanding and threatening, and as China also grew its power,” Posen said. But Posen warned that driving a wedge inside NATO carries risks. “The problem Trump faces is that ‘conditional commitments’ make challenges more likely,” he said. “And then we would still have to decide what to do. As a great power, in the event of an actual challenge, we might not wish to look weak.” Over time, those choices carried political consequences. With American power serving as the backstop, defense spending was easier to restrain than politically popular domestic subsidies such as healthcare, pensions and education, which became entrenched in European politics. As defense demands rise, governments are running into those constraints. In Italy, officials have warned that boosting military spending to meet NATO commitments would strain an already tight budget, where pensions and social benefits account for a large share of public spending. ZELENSKYY BLASTS GLOBAL INACTION ON IRAN, CLAIMS EUROPE STUCK IN ‘GREENLAND MODE’ Germany found a way to buy time. After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Berlin created a €100 billion special defense fund — financed through new borrowing and kept outside the regular budget — to rebuild its military without immediately cutting other spending. The move jump-started rearmament while shielding popular social programs from near-term cuts. But the fund is temporary. Once it runs out, sustaining higher defense spending will require permanent budget decisions inside a system built around strict fiscal rules and expansive social commitments. John Byrne of Concerned Veterans for America said Europe’s dependence on the United States runs deeper than defense budgets. Even as European governments pledge more spending, Byrne said they still lack the senior-level experience needed to run NATO operations without U.S. leadership. “They don’t have the experience,” Byrne said, pointing to the fact that large, multinational military commands have overwhelmingly been led by American generals for decades. “That institutional knowledge still sits almost entirely with the United States.” Byrne said that gap matters in a crisis. Running complex, coalition military operations requires years of practice at the highest levels, he said — something that cannot be fixed quickly, even with higher spending. “You can buy equipment,” Byrne said. “You can’t instantly buy command experience.” During his address at Davos on Thursday, Zelenskyy questioned whether Europe has the power  or the will  to act independently if assumptions about U.S. protection change. “Europe still feels more like geography, history, tradition, not a real political force, not a great power,” Zelenskyy said. He warned that European leaders continue to plan around expectations that may no longer hold. “To believe that the United States will act, that it will not stand aside and will help,” Zelenskyy said. “But what if it doesn’t? This question is everywhere in the minds of European leaders.”

World Health Organization says US withdrawal makes the nation and the world ‘less safe’

World Health Organization says US withdrawal makes the nation and the world ‘less safe’

The World Health Organization on Saturday warned that America’s withdrawal from the agency will make the country and the world “less safe.” The globalist body said in part of a January 24 statement that it “regrets the United States’ notification of withdrawal from WHO – a decision that makes both the United States and the world less safe.”  “We hope that in the future, the United States will return to active participation in WHO,” the statement noted. US FORMALLY EXITS WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION, LOCKING IN TRUMP’S BREAK FROM GLOBAL HEALTH BODY The U.S. announced its withdrawal from the WHO last week, after President Donald Trump got the ball rolling on his first day back in office last year. “Today, the United States withdrew from the World Health Organization (WHO), freeing itself from its constraints, as President Trump promised on his first day in office by signing E.O. 14155,” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in part of a January 22, 2026, joint statement. UN CHIEF ACCUSES US OF DITCHING INTERNATIONAL LAW AS TRUMP BLASTS GLOBAL BODIES “Going forward, U.S. engagement with the WHO will be limited strictly to effectuate our withdrawal and to safeguard the health and safety of the American people. All U.S. funding for, and staffing of, WHO initiatives has ceased,” their statement said. They claimed the WHO “pursued a politicized, bureaucratic agenda driven by nations hostile to American interests.” But the WHO pushed back. TRUMP FLOATS ‘BOARD OF PEACE’ TO REPLACE UN, SIGNALS MAJOR GLOBAL POWER SHIFT “This is untrue. As a specialized agency of the United Nations, governed by 194 Member States, WHO has always been and remains impartial and exists to serve all countries, with respect for their sovereignty, and without fear or favor,” the WHO said in its statement.

Ferry carrying over 350 people sinks in Philippines, killing at least 15

Ferry carrying over 350 people sinks in Philippines, killing at least 15

The coastguard says at least 316 people have been rescued so far, while 28 others remain missing. Published On 26 Jan 202626 Jan 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share A ferry carrying more than 350 people has capsized off the southern Philippine province of Basilan, killing at least 15 people, according to officials. The ⁠accident occurred after midnight on Monday ​as the passenger vessel, MV Trisha Kerstin ‍3, was en route to Jolo Island in southern Sulu after departing the port city of Zamboanga. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list The vessel, which ‍had 332 ⁠passengers on record and 27 crew, issued a distress signal at 1:50am on Monday (17:50 GMT Sunday), about four hours after it departed Zamboanga City, according to the Philippine coastguard. The ferry sank in good weather about 1 nautical mile (nearly 2km) from the island village of Baluk-baluk in Basilan province, where many of the survivors were initially taken, the coastguard said. Coastguard Commander Romel Dua of Southern Mindanao District told the AFP news agency that at least 316 people had been rescued so far, with 15 confirmed dead and 28 still unaccounted for. “A coast guard aircraft is also on the way to help the operation. The Navy and Air Force also sent their assets,” Dua told AFP. Emergency responders in Basilan said those who were rescued and needed medical attention were brought to a hospital in the capital city of Isabela. “The challenge here really is the number of patients that are coming in. We are short-staffed at the moment,” said Ronalyn Perez, a medic. Personnel tend to people who were on board the M/V Trisha Kerstin 3 around the waters of Baluk-Baluk Island in Basilan [Philippine coastguard via AP] Basilan Governor Mujiv Hataman posted clips from the scene at Isabela port in Mindanao on Facebook, showing survivors being ushered off boats, some wrapped in thermal blankets and others being carried on stretchers. Advertisement Hataman told DZBB radio that most survivors were doing well, but several elderly passengers needed emergency medical care. He added that authorities were still cross-checking ‌the passenger manifest as rescue efforts proceeded. Dua, the coastguard commander in Mindanao, said the cause of the ferry sinking was not immediately clear and that there would be an investigation. He added that the coastguard cleared the ferry before it left the Zamboanga port, and there was no sign of overloading. Sea accidents are common in the Philippine archipelago because of frequent storms, badly maintained vessels, overcrowding and spotty enforcement of safety regulations, especially in remote provinces. On Friday, at least two Filipino sailors were reported killed, and 15 others were rescued after a Singapore-flagged general cargo vessel en route to China from the southern island of Mindanao sank. Four other sailors remain missing. Last Monday, a private vessel also sank off the Davao region in Mindanao, leaving at least six dead and nine others missing. In December 1987, the ferry Dona Paz sank after colliding with a fuel tanker in the central Philippines, killing more than 4,300 people in the world’s worst peacetime maritime disaster. Adblock test (Why?)

Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,432

Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,432

Here is where things stand on Monday, January 25: Fighting More than 1,300 apartment buildings in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, were still without heating following Russia’s missile and drone attacks on Saturday, according to Mayor Vitalii Klitschko. Over the past week alone, Russia launched more than 1,700 attack drones, at least 1,380 guided aerial bombs, and 69 missiles on Ukraine, mainly targeting the energy sector, critical infrastructure, and residential buildings, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The Ukrainian leader told reporters during a visit to Lithuania that the continuing Russian attacks make it necessary for Ukraine to acquire more air defences, even while the country negotiates a ceasefire deal with Moscow. In Russia, the governor of the border region of Belgorod said Ukrainian forces launched a “massive” attack on its main town, damaging energy infrastructure, but causing no casualties. Diplomacy Zelenskyy told reporters in Lithuania that a US document on security guarantees for Ukraine is “100 percent ready”, and that Kyiv is waiting for a time and place for it to be signed. He also indicated that trilateral talks with Russia and the US in Abu Dhabi over the weekend made some progress, saying: “[In Abu Dhabi] the 20-point [US] plan and ‌problematic issues are being discussed. There were many problematic issues, but now, there are fewer.” Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, after meeting Zelenskyy, said that Russia is avoiding committing to a lasting and just peace in Ukraine and is not accepting a ceasefire in the war. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia will never discuss anything with European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, and so Moscow will simply wait for her to leave her post. Pope Leo said in his weekly Angelus prayer at the Vatican that ongoing Russian attacks against Ukraine were leaving civilians in the country exposed to the cold of winter, and called for an end to the conflict. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited an art studio to guide the creation of sculptures to be displayed at a memorial for the estimated 6,000 North Korean troops who died fighting overseas, according to state media KCNA. Pyongyang deployed some 14,000 soldiers to fight alongside Russian troops in Ukraine, according to Western sources. France has detained the Indian captain of an oil tanker suspected of belonging to Russia’s sanctions-busting “shadow fleet”, prosecutors said. Authorities said the vessel, named the Grinch, failed to fly a flag. It is now moored, under guard, near Marseille. Advertisement Adblock test (Why?)

Ukraine’s Zelenskyy says US security agreement ‘100% ready’ to be signed

Ukraine’s Zelenskyy says US security agreement ‘100% ready’ to be signed

Ukrainian leader says Kyiv and Moscow continue to have ‘fundamentally different’ positions on territorial concessions. By News Agencies Published On 26 Jan 202626 Jan 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that an agreement on US security guarantees for his country is “100 percent ready” to be signed after talks with Russia in Abu Dhabi. Speaking at a news conference in Vilnius, Lithuania, on Sunday, Zelenskyy said that Kyiv was ready to send the agreement to the US Congress and Ukrainian parliament for ratification. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list “For us, security guarantees are first and foremost guarantees of security from the United States. The document is 100 percent ready, and we are waiting for our partners to confirm the date and place when we will sign it,” Zelenskyy said. The Ukrainian leader also emphasised Ukraine’s push for European Union membership by 2027, calling it an “economic security guarantee”. Ukrainian and Russian negotiators met in the capital of the United Arab Emirates on Friday and Saturday to discuss Washington’s framework for ending Moscow’s almost four-year-old war. While no deal emerged from the talks, Moscow and Kyiv both said they were open to further dialogue, and more discussions were expected next Sunday in Abu Dhabi, a US official told reporters immediately after the discussions. Zelenskyy described the talks as likely the first trilateral format in “quite a long while” that included not only diplomats but military representatives from all three sides. The Ukrainian leader acknowledged fundamental differences between the Ukrainian and Russian positions, reaffirming territorial issues as a major sticking point. Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed a Ukraine settlement with US President Donald Trump’s envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, during marathon talks late on Thursday. Advertisement The Kremlin insisted that to reach a peace deal, Kyiv must withdraw its troops from the areas in the east that Russia illegally annexed but has not fully captured. Zelenskyy said that while Moscow wants Ukraine to abandon eastern regions of the country, Kyiv has not budged from its position that territorial integrity must be upheld. “These are two fundamentally different positions – Ukraine’s and Russia’s. The Americans are trying to find a compromise,” Zelenskyy said, adding that “all sides must be ready for compromise”. Adblock test (Why?)

Republic Day 2026: Why is India’s R-Day celebrated on January 26th?

Republic Day 2026: Why is India’s R-Day celebrated on January 26th?

India’s draft constitution was presented in November 1948 and publicly debated for nearly a year. On November 26, 1949, the document was adopted. It was one of the longest written constitutions in the world, defining India as a sovereign, democratic republic, and a union of states.