Russia launched a massive air attack on Ukrainian energy facilities overnight on Saturday, targeting electricity generation and distribution, Kyiv said.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said the overnight attack involved more than 400 drones and some 40 missiles of various types, targeting the grid, generation facilities and distribution substations.
Nearly four years into the war that began with Russia&#8217;s full-scale invasion of its neighbor, Ukraine&#8217;s battered energy sector is crumbling under the Russian strikes, accumulated wartime damage and bitterly cold winter weather.
&#8220;Every day, Russia could choose real diplomacy, but it chooses new strikes,&#8221; Zelensky posted on X. &#8220;It is crucial that everyone who supports the trilateral negotiations respond to this. Moscow must be deprived of the ability to use the cold as leverage against Ukraine.&#8221;
Moscow did not immediately comment on the attacks.
Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal said the strikes hit two thermal power stations in Ukraine&#8217;s western regions and core elements of the Ukrainian electricity distribution system &#8211; substations and key electricity distribution lines.
&#8220;Russian criminals carried out another massive attack on Ukraine&#8217;s energy facilities,&#8221; Shmyhal said on the Telegram app. &#8220;Energy workers are ready to start repair works as soon as the security situation allows.&#8221;
The strikes were launched as temperatures began to drop and are forecast to fall to minus 14 degrees Celsius (7 degrees Fahrenheit) in the coming days.
The new Russian attacks on the energy system also come just days after the latest round of the U.S.-brokered talks between Ukraine and Russia on how to end the war.
Despite pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump&#8217;s administration and rounds of talks, diplomatic efforts have so far brought no tangible results.
Since autumn 2025, Moscow has intensified its attacks on the Ukrainian power grid and other energy infrastructure, forcing frequent blackouts across Ukraine and plunging millions into darkness for hours.
Ukrainian officials said that emergency power cuts were introduced across the country. Shmyhal said the government asked Poland for emergency power imports to help the Ukrainian grid.
Regional officials reported attacks across the country, including in the western regions of Khmelnytskyi, Rivne, Ternopil, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Lviv.
The Burshtyn and Dobrotvir thermal power plants in western Ukraine were hit, officials said.
DTEK, Ukraine&#8217;s largest private energy company, said that equipment was damaged significantly at its thermal power plants in different regions. DTEK said it was the 10th attack on its thermal power stations since October 2025.
&#8220;Since Russians have been targeting energy facilities in various regions of our country, power outages may last much longer,&#8221; said Maksym Kozytskyi, the Lviv regional governor.
He said air alerts lasted more than six hours in the western Lviv region, close to the Polish border.
Polish authorities said two airports in southeastern Poland were suspended from operations as a precaution due to Russian strikes on nearby Ukrainian territory. The airports in Poland later resumed operations.
(Reporting by Olena Harmash; Editing by)

Severely damaged Darnytska CHPP in Kyiv after massive Russian attack

Russia Launches Massive Attack On Ukraine’s Energy System, Zelensky Says

Global Politics

Russia

Ukraine

Ukraine-Russia War

Vladimir Putin

Volodymyr Zelensky

World

A gunman shot and seriously wounded a senior Russian intelligence official in his Moscow apartment building on Friday in yet another assassination attempt that the Kremlin is blaming on Ukraine.
Lieutenant General Vladimir Alekseyev, a deputy head of Russia&#8217;s military intelligence arm, was taken to the hospital after the shooting and remains in critical condition, Reuters <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russian-military-official-hospitalised-after-being-shot-agencies-report-2026-02-06/">reported</a>, citing Russian investigators. The gunman fled the scene and has not been identified as of Friday morning.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov called the shooting a &#8220;terrorist attack&#8221; and claimed that Ukraine was attempting to derail talks between Moscow and the United States, NBC News <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/world/russia/senior-russian-military-general-vladimir-alekseyev-shot-moscow-rcna257748">reported</a>. The shooting took place just one day after U.S., Russian, and Ukrainian officials concluded another round of peace talks in the United Arab Emirates. Ukraine and Russia agreed to another prisoner swap during the negotiations, but no breakthroughs on a potential peace deal or ceasefire were announced.
Alekseyev, 64, is a highly respected military official in Russia and was honored by Russian President Vladimir Putin with the &#8220;Hero of Russia&#8221; award, which recognizes exceptional service for the country. The United States has sanctioned the Russian general for his role in Russian cyberattacks. Alekseyev was also sanctioned by the European Union after Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter were poisoned in England in 2018.
In 2023, Putin sent Alekseyev to negotiate with Wagner mercenary group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin after Prigozhin started a mutiny and attempted to overthrow the Russian dictator. The coup attempt ultimately failed, and Prigozhin was killed in a plane crash that U.S. officials <a href="https://www.wsj.com/world/russia/wagner-prigozhin-russia-assassinated-intelligence-3e456fab">believe</a> was caused by a bomb on board &#8220;or some other form of sabotage.&#8221;
Russian news media cited law enforcement sources who said the gunman was waiting for Alexeyev outside of his apartment and opened fire when the military official left to go to work. Alekseyev reportedly sustained gunshot wounds to the chest, along with one of his arms and a leg. Following the assassination attempt, some Russian journalists questioned why top military leaders are not better protected, Reuters reported.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov responded to some of those criticisms, saying, &#8220;It is clear that military commanders and high-level specialists are at risk during wartime. But it is not the Kremlin that should be deciding how to ensure their safety. This is a matter for the special services.&#8221;
Ukraine has not taken responsibility for the assassination attempt, which comes just two months after another Russian general was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/another-russian-general-taken-out-by-car-bomb-on-moscow-street?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Another+Russian+General+Taken+Out+By+Car+Bomb+On+Moscow+Street">killed</a> in a car bombing in Moscow. In December, Lt. Gen. Fanil Sarvarov, who was head of the Operational Training Directorate of the Russian Armed Forces, was killed along with his assistant in a blast that Russian authorities blamed on Ukraine&#8217;s intelligence agency.
Sarvarov was the third high-ranking Russian military leader to be assassinated since late 2024. Ukraine has claimed responsibility for the assassinations of multiple Russian generals since the beginning of the war.
During the trilateral talks in the United Arab Emirates this week, the White House agreed to resume high-level military dialogue with Russia, something that has not happened since before Moscow invaded Ukraine. The agreement comes as the nuclear arms control treaty between the United States and Russia <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nuclear-caps-gone-as-u-s-russia-treaty-expires">expired</a> on Thursday.

Top Russian Military Intelligence Lt.Gen. Vladimir Alexeyev Wounded In Moscow

Top Russian Military Official Shot In Moscow Shortly After Trilateral Peace Talks Conclude

Kremlin

Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Friday that any new U.S. nuclear treaty must reflect the rapid expansion of China&#8217;s nuclear arsenal. 
Rubio’s comments come a day after the New START Treaty, which limited deployed strategic nuclear weapons in the United States and Russia, officially expired. He argued that any replacement framework should address a new era beyond the Cold War model, one that recognized both Russia and China as nuclear peers. 
“A treaty requires at least two parties, and the choice before the United States was to bind itself unilaterally or to recognize that a new era requires a new approach. Not the same old START, but something new. A treaty that reflects that the United States could soon face not one, but two, nuclear peers in Russia and China,” he <a href="https://statedept.substack.com/p/the-next-era-of-nuclear-arms-control">wrote</a> on the State Department’s Substack page. 
Rubio said China&#8217;s nuclear stockpile has nearly tripled since 2020, growing from the low 200s to almost 600, with projections topping 1,000 warheads by 2030. 
“China’s rapid and opaque expansion of its nuclear arsenal since New START entered into force has rendered past models of arms control, based upon bilateral agreements between the United States and Russia, obsolete,” Rubio wrote. “An arms control arrangement that does not account for China’s build-up, which Russia is supporting, will undoubtedly leave the United States and our allies less safe.”
President Donald Trump has accused China of conducting secret nuclear tests. Under Secretary of State Thomas DiNanno <a href="https://x.com/UnderSecT/status/2019714341344362507">said</a> Friday on X that China had used a technique called &#8220;decoupling&#8221; to mask nuclear explosive tests by reducing the effectiveness of seismic monitoring, including one conducted on June 22, 2020.
Rubio also criticized Russia, noting that Moscow announced in 2023, amid its war with Ukraine, that it would stop recognizing the New START Treaty. Although Russia later said it would continue observing the treaty&#8217;s limits, the agreement capped deployed nuclear warheads at 1,550. 
“Russia and China should not expect the United States to stand still while they shirk their obligations and expand their nuclear forces. We will maintain a robust, credible, and modernized nuclear deterrent,” Rubio wrote. “But we will do so while pursuing all avenues to fulfill the President’s genuine desire for a world with fewer of these awful weapons.”
Ahead of New START’s expiration, President Donald Trump said he wanted a broader nuclear agreement that could include other countries like China. In a Truth Social <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116019511106186158">post</a> on Thursday, Trump criticized the Obama-era deal as poorly negotiated.
“Rather than extend ‘NEW START’ (A badly negotiated deal by the United States that, aside from everything else, is being grossly violated), we should have our Nuclear Experts work on a new, improved, and modernized Treaty that can last long into the future,” Trump wrote.

President Trump Meets With Visiting Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban

Rubio Warns China’s ‘Rapid’ Nuclear Buildup Is Making U.S. ‘Less Safe’

China

Marco Rubio

Nuclear Weapons

Politics

State Department

An arms control treaty between the United States and Russia limiting deployed strategic nuclear warheads expired Thursday, marking the first time since 1972 that either country is no longer bound by formal caps on its nuclear forces. 
The New START Treaty, negotiated under former President Barack Obama and taking effect on February 5, 2011, expired on February 4 with no announced replacement. The expiration comes as President Donald Trump has directed the Departments of War and Energy to prepare for potential changes to nuclear weapons policy. 
“If it expires, it expires,” Trump <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/08/us/politics/trump-interview-power-morality.html#:~:text=“If%20it%20expires%2C%20it%20expires%2C”%20he%20said.%20“We’ll%20do%20a%20better%20agreement%2C”%20he%20added%2C%20insisting%20that%20China%2C%20which%20has%20the%20fastest%2Dgrowing%20arsenal%20in%20the%20world%2C%20should%20be%20incorporated%20in%20any%20future%20agreement.">told</a> The New York Times in an interview last month. “We’ll do a better agreement.”
“You probably want to get a couple of other players involved also,” Trump added. 
New START capped Russia and the United States at 700 deployed strategic delivery systems, including intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), along with a limit of 1,550 deployed nuclear warheads and 800 deployed and non-deployed launchers.
“New START limits all Russian deployed intercontinental-range nuclear weapons, including every Russian nuclear warhead that is loaded onto an intercontinental-range ballistic missile that can reach the United States in approximately 30 minutes,” the State Department <a href="https://www.state.gov/new-start-treaty">said</a>. 
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday that “Russian interests” would drive the next stage of relations with the United States. 
&#8220;What happens next depends on how events unfold,&#8221; he <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/china/new-nuclear-age-beckons-clock-ticks-down-last-russia-us-arms-deal-2026-02-04/">said</a>. &#8220;In any case, the Russian Federation will maintain its responsible and attentive approach to the issue of strategic stability in the field of nuclear weapons and, of course, as always, will be guided first and foremost by its national interests.&#8221;
Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115460423936412555">said</a> in October that the United States would begin testing its nuclear weapons, arguing the move was necessary because Russia and China were conducting secret nuclear tests. China, meanwhile, is rapidly expanding its nuclear weapons stash and is projected to have more than 1,000 nuclear warheads by 2030.
“Russia’s testing, and China’s testing, but they don’t talk about it. You know, we’re an open society. We’re different. We talk about it. We have to talk about it, because otherwise you people are going to report,” Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-sounds-alarm-china-and-russia-conducting-secret-nuke-tests?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Sounds+Alarm%3A+China+and+Russia+Conducting+Secret+Nuke+Tests">said</a>. “We’re going to test, because they test and others test.”
Trump administration officials later clarified that the planned tests would be &#8220;systems tests&#8221; and would not involve nuclear detonations. The United States has not detonated a nuclear weapon since 1992.
Russia <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/russia-nuclear-rules-start-treaty-vladimir-putin-ukraine-missiles-rcna71805">suspended</a> participation in the New START Treaty in 2023 amid its war with Ukraine, but claimed it would continue to comply with the treaty&#8217;s limits. Since coming into office, Trump has pushed strongly for an end to the Russia-Ukraine war. On Thursday, special envoy Steve Witkoff announced that the United States, Russia, and Ukraine had agreed to a 314-person prisoner swap.
&#8220;This outcome was achieved from peace talks that have been detailed and productive. While significant work remains, steps like this demonstrate that sustained diplomatic engagement is delivering tangible results and advancing efforts to end the war in Ukraine,&#8221; Witkoff <a href="https://x.com/SEPeaceMissions/status/2019354305661137340">said</a>. &#8220;Discussions will continue, with additional progress anticipated in the coming weeks.&#8221;

U.S. President Trump And Russian  President Putin Meet On War In Ukraine At U.S. Air Base In Alaska

Nuclear Caps Gone As U.S.-Russia Treaty Expires

Donald Trump

As tensions rise with China, Russia, and other global rivals, the Department of War has unveiled its 2026 National Defense Strategy, mapping a path for the United States to remain the world’s most formidable fighting force.
The <a href="https://media.defense.gov/2026/Jan/23/2003864773/-1/-1/0/2026-NATIONAL-DEFENSE-STRATEGY.PDF">strategy</a> emphasizes strengthened deterrence, homeland protection, and long-term competitive advantage, noting that “President Trump in his first term and since reentering office in January 2025 has rebuilt the American military to be the world’s absolute best—its most formidable fighting force.”
The strategy frames a world of heightened competition and risk, with major state actors driving instability. China is identified as the primary strategic competitor, pursuing military modernization and regional dominance in the Indo-Pacific. 
“Our goal is simple: To prevent anyone, including China, from being able to dominate us or our allies,” the document states. Russia remains an acute threat through aggression in Europe, while Iran and North Korea are advancing missile and nuclear capabilities, and violent extremist organizations continue to pose global risks.
The strategy highlights three integrated priorities: defend the homeland, deter strategic attacks — particularly nuclear — and deter aggression while preparing to win if conflict occurs. It underscores the recent strikes on Venezuela as a return to the historical foreign policy of the U.S. under the &#8220;Trump Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine,&#8221; which is to “actively and fearlessly defend America’s interests throughout the Western Hemisphere… guarantee U.S. military and commercial access to key terrain, especially the Panama Canal, Gulf of America, and Greenland.”
Implementation is guided by four lines of effort, &#8220;prioritizing the missions that matter most for Americans’ security, freedom, and prosperity.&#8221; 
First, strengthening homeland defenses. Protecting the U.S. from multi-domain threats, including drones, cyber intrusions, and attacks on critical infrastructure, is central. The strategy stresses defending “America’s borders and maritime approaches” and countering unmanned aerial threats through initiatives like Golden Dome for America.
Second, deterring China in the Indo-Pacific. The strategy frames deterrence through capability and posture rather than confrontation. “Our goal in doing so is not to dominate China; nor is it to strangle or humiliate them,” it notes.
Third, reinforcing alliances and partnerships. Burden-sharing is emphasized, with allies expected to take the lead against threats less severe to the United States, while the U.S. provides “critical but more limited support” and makes clear the urgent need for allies to do their part.
Fourth, supercharging the defense industrial base. Domestic production and innovation are a priority, and the strategy stresses the need to “return to being the world’s premier arsenal, one that can produce not only for ourselves but also for our allies and partners at scale, rapidly, and at the highest levels of quality.” The document specifies domestic production of semiconductors, rare-earth elements, and munitions.
Over the next 12 months, the U.S. plans to expand its Pacific deterrence efforts, including investments in naval assets in the region, missile systems, and enhanced coordination with allies to counter China&#8217;s activities. 
The strategy also highlights emerging technologies used by our rivals: hypersonics, drones, cyber operations, and space systems. As such, in 2026, homeland security measures will focus on counter-drone technologies, cyber resilience, and border-related defense capabilities.
Allied engagement will push for increased defense spending, particularly contributions from NATO and Indo-Pacific partnerships. Defense industrial initiatives aim to onshore production and streamline acquisition, supporting U.S. manufacturing and job growth. This is paired with a drive for accelerated research and development in artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, and unmanned systems on American soil. 
Nuclear modernization programs will advance, ensuring that deterrence remains robust. 
The strategy concludes that the U.S. must “defend the homeland, deter aggression abroad, and maintain enduring advantages in the technologies, industries, and forces that make victory certain.” 
Overall, the new National Strategy positions the military for a leaner, more focused posture, prioritizing core warfighting readiness over expansive overseas commitments for the coming years.

Hegseth

‘Most Formidable Fighting Force’: 2026 U.S. National Defense Strategy Eyes China, Emerging Threats

U.S. Sets 2026 Military Priorities, Eyes China And Emerging Threats

Defense Spending

Department of War

Pete Hegseth

U.S. Military

U.S. envoys met with Russian President Vladimir Putin for over three hours to discuss a potential deal aimed at ending the nearly four-year war in Ukraine.
Trump confidants Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, along with newly-appointed Board of Peace senior advisor Josh Greunbaum, met with Putin at midnight Thursday as the World Economic Forum in Davos comes to a close.
A video clip shared by the Kremlin on Telegram showed Putin, joined by his foreign policy aide, Yuri Ushakov, and special envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, shaking hands with the envoys prior to the meeting.
The group discussed the 20-point peace plan to end the Russian invasion, which has been held up due to key disagreements on Russian demands for land in Eastern Ukraine, much of which Ukraine has successfully defended at this point in the war.
The outcome of the meeting was unclear in the immediate aftermath of the talks, which were held shortly after President Trump said a deal was &#8220;reasonably close&#8221; and Witkoff <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/putin-meets-us-envoys-late-night-talks-ukraine-2026-01-22/">said</a> a deal hinged on one last issue, according to Reuters.
Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hours earlier at Davos, describing the conversation as &#8220;good&#8221; to reporters aboard Air Force One.
&#8220;We&#8217;re discussing things that have been discussed for six or seven months, and he [Zelensky] came, and he said he wants to make a deal because I wasn&#8217;t necessarily sure. I think he should want to make a deal,” Trump said. “President Putin would like to make a deal. I think that President Zelensky would like to make a deal.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> on his meeting with President Zelensky in Davos: &#8220;We&#8217;re discussing things that have been discussed for six or seven months and he came and he said he wants to make a deal because I wasn&#8217;t necessarily sure. I think he should want to make a deal.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/89LxjlmJTs">pic.twitter.com/89LxjlmJTs</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2014494433190817922?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 23, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Zelensky blasted European leaders during his Davos speech on Thursday for what he called their inaction against Putin.
&#8220;Europe loves to discuss the future, but avoids taking action today,&#8221; Zelensky <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-01-22/putin-starts-kremlin-talks-with-us-envoys-witkoff-and-kushner">said</a>. &#8220;Where is the line of leaders who are ready to act?&#8221;

RUSSIA-UKRAINE-CONFLICT-US-DIPLOMACY

Trump Pushes Ukraine Peace Deal As Kushner, Witkoff Hold Talks With Putin

Davos

Jared Kushner

Steve Witkoff

There has been a clamor among some on the American Right for the United States to pull out of NATO, given Europe’s reflexively adversarial response to Trump’s Greenland saber-rattling. Whether we should remain in an alliance formed in a very different world back in 1949 is a question President Trump first raised during his initial term. The question actually has more merit than one might think at first blush.
One must ask what exactly NATO’s raison d’être was to begin with. It is difficult, eighty years on, to recall just how much of a mess Europe was at the time. Much of the continent had been razed by the most lethal of its many internecine conflicts. Europe was no longer at war, but it was not exactly at peace either. Stalin — a dictator with as much, if not more, innocent blood on his hands than Hitler — had advanced his Red Army all the way through Poland, then-Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria, and half of Germany. That Soviet presence was massive: nearly ten million infantry backed by tens of thousands of tanks and aircraft. By 1945, the Red Army had become a military colossus that had just annihilated the most professional army in the world.
Given this looming threat just over the horizon, by 1949 Western Europe needed to band together to offer a deterrent to Stalin’s hegemony. And given the circumstances, the only military body capable of giving this new North Atlantic Treaty Organization its muscle was, of course, the U.S. Armed Forces. While Western Europe was rebuilt under the auspices of the Marshall Plan, American troops, armor, and aircraft kept the Soviets at bay. This mission was performed successfully all the way to 1991, when the Soviet Union — the very threat NATO was created to contain — abruptly collapsed.
That was 35 years ago. And yet NATO did not ride off into the sunset with its mission accomplished. Instead, it continued to expand, adding 16 new nations — each creeping closer and closer to an increasingly alarmed Russia (a country that suffered roughly 25 million dead repelling the last Western invaders from its soil).
But why the steady eastward expansion? Some NATO supporters argue that Putin’s resurgence and his aggression in Ukraine are answer enough.
But Ukraine and Russia share a convoluted history. Ukraine has long been contested land, where its story and Russia’s overlap in a region that has seen over seven hundred conflicts since the fall of Rome. This is not the first time war has raged from Crimea to the Donbas. Nor will it be the last. There is no reason for a non-Ukrainian to die fighting for that territory.
In fact, the only credible reason to continue our involvement in NATO is if Putin’s Russia poses the same danger as Stalin’s USSR once did. But today’s Russian military is not the Red Army of 1945 in which anywhere from 30 to 35% of its personnel were non-Russians (including 20% Ukrainians). And today Russia is demographically dying. Between 1990 and now—owing to the breakup of the Soviet Union, low birth rates, emigration, and early mortality often linked to alcoholism—Russia’s population has shrunk by roughly three to five million; that is a around a 2 to 4% decline. Over that same period, the U.S. population grew by more than 95 million, or roughly 38%. Even without the United States, the EU today has roughly four times Russia’s population. History shows that in modern war, population is often the best predictor of who prevails in a protracted struggle.
Russia’s economy is both small and oil-dependent. It has been called the world’s largest gas station for a reason. Anywhere from 20 to 30% of its economy depends on crude oil sales, depending on the year and market conditions — making it extremely vulnerable to sanctions or blockades. As it stands, Russia’s entire economy is smaller than that of three American states.
Speaking of economies, since NATO’s establishment, the GDP of EU nations has grown from barely $2.5 trillion to as high as $23 trillion today, an increase of more than 800%. This prompts the obvious question: if these nations have grown so rich, why do they still need us as if they were clearing rubble out of Cologne?
In other words, whether one agrees with leaving NATO or not, Trump’s re-evaluation of an alliance nearing the end of its eighth decade is not grounded in anti-EU whimsy, but in a classic cost-benefit analysis of its service to American interests.
Polls show that while only about 15% of Americans favor leaving NATO, as many as 30% of European residents believe the United States should reduce or end its role in Europe’s defense. This is ironic. If the same Europeans who love to hold up their model social-welfare systems — especially their “free” health care — understood how much of those systems are underwritten by the American taxpayer, they might take a less belligerent view toward one of their primary health care providers.
<div id="attachment_1030021" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1030021" class="size-large wp-image-1030021" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2246537136-864x576.jpg" alt="GEILENKIRCHEN, GERMANY - NOVEMBER 13: NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and North Rhine-Westphalia Premier Hendrik Wuest, dressed with flight jackets, stand in front of an E-3A AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System) airplane while visiting the NATO Geilenkirchen Air Base on November 13, 2025 in Geilenkirchen, Germany. The base is the headquarters of the NATO Airborne Early Warning &amp; Control Force (NAEW&amp;CF). (Photo by Andreas Rentz/Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2246537136-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2246537136-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2246537136-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2246537136.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Andreas Rentz/Getty Images</div>
What do I mean by this?
Take a look at the wealthiest EU nation — and the one with the most violent history with Russia — Germany. Germany currently spends roughly 2% of its €5 trillion GDP on defense, or about €100 billion annually. At the same time, it spends roughly ten to 12% of GDP on health care — around €500 billion per year. Estimates suggest that if American soldiers and airmen withdrew and Germany were left to fend for itself, Berlin would need to raise defense spending to as much as 4% of GDP. That means an additional €90–100 billion every year. That money has to come from somewhere. And since health care is the largest pool of discretionary spending (unless Berlin plans on raiding pensions), that is where it would most likely be found. A full American withdrawal would require cutting Germany’s health care system by at least 20%.
The consequences would be catastrophic. Growth spending would slow, wait times would balloon into rationing, co-pays and supplemental costs would rise, hospital consolidations would reduce access to emergency and specialized care, benefits would shrink, staffing shortages would worsen, and zero-cost access would disappear. Setting aside health outcomes, the social upheaval in a country accustomed to expansive care at minimal personal cost would be acute — and politically devastating for any party responsible.
And Germany is only one nation. If the entire EU had to raise defense spending to 4% to fill the void left by an American departure, it would require roughly €340 billion more per year — again, about 20% of total EU health care spending. Even partial offsets would place ten to 20% pressure on health budgets — unless already sky-high taxes rose further. Suddenly, the EU’s vaunted “free” health care system would be anything but.
Put more bluntly, NATO is not merely a security alliance — it is a massive American taxpayer-funded subsidy for Europe’s welfare state. That is the dirty little secret no one in Brussels wants to discuss. Every time a German walks into a “free” clinic or a Frenchman is wheeled into an operating room, roughly one euro in five is effectively paid by you and me. NATO — at least for its original Western democracies — needs the United States not to defend borders it could fund itself, but to prop up welfare systems already straining under their own weight.
There is a famous story in business lore about accounting wunderkind Harry Sonneborn, who told McDonald’s founder Ray Kroc that the real value of his restaurants was not the thin margins on hamburgers, but the land beneath them. “You’re not in the hamburger business,” he said. “You’re in the real estate business.”
In the same way, American contributions to NATO are not primarily about Europe’s defense. They allow European capital to be freed from defense spending — a burden borne by American taxpayers — and redirected toward social welfare. So when your taxes go to NATO, an alliance originally created to defend Europeans from other Europeans, you are not in the continental defense business. You are in the health care business. Just not for yourself. You are providing it for wealthy Germans, French, Brits, and Scandinavians who understand exactly how fragile their welfare systems are — and how quickly they would collapse if America walked away. After all, it is easy to pay for both guns and butter when someone else largely pays for the guns. It is quite another thing to foot the bill for both.
More the suckers us.
* * *
Brad Schaeffer is a commodities fund manager, author, and columnist whose articles have appeared on the pages of The Wall Street Journal, NY Post, NY Daily News, The Daily Wire, National Review, The Hill, The Federalist, Zerohedge, and other outlets. He is the author of three <a href="https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B07MQJBJSD?ccs_id=55112527-86f6-4c89-b82e-a96d6869abed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">books</a>. You can also follow him on <a href="https://bradschaeffer.substack.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Substack</a> and <a href="https://x.com/bschaeffer123" target="_blank" rel="noopener">X</a>.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Leaders Gather For ‘Coalition Of The Willing’ Meeting In France

NATO’s Dirty Little Secret

Europe

Germany

Greenland

Health Care

NATO

The Kremlin said on Friday that it is closely monitoring President Donald Trump&#8217;s push to acquire Greenland, calling the proposal by the United States &#8220;extraordinary from the standpoint of international law.&#8221;
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2026/01/16/greenland-russia-trump-takeover-threats-annex-denmark.html">said</a> that Trump “has said that international law is not a priority for him,&#8221; adding, &#8220;The situation is developing along a different trajectory, and we, along with the rest of the world, will be watching to see which one,&#8221; CNBC reported. Earlier this week, Russia rejected claims that it has its sights set on Greenland, calling such claims a &#8220;fictitious pretext&#8221; used by NATO to grow its military presence in the Arctic, according to <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russia-says-nato-talk-moscow-beijing-being-threat-greenland-is-myth-create-2026-01-15/">Reuters</a>.
Russia is far from a valid judge on the rules of international law. The country is still engaged in a war that it started by invading Ukraine in February 2022. In recent months, Moscow has fired missiles and drones at civilian targets in Kyiv and surrounding cities, with an <a href="https://ukraine.ohchr.org/en/2025-deadliest-year-for-civilians-in-Ukraine-since-2022-UN-human-rights-monitors-find">estimated</a> 2,514 Ukrainian civilians being killed at the hands of Russia in 2025.
Trump has said multiple times that acquiring Greenland is a priority for U.S. national security, arguing that Russia and China have their own plans for taking over the territory. The president <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-greenland-is-non-negotiable-for-u-s-security?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump%3A+Greenland+Is+Non-Negotiable+For+U.S.+Security">said</a> earlier this week that Greenland is “vital” for his plans to build a “Golden Dome” of defense to protect the United States.
&#8220;NATO should be leading the way for us to get it. IF WE DON’T, RUSSIA OR CHINA WILL, AND THAT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!” Trump said.
In an interview with The New York Times last week, Trump also suggested he prioritizes his &#8220;own morality&#8221; and his &#8220;own mind&#8221; over international law. The president said that the United States would abide by international law, but then added, “It depends [on] what your definition of international law is.”
Many NATO countries — including Denmark, which oversees Greenland&#8217;s defense — have rebuked Trump over his effort to acquire Greenland while ramping up military presence around the territory. Denmark, France, Sweden, and Norway are conducting joint military exercises in Greenland, a move that has seemingly enraged Moscow. Russia accused NATO of &#8220;using high-profile statements from Washington on the Greenland issue solely to promote an anti-Russian and anti-Chinese agenda.&#8221;
&#8220;We consider the alliance&#8217;s policy of escalating confrontation in the Arctic to be counterproductive and extremely dangerous,&#8221; Russia added.
Louisiana Republican Governor Jeff Landry, who&#8217;s also serving as Trump&#8217;s special envoy to Greenland, said that Russia and China have increased production of icebreaker ships in the past year, suggesting that both countries are seeking &#8220;to gain control of the Arctic.&#8221;
&#8220;China and Russia have built more icebreakers in one year than the United States has built in the history of our country. They aren’t just building them for fun,&#8221; Landry <a href="https://x.com/JeffLandry/status/2012200748243665336">told</a> Fox &amp; Friends Friday morning. &#8220;It is vital that America secures Greenland and reinforces the Monroe Doctrine for the future of national security.&#8221;
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen and Greenlandic Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt met with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the White House earlier this week to discuss Trump&#8217;s push to acquire Greenland. Following the meeting, Rasmussen said that both sides agreed to disagree, with Denmark sticking firm to its “red lines.”
“For us, ideas that would not respect the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark and the right of self-determination of the Greenlandic people are, of course, totally unacceptable,&#8221; Rasmussen added.

Russia Scrutinizes Trump’s Push To Acquire Greenland, Rejects Claims That Moscow Wants Territory

Russia Closely Watches Trump's Push To Acquire Greenland, Rejects Claims That Moscow Wants Territory

Foreign Policy

Europe’s weakness is no longer just Europe’s problem; it is the West’s crisis. For decades, the continent has drifted into complacency, retreating from free markets, hollowing out its militaries, and outsourcing its security to Washington. What began as integration hardened into dependency. The result is a Europe that is economically stagnant, strategically vulnerable, and increasingly unsure of its own identity.
President Trump’s recently released National Security Strategy and the National Defense Authorization Act are the first major American documents in a generation that speak to Europe not as a ward, but as an adult. They state, in effect, that the West cannot survive if its largest democratic bloc insists on remaining structurally weak. America will not abandon Europe, but it will no longer indulge Europe’s illusions. The ball is now in Europe’s court.
Trump’s statecraft is often misdescribed as improvisation. In reality, a Trump Doctrine of strategic sovereignty has emerged. Its core is simple: no nation is entitled to protection from the United States unless it actively contributes to collective security; coalitions are built on shared interests and values, not on inertia; and the West is worth preserving. Once the United States and Europe shared these beliefs, and their alliance was strong on this basis.
This abandons the fantasy of a self-enforcing “rules-based order.” Russia’s attack on Georgia or Ukraine, and other similar powers’ attacks on other weaker countries, have repeatedly shown that there is no universally accepted rules-based order. The simple, stubborn fact is that order is made and maintained by sovereign states that possess power, will, and clarity of purpose. Trump’s approach replaces the old habit of open-ended guarantees with a “balance of sovereigns”: the United States will remain the preeminent Western power, but its allies must become genuine pillars, not permanent dependents, to keep the balance of power in the West and keep at bay geopolitical adversaries that understand solely strength.
Trump has already done more to weaken the Russia-China-Iran-North Korea axis than his predecessor. Trump’s pressure on Moscow has been more consequential than Joe Biden’s. By pushing NATO allies to raise defense spending, by imposing secondary measures that hit Russian oil revenues, and by brokering peace in the Caucasus, Trump has constrained Russia’s maneuvering space.
Iran, once emboldened by Western appeasement, is now reeling. Israeli and American strikes have gutted its nuclear and military infrastructure. Combined with the Abraham Accords and the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace agreement, the Middle East has been reshaped in ways that keep Russia out and leave Tehran increasingly isolated. Iran’s proxies are weakened, its economy strangled, and its strategic depth reduced.
The updated Monroe Doctrine has likewise kept China out of the Western Hemisphere. Beijing’s attempts to buy strategic assets and political influence in Latin America have been blocked or rolled back, while Venezuela’s dictator is now under arrest, with his regime destabilized. Trump’s declarations about the Panama Canal and Greenland should be seen as part of this larger doctrine.
Taken together, these moves have fractured the “unholy alliance” of America’s adversaries. Europe should take note: Trump has shown that strength and clarity can weaken adversaries far more effectively than platitudes and half-measures. The United States is doing its part to reshape the global balance. The question is whether Europe will do its part to reshape itself.
Security begins with production. Europe’s retreat from free-market dynamism has hollowed out its competitiveness. While Trump has pursued reindustrialization, deregulation, near-shoring, and energy abundance in the United States, Europe has doubled down on regulatory maximalism and green utopianism — policies that have driven factories, capital, and talent elsewhere.
A continent that once powered the Industrial Revolution now tries to regulate its way into relevance. High taxes, rigid labor markets, and hostility to conventional and nuclear energy have produced dependence on Russian gas, Chinese supply chains, and American defense spending. There is no single European entity in the top 10 biggest companies, startups, or AI firms, because the European instinct has become “regulate before even creating”. 
Real recovery will not come from new Brussels programs, but from unleashing the energy and initiative of millions of individuals and families who are now trapped under layers of taxation, bureaucracy, and paternalism. Europe does not lack talent; it lacks permission to use it.
Trump’s doctrine treats Europe’s stagnation not as an internal matter, but as a strategic liability. Economic weakness means underfunded militaries, brittle societies, and a politics increasingly tempted by accommodation with authoritarian suppliers of energy and credit. A Europe that cannot sustain industry will not sustain deterrence.
If Europe wants to be something other than a museum of past greatness, it must rediscover growth: lower and simpler taxes, domestic energy, and a serious commitment to frontier technologies. Otherwise, the center of gravity of the democratic world will keep shifting from the Atlantic to the Indo-Pacific, not by American design but by European default.
Trump’s strategy does something European elites have avoided for years: it links power to identity. It speaks of restoring the West’s “civilizational self-confidence” and calls on the nations of the free world to defend their histories, cultures, and borders.
This is not nostalgia. It is strategic clarity. A society that doubts its right to exist cannot project power. A civilization that treats its past as a moral burden will not endure the costs of defense, child-rearing, or long-term investment.
For too long, influential European institutions have treated national identity as suspect, the family as optional, borders as administrative details, and free speech as a negotiable privilege. The result is fragmentation: uncontrolled migration, parallel societies, and cultural self-censorship. In such a context, phrases like “strategic autonomy” are empty. Autonomy presupposes cohesion. 
Trump’s message is that the West is not an NGO; it is a civilization. The President does not seek American domination of Europe. He seeks equilibrium. America First does not mean America Alone; it means an America strong enough to lead, partnered with European allies strong enough to matter. For Europe, that means three things: (a) Rearmament as an act of self-respect, not of deference to Washington. A Europe that cannot field serious forces from the Baltic to the Mediterranean is not “pacifist”; it is strategically unserious. (b) Reindustrialization and energy realism. A continent that shuts down reliable power without viable alternatives, and that drives industry offshore, will find its foreign policy constrained by whoever keeps its lights on. (c) Civilizational recovery. Europe must stop apologizing for its existence. Its nations, cultures and Judeo-Christian roots are not obstacles to the future; they are the only basis on which a free future can be built.
Trump has laid out a doctrine that treats Europe not as a client but as a potential equal. The question is whether Europe will seize this moment or shrink from it.  The United States has made its choice: strength, sovereignty, and renewed Western leadership. If Europe fails to rise, the West will fall, not because America abandoned it, but because Europe abandoned itself.
* * *
<div id="message-list_1768331045.381339" class="c-virtual_list__item" tabindex="0" role="listitem" aria-labelledby="primary-D087VVCBCE5-1768331045.381339-sender primary-D087VVCBCE5-1768331045.381339-message_text primary-D087VVCBCE5-1768331045.381339-alt_text primary-D087VVCBCE5-1768331045.381339-date_time primary-D087VVCBCE5-1768331045.381339-reaction_count primary-D087VVCBCE5-1768331045.381339-reply_count primary-D087VVCBCE5-1768331045.381339-link_count primary-D087VVCBCE5-1768331045.381339-attachment_count primary-D087VVCBCE5-1768331045.381339-has_draft_reply primary-D087VVCBCE5-1768331045.381339-pinned_state primary-D087VVCBCE5-1768331045.381339-edited_state primary-D087VVCBCE5-1768331045.381339-later_state primary-D087VVCBCE5-1768331045.381339-broadcast_state primary-D087VVCBCE5-1768331045.381339-broadcast_thread_root_message primary-D087VVCBCE5-1768331045.381339-translated_state" aria-setsize="-1" data-qa="virtual-list-item" data-item-key="1768331045.381339">
<div class="c-message_kit__background c-message_kit__background--hovered p-message_pane_message__message c-message_kit__message" role="presentation" data-qa="message_container" data-qa-unprocessed="false" data-qa-placeholder="false" data-msg-ts="1768331045.381339" data-msg-channel-id="D087VVCBCE5">
<div class="c-message_kit__hover c-message_kit__hover--hovered" role="document" aria-roledescription="message" data-qa-hover="true">
<div class="c-message_kit__actions c-message_kit__actions--default">
<div class="c-message_kit__gutter">
<div class="c-message_kit__gutter__right" role="presentation" data-qa="message_content">
<div class="c-message_kit__blocks c-message_kit__blocks--rich_text">
<div class="c-message__message_blocks c-message__message_blocks--rich_text" data-qa="message-text">
<div class="p-block_kit_renderer" data-qa="block-kit-renderer">
<div class="p-block_kit_renderer__block_wrapper p-block_kit_renderer__block_wrapper--first">
<div class="p-rich_text_block" dir="auto">
<div class="p-rich_text_section">Nikola Kedhi is the Executive Director of the Albanian Conservative Institute and a contributor to various media such as the Daily Wire, Fox News, Newsweek, the Daily Signal, Newsmax, and others. Kedhi is also a co-author of the Constitution of Conservative Values, the official Doctrine of the Democratic Party of Albania. He can be reached on Twitter: @nikedhi95 and on his Substack.</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

European Leaders Join Ukrainian President Zelensky For White House Meeting With Trump

President Trump Is Right, The West Cannot Survive On European Weakness

Energy

European Union

Iran

President Trump

White House

American forces seized another sanctioned oil tanker early Friday morning that had departed Venezuela after dodging a United States blockade, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said.
The Coast Guard boarded the Motor Tanker Olina without incident and took control of the vessel, which was believed to be carrying embargoed oil. 
“The world’s criminals are on notice,” Noem said, sharing a video of the operation on X. “Early this morning, the [Coast Guard] executed a boarding and seizure of the Motor Tanker Olina in international waters east of the Caribbean Sea. As another &#8216;ghost fleet&#8217; tanker ship suspected of carrying embargoed oil, this vessel had departed Venezuela attempting to evade U.S. forces.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
The world’s criminals are on notice.
Early this morning, the <a href="https://twitter.com/USCG?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@USCG</a> executed a boarding and seizure of the Motor Tanker Olina in international waters east of the Caribbean Sea. As another &#8220;ghost fleet&#8221; tanker ship suspected of carrying embargoed oil, this vessel had departed… <a href="https://t.co/vvS3u3nrvl">pic.twitter.com/vvS3u3nrvl</a>
— Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) <a href="https://twitter.com/Sec_Noem/status/2009628070047604976?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 9, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The operation was a joint effort between the State Department, War Department, and the Department of Homeland Security. Earlier this week, the Coast Guard seized two other sanctioned oil tankers. 
“The ghost fleets will not outrun justice. They will not hide under false claims of nationality,” Noem said. “The Coast Guard will seize sanctioned oil tankers, enforce U.S. and international law, and eliminate these funding streams for illicit activity including narco-terrorism.”
The ship, which was <a href="https://www.wsj.com/world/americas/u-s-forces-board-fifth-tanker-in-campaign-to-track-down-venezuelan-oil-08d1721f?gaa_at=eafs&amp;gaa_n=AWEtsqc9vJYA4QxW6SYWxg8Msh1lAsHcsTRBmNvfhfVV50U_yX0supI5zFkaCUeMC6U%3D&amp;gaa_ts=69610fed&amp;gaa_sig=KEHiI01OMwEl4YNSpbE__LdVRJLjzijQon3_7UIb17NyYwm0Bzu96d6yxEVHkKHEiYPkJCdUBge-WcpmvkNQRQ%3D%3D">sanctioned</a> for carrying Russian oil, was previously known as the Minerva M.
U.S. Southern Command also posted footage of the seizure, noting that Marines and sailors from Joint Task Force Southern Spear were involved in the operation. The troops were launched from the USS Gerald R. Ford, Southern Command said. 
“The Department of War’s Operation Southern Spear is unwavering in its mission to defend our homeland by ending illicit activity and restoring security in the Western Hemisphere,” Southcom said. 
&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Once again, our joint interagency forces sent a clear message this morning: “there is no safe haven for criminals.”
In a pre-dawn action, Marines and Sailors from Joint Task Force Southern Spear, in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security, launched from the USS… <a href="https://t.co/1ASoajGVHG">pic.twitter.com/1ASoajGVHG</a>
— U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) <a href="https://twitter.com/Southcom/status/2009626517660107010?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 9, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
On Wednesday, the Coast Guard seized two additional oil tankers, including one flying a Russian flag that had previously bypassed an American blockade. The ship, the Marinera, had been on the run for two weeks and was set to be escorted by a Russian submarine and warships. 
Russia protested the seizure, claiming that “no state has the right to use force against vessels duly registered in other states’ jurisdictions.” 
The second ship, the Bella 1, was seized after it was sanctioned for transporting oil to Iran.

MixCollage-09-Jan-2026-08-45-AM-6187

U.S. Coast Guard Seizes Another ‘Ghost Ship’ Trying To Evade American Blockade

Coast Guard

Department of Homeland Security

Kristi Noem

Venezuela

Minneapolis protests turn violent after a shooting involving an ICE agent turns fatal, the United States seizes two oil tankers attempting to run the Venezuelan blockade, and the Trump administration releases dramatically new dietary guidelines.
It’s Thursday, January 8, 2026, and this is the news you need to know to start your day. Today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below:
<iframe style="width: 100%; max-width: 660px; overflow: hidden; border-radius: 10px;" src="https://embed.podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/minneapolis-ice-shooting-fallout-shadow-fleet-tankers/id1576594336?i=1000744265992" height="175" frameborder="0" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation"></iframe>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">ICE Officer Fatally Shoots Woman Who Drove Car Toward Him</h2>
A 37-year-old woman was shot and killed in Minneapolis on Wednesday morning by an ICE officer. The chaotic scene was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/violent-agitator-who-tried-to-run-over-ice-agents-in-minneapolis-fatally-shot-by-feds-dhs-says">captured</a> on video and replayed across major network news for the rest of the day. The video showed a woman in her vehicle appearing to block the street. ICE agents approached her car and told her to get out of the vehicle. She disregarded the agents, backed up her car, then drove forward toward an ICE agent. One angle appears to show the car making contact with an ICE officer before the fatal shot was fired. Minnesota Democratic Governor Tim Walz urged nationwide demonstrations against ICE and ordered the state’s National Guard to prepare for deployment. The Trump administration defended the ICE agents, with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem saying the woman attempted to “weaponize her vehicle” and was shot in self-defense.
<h2 style="text-align: center;">U.S. Seizes Venezuela-Tied ‘Dark’ Tanker Flying Russian Flag</h2>
The Trump administration continues to exert pressure on Venezuela, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/live-updates-united-states-strikes-venezuela-captures-president-maduro">seizing</a> two oil tankers on Wednesday, one flying under a Russian flag. As part of its effort to evade American sanctions, Venezuela has deployed a so-called “dark” or “shadow fleet” of oil tankers that often sail outside of legal shipping lanes and deploy false flags. The U.S. Coast Guard seized one such vessel on Wednesday after it had evaded capture last year when it sailed from Venezuela to Iran. Mid-journey, the Bella 1, as it is called, began flying a Russian flag and changed its registration to Russia. Russia even intervened diplomatically with the United States, urging the U.S. to end the pursuit. Russia sent several vessels to escort the tanker, but the U.S. military seized it anyway. Attorney General Pam Bondi said the crew of that vessel is “under full investigation and criminal charges will be pursued against all culpable actors.” Moscow claimed the ship had been given lawful permission to fly under a Russian flag and slammed the seizure as “piracy.”
<h2 style="text-align: center;">RFK Jr. Flips The Food Pyramid</h2>
Fulfilling another MAHA promise, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rfk-flips-the-food-pyramid-and-announces-massive-changes-to-dietary-guidelines">flipped</a> the food pyramid and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hhs-scraps-old-alcohol-guidance-says-drinking-can-be-socially-healthy">announced</a> sweeping changes to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA). The food pyramid has been completely flipped to prioritize healthy fats and protein and limit or avoid ultra-processed foods. During a press conference on Wednesday, Kennedy and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said the “war” on “healthy fats” is over and recommended that Americans include nutrient-dense protein in every meal, such as eggs, poultry, seafood, and red meat. At the bottom of the pyramid – now the smallest part of the pyramid – are fiber-rich whole grains, but the DGA emphasizes that refined carbohydrates should be avoided. The guidance also says to “avoid highly processed, packaged, prepared, or ‘ready-to-eat’ foods,” as well as “sugar-sweetened beverages, like soda, fruit drinks, and energy drinks.”

MRN_260108_V2

Morning Brief: ICE Shooting In Minneapolis, U.S. Seizes Oil Tankers & RFK Jr. Flips Food Pyramid

Department of Health and Human Services

Immigration and Customs Enforcement

Minneapolis

Minnesota

Morning Wire

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Tim Walz

United States

A large wave of anti-regime demonstrations broke out last week in Iran. When the Soviet Union collapsed in December 1991, few in the world anticipated the fall. But there were signs of the impending Soviet collapse. Could this be Iran’s Gorbachev moment?
While the exact timing of the fall of the regime in Iran is not clear, The U.S. and its partners need to formulate a plan to secure Iran’s enriched uranium and other nuclear materials, chemical weapons stocks, and other armaments in the case of regime collapse or loss of central control over the weapons and strategic materials.
As instability grew in the USSR, Mikhail Gorbachev <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1991/08/29/world/soviet-turmoil-gorbachev-and-yeltsin-move-to-secure-nuclear-weapons.html">ordered the transfer of short-range nuclear</a> missiles from the Caucasus and Baltic republics to central control in Russia. It is doubtful that Gorbachev envisioned at the time that the USSR was about to collapse, but he took precautions. The leaders of the Islamic Republic are not as prudent and are not likely to prevent loss of control over enriched uranium and other strategic threats.
Forecasting regime longevity and the outcome of anti-regime movements is not easy. At times, regimes can strengthen their power with a massive use of force, such as China’s Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989. Other times, slaughtering protestors accelerates a regime’s demise, such as Romanian President Nicolae Ceaușescu’s suppression of protests in Timisoara in 1989.
One consistent indicator of a regime’s ability to weather a challenge, however, is the loyalty of the security forces. When Russian President Boris Yeltsin in 1991 contested the right of Gorbachev’s kidnappers to rule the USSR, he had already concluded deals with several military commanders to garner their support. He knew they had his back. When Georgian President Edward Shevardnadze relinquished power to protestors in Tbilisi’s parliament building during the country’s 2003 “Rose Revolution,” Interior Force commanders had already quietly told Shevardnadze that they would not fire on the protestors, so best he exit the building.
Multiple defections of security forces and regime insiders in Iran have already taken place. The desertions are clandestine at this point, and in some ways more destructive to the regime than open defections, since their ability to carry out sabotage continues. Israel’s successful massive infiltration of the regime rests upon the defection of large numbers of regime insiders and their willingness to work with foreigners to bring it down.
The regime is using force to attempt to remain in power. Since the 12-day war with Israel, the regime has arrested more than 21,000 political opponents. In 2025, the regime’s execution rate surged to levels not seen since 1989: The regime has executed close to 1500 people. Violence is escalating in the confrontation between the regime and the current wave of protests.
The regime has lost the ability to supply the Iranian people’s most basic needs. The country is in the grip of its worst water shortage in half a century. The water shortage affects most of Iran’s provinces and its largest cities, including Tehran and Mashhad. In parallel, electricity, natural gas, and fuel shortages continue to afflict Iran’s population. The government frequently closes schools due to the inability to provide heat and power.
Like the USSR, Iran is a multi-ethnic country. Persians comprise less than 40 percent of the population, and they primarily inhabit Iran’s center, while ethnic minorities are clear majorities in Iran’s border provinces, and share ties with co-ethnics in neighboring states, including Azerbaijan, Turkey, Pakistan, and Turkmenistan.
The current wave of anti-regime protests is taking place primarily in the Persian-populated center of the country. Iran’s ethnic Azerbaijanis, Arabs, and Baluch have not joined the fight at this stage. Many of the protestors have expressed support for the Pahlavi monarchy to return to rule Iran. The monarchy greatly suppressed the ethnic minorities and banned use of their languages in schools and government institutions. Thus, many among the ethnic minorities do not want to die in order to exchange an Islamic dictatorship with a Persian dictatorship. But if they perceive they can gain rights after the fall of the regime, they may join.
Uprisings in the non-Russian republics were critical to the fall of the USSR. In Iran’s border provinces, prior to the outbreak of the protests, the ethnic minorities conducted regular killings of security forces. In recent weeks, at least <a href="https://www.barrons.com/news/iran-policeman-killed-in-clash-in-restive-southeast-b1e3da3e">ten Iranian</a> policemen and <a href="https://en.irna.ir/news/86021470/Three-members-of-IRGC-Ground-Force-killed-in-southeastern-Iran">3 IRGC members</a> have been killed in separate incidents in <a href="https://www.iranintl.com/en/202509162527">Sistan-Baluchistan Province</a>. In small towns, they know the home addresses of the IRGC, police, and military officials and the places of work and study of their family members. Thus, unlike in big cities, the minorities can hold security services members personally accountable for their actions against protestors and other anti-regime activity.
Chaos can emerge quickly in Iran and without notice, as it did in Iraq during the Second Gulf War and Libya after the fall of Gaddafi. Loss of control of Iranian non-conventional and other weapon stockpiles pose a threat to regional and global security, especially to states that border Iran. These new weapons flow in the Middle East and could wind back recent successes in stabilizing several areas in the Middle East, such as Syria. The U.S. and its allies need a plan.
* * *
Brenda Shaffer is a faculty member of the US Naval Postgraduate School. @ProfBShaffer.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Menu