Washington reportedly mulls expanding Trump’s Board of Peace beyond Gaza to Ukraine and Venezuela;
Archiv: United States of America (USA)
Trump wants nations to pay $1bn to join Gaza ‚Board of Peace‘: report
A draft charter for the group, seen by Bloomberg, establishes Trump as its inaugural chairman, who would have a veto over membership.
The document stipulates that states‘ membership will be limited to three years, unless they “contribute more than USD $1,000,000,000 in cash funds to the Board of Peace within the first year of the Charter’s entry into force“, guaranteeing them permanent membership.
The charter opens by stressing the need for „a more nimble and effective international peace-building body“, adding that lasting peace requires „the courage to depart from … institutions that have too often failed“.
The language has prompted concerns that Trump is seeking to build a rival to the United Nations.
A stunned Europe finally wakes up to Trump’s Greenland threat
It’s not often that Europe speaks with one voice – or responds with such urgency.
But US President Donald Trump’s announcement Saturday of sanctions against several European countries that reject any US claim to Greenland, a Danish territory, was one of those moments.
An emergency meeting of EU ambassadors will take place in Brussels on Sunday in response to Trump’s threat, which he made after an estimate quarter of the population of Greenland’s capital Nuuk joined protests against any potential annexation.
CIA director John Ratcliffe meets with Venezuela‘s interim president Delcy Rodríguez in Caracas
CIA director John Ratcliffe met with Venezuela‘s interim President Delcy Rodríguez for two hours Thursday in Venezuela‘s capital, Caracas, to „deliver the message that the United States looks forward to an improved working relationship,“ a U.S. official told CBS News Friday.
The official described the trip as historic, noting that Ratcliffe was the first Cabinet-level official to visit Venezuela since the U.S. military operation to remove the country‘s autocratic leader Nicolás Maduro nearly two weeks ago.
EU and South America’s Mercosur bloc sign landmark free trade agreement
The European Union and the Mercosur bloc of South American countries formally signed a long-sought landmark free trade agreement on Saturday, capping more than a quarter-century of torturous negotiations to strengthen commercial ties in the face of rising protectionism and trade tensions around the world.
The signing ceremony in Paraguay’s humid capital of Asunción marks a major geopolitical victory for the EU in an age of American tariffs and surging Chinese exports, expanding the bloc’s foothold in a resource-rich region increasingly contested by Washington and Beijing.
Trump says 8 European countries will face 10% tariff for opposing US control of Greenland
Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Finland would face the tariff, Trump said in a social media post while at his golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida. The rate would climb to 25% on June 1 if no deal was in place for “the Complete and Total purchase of Greenland” by the United States, he said.
US congressional delegation visits Denmark amid backlash over Trump‘s push to acquire Greenland
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., Murkowski, Tillis, Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., Rep. Sarah McBride, D-Del., Rep. Madeleine Dean, D-Pa., and Rep. Sara Jacobs, D-Calif., were among those who traveled to Europe for meetings with Danish and Greenlandic officials. Some members of the delegation are expected to go to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, next week.
Europe must now tell Trump that enough is enough – and cut all ties with the US
So what can Europe do, as this mad historic fantasy comes closer to reality? How do you maintain a space of democracy and the rule of law in a world that is rapidly reverting to imperialism, oligarchy and the rule of power alone? Only by building a protective moat of federalism around it.
If the US actually attacks Denmark by invading Greenland, and declares war on the EU, a treaty-bound defensive alliance, the hand of history will be forced. Europe would need to both expand and restructure to become a defence and intelligence union that absorbs Nato’s non-EU members.
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And if the US doesn’t attack Denmark, Europe’s best chance of surviving as a free and open continent in an imperial world is still to force the rupture with the US, force the consequences, and force the federalism anyway.
France says US action against Greenland could endanger EU trade, FT reports
(January 16, 2026)
France‘s Finance Minister Roland Lescure has warned U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent that any move to seize Greenland would amount to a „crossed line“ endangering Europe‘s economic relationship with Washington, the Financial Times reported on Friday.
„Greenland is a sovereign part of a sovereign country that is part of the EU. That shouldn’t be messed around [with],“, Lescure told FT.
EU Parliament eyes freezing US trade deal over Trump’s Greenland threats
(January 9, 2026)
“I cannot imagine that in the current situation MEPs would vote for any trade measures benefiting the U.S.,” the Greens’ top trade lawmaker and chair of the Internal Market Committee Anna Cavazzini told POLITICO.
“We should have such a discussion, it’s inevitable,” added Brando Benifei, the Socialist lawmaker who chairs Parliament’s delegation for relations with the U.S.
Under the deal, most EU exports are subject to a 15 percent U.S. tariff. To complete its side of the bargain, the EU also needs to pass legislation to abolish all tariffs on U.S. industrial goods, including the 10 percent it currently slaps on U.S. cars, and ease market access for some farm produce and seafood.
Judge Restricts Immigration Agents’ Actions Toward Minnesota Protesters
Judge Kate M. Menendez ordered agents not to retaliate against people “engaging in peaceful and unobstructive protest activity,” and not to use pepper spray or other “crowd dispersal tools” in retaliation for protected speech. The judge also said agents could not stop or detain protesters in vehicles who were not “forcibly obstructing or interfering with” agents.
The ruling, which granted a preliminary injunction, stems from a lawsuit brought by activists who said agents had violated their rights. The suit was filed before an immigration agent shot and killed Renee Good in Minneapolis on Jan. 7.
Governor Walz Statement on Reports of Alleged Department of Justice Investigation
January 17, 2026
[ST. PAUL, MN] – Governor Tim Walz today released the following statement after reports of an alleged investigation by the Department of Justice.
“Two days ago it was Elissa Slotkin. Last week it was Jerome Powell. Before that, Mark Kelly. Weaponizing the justice system and threatening political opponents is a dangerous, authoritarian tactic.
“The only person not being investigated for the shooting of Renee Good is the federal agent who shot her.”
The office of the Governor has not received any notice of the investigation.
The Governor has repeatedly, unequivocally, called for peace and a lowering of the temperature. He has made that appeal directly to the President.
Federal forces have stormed the state, shooting two people and killing Renee Good. The Department of Justice drove six federal prosecutors – including the longtime career prosecutor leading the charge to investigate and eliminate fraud in our state’s programs – to quit their jobs rather than go along with this assault on the United States Constitution. Leaders of the Republican Party have called for impeachment, for the Governor to be put in cuffs, for a day of retribution.
We trust Minnesotans to see past this projection.
Justice Department opens investigation into Minnesota governor and Minneapolis mayor
Walz, in a post on X, did not explicitly address the news reports, but said: „Two days ago it was Elissa Slotkin. Last week it was Jerome Powell. Before that, Mark Kelly. Weaponizing the justice system against your opponents is an authoritarian tactic. The only person not being investigated for the shooting of Renee Good is the federal agent who shot her.“
The killing of Renee Macklin Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer last week became a flashpoint for the simmering opposition to federal agents operating within the state.
Minnesota, Twin Cities sue Trump administration to halt federal immigration surge
January 12, 2026)
Minnesota and the Twin Cities are suing the Trump administration to stop its latest immigration enforcement surge, alleging that the increased federal actions are unconstitutional and a violation of federal law.
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Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court left in place a ruling by a federal judge in Chicago that bars the Trump administration from deploying National Guard troops in Illinois.
Trump threatens to use military over Minnesota anti-ICE protests
U.S. President Donald Trump threatened on Thursday to invoke the Insurrection Act to deploy military forces in Minnesota after days of angry protests over a surge in immigration agents on the streets of Minneapolis.
Trump threatens to use the Insurrection Act to end protests in Minneapolis
Trump has repeatedly threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act, a rarely used federal law, to deploy the U.S. military or federalize the National Guard for domestic law enforcement, over the objections of state governors.
Gov. Tim Walz addresses ICE presence in Minnesota | full video
Streamed live 17 hours ago
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz delivered remarks Wednesday night as immigration operations continued in the state. Streamed live 17 hours ago
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz delivered remarks Wednesday night as immigration operations continued in the state. Earlier in the day, a judge declined to issue a temporary restraining order against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in Minnesota, seeking further evidence before issuing a ruling.
Earlier in the day, a judge declined to issue a temporary restraining order against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in Minnesota, seeking further evidence before issuing a ruling.
Governor Walz Remarks on the Federal Government’s Ongoing Presence in Minnesota
“My fellow Minnesotans:
“What’s happening in Minnesota right now defies belief.
“News reports simply don’t do justice to the level of chaos and disruption and trauma the federal government is raining down upon our communities.
“Two to three thousand armed agents of the federal government have been deployed to Minnesota.
“Armed, masked, undertrained ICE agents are going door to door, ordering people to point out where their neighbors of color live.
“They’re pulling over people indiscriminately, including U.S. citizens, and demanding to see their papers.
“And at grocery stores, at bus stops, even at schools, they’re breaking windows, dragging pregnant women down the street, just plain grabbing Minnesotans and shoving them into unmarked vans, kidnapping innocent people with no warning and no due process.
“Let’s be very, very clear: This long ago stopped being a matter of immigration enforcement.
“Instead, it is a campaign of organized brutality against the people of Minnesota by our own federal government.
“Last week, that campaign claimed the life of Renee Nicole Good.
“We’ve all watched the video.
“We all have seen what happened.
“And yet, instead of conducting an impartial investigation so we can hold accountable the officer responsible for Renee’s death, the Trump administration is devoting the full power of the federal government to finding an excuse to attack the victim and her family.
“Just yesterday, six federal prosecutors – including the longtime career prosecutor leading the charge to investigate and eliminate fraud in our state’s programs – quit their jobs rather than go along with this assault on the United States Constitution.
“But as bad as it’s been, Donald Trump intends for it to get worse.
“This week, he went online to promise that, quote, “the day of retribution and reckoning is coming.”
“That is a direct threat against the people of this state, who dared to vote against him three times, and who continue to stand up for freedom with courage and empathy and profound grace.
“All across Minnesota, people are stepping up to help neighbors who are being unjustly, and unlawfully, targeted.
“They’re distributing care packages and walking kids to school and raising their voices in peaceful protest even though doing so has made many of our fellow Minnesotans targets for violent retribution.
“Folks, I know this is scary.
“And I know it’s absurd that we all have to be defending law and order, justice, and humanity while also caring for our families and doing our jobs.
“So, tonight, let me say, once again, to Donald Trump and Kristi Noem: End this occupation.
“You’ve done enough.
“Let me say four critical things to the people of Minnesota – four things I need you to hear as you watch the news and look out for your neighbors.
“First: Donald Trump wants chaos.
“He wants confusion.
“And, yes, he wants more violence on our streets.
“We cannot give him what he wants.
“We can – we must – protest: loudly, urgently, but also peacefully.
“Indeed, as hard as we will fight in the courts and at the ballot box, we cannot, and will not, let violence prevail.
“You’re angry.
“I’m angry.
“Angry might not be strong enough of a word.
“But we must remain peaceful.
“Second: You are not powerless.
“You are not helpless.
“And you are not alone.
“All across Minnesota, people are learning about opportunities not just to resist, but to help people who are in danger.
“Thousands upon thousands of Minnesotans are going to be relying on mutual aid in the days and weeks to come, and they need our support.
“Tonight, I want to share another way you can help: Witness.
“Help us establish a record of exactly what’s happening in our communities.
“You have an absolute right to peacefully film ICE agents as they conduct their activities.
“So carry your phone with you at all times.
“And if you see ICE in your neighborhood, take out that phone and hit record.
“Help us create a database of the atrocities against Minnesotans – not just to establish a record for posterity, but to bank evidence for future prosecution.
“That’s the third thing I want to tell you tonight: We will not have to live like this forever.
“Accountability is coming, at the voting booth and in court.
“We will reclaim our communities from Donald Trump.
“We will re-establish a sense of safety for our neighbors.
“We will bring an end to this moment of chaos and confusion.
“We will find a way to move forward – together.
“And we will not be alone.
“Every day, we are working with business leaders, faith leaders, legal experts, and elected officials from all across the country.
“They have seen what Donald Trump is trying to do to our state.
“They know their states could be next.
“And that brings me to the fourth thing I want to tell you tonight. Minnesota, I’m so proud of the way we’ve risen to meet this unbearable moment.
“But I’m not surprised.
“Because this – this is who we are.
“Minnesotans believe in the rule of law.
“And Minnesotans believe in the dignity of all people.
“We’re a place where there’s room for everybody, no matter who you are or who you love or where you came from.
“A place where we feed our kids, take care of our neighbors, and look out for those in the shadows of life.
“We’re an island of decency in a country being driven towards cruelty.
“We will remain an island of decency, of justice, of community, of peace.
“And, tonight, I come before you simply to ask: Do not let anyone take that away from us.
“Thank you.
“Protect each other
“And God bless the people of Minnesota.”
Minnesota Gov. Walz tells Trump, Noem to „end this occupation“ in rare primetime address
„What‘s happening in Minnesota right now defies belief,“ Walz said. „News reports simply don‘t do justice to the level of chaos and disruption and trauma the federal government is raining down upon our communities.“
On Tuesday, Homeland Security officials told CBS News there are now 800 U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents in the Minneapolis area. That‘s in addition to 2,000 other ICE and federal agents already in the state in what officials call the „largest DHS operation in history.“
„Federal Invasion“: Minnesota Officials Condemn Violent ICE Raids, Arrests
(January 14, 2025)
Trump‘s immigration enforcement surge continues to rock Minnesota, just a week after the ICE shooting of Renee Good, a mother of three and U.S. citizen in Minneapolis. The Minnesota Star Tribune reports that the number of federal agents now in Minneapolis and Saint Paul outstrips the 10 largest Twin Cities metro police departments combined. „We don‘t want ICE in our neighborhoods. They are violent, they are creating chaos and terrorizing our immigrant neighbors, and they are not keeping anyone safe,“ says vice president of the Saint Paul City Council, Hwa Jeong Kim, who comments on the city‘s new lawsuit against the Trump administration, the loss of temporary protected status for thousands of Somali immigrants in the United States, plans for a general strike in Minneapolis and more.
Another shooting involving federal agent in Minneapolis sparks new protests
At least 200 protesters gathered Wednesday night near the scene of the most recent incident, according to The New York Times’ estimates.
Video footage shows protesters taunting and throwing rocks and other objects at law enforcement, as gas clouds filled the streets. Officers wearing gas masks and helmets fired tear gas and grenades in protesters’ direction, The Associated Press reported.
Federal Agent Shoots Man in Minneapolis, Prompting Tense Protests
Tricia McLaughlin, a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security, said in a statement that federal agents were trying to arrest a man from Venezuela who was in the country illegally in a “targeted traffic stop” at around 6:50 p.m. She said that he fled from agents.
When the officer caught up to him, Ms. McLaughlin said he “began to resist and violently assault the officer.” She said two people came out of a nearby building and, along with the man being sought, attacked the officer with a snow shovel and a broom handle.
To survive Trump, Starmer must think the unthinkable
Britain can no longer avoid the costs of appeasing America’s predatory president
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The word “crisis” is rooted in the Greek New Testament, referring to a decision, or judgement, in an unstable moment that forces a new clarity into being. While Trump’s exact motives for his aggression in our hemisphere remain opaque, our own predicament is now clearer. It is this: such is the new emerging order around us that we can no longer muddle through, finessing Trump’s instincts, hoping for the best so governments can focus on domestic political problems. Britain must choose.
Greenland takes pleas to UK parliament
(January 13, 2026)
Greenland’s energy minister asked British lawmakers for help in the face of “bewildering” U.S. aggression.
LONDON — The U.K. government must “dare to have principles” and help Greenland repel threats from Donald Trump, a senior minister in Greenland’s government told lawmakers in London.
Senator Coons to lead bipartisan, bicameral congressional delegation to Copenhagen
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) will lead a bipartisan, bicameral congressional delegation to Copenhagen, Denmark this week to highlight more than 200 years of friendship between the United States and the Kingdom of Denmark, including enduring national security ties and decades of economic cooperation. The delegation will be in Copenhagen Friday, January 16, and Saturday, January 17.
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Senator Coons will be joined on the trip by U.S. Senators Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), and U.S. Representatives Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), Madeleine Dean (D-Penn.), Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.), and Sarah McBride (D-Del.). Additional members are expected to join the delegation as well.
Rep. Jimmy Gomez Introduces Bill to Block Any U.S. Effort to Invade, Annex or Purchase Greenland
(January 13, 2026)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Jimmy Gomez (CA-34) introduced the Greenland Sovereignty Protection Act, legislation that would prohibit federal funds from facilitating the invasion, annexation, or any other form of acquisition of Greenland by the United States.
The bill comes amid President Donald Trump suggesting the United States could seek to assert control over Greenland, a self-governing territory of Denmark and a home to more than 50,000 people.
Murkowski Introduce Legislation to Prevent Trump Administration from Threatening NATO Unity
(January 13, 2026)
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) introduced the NATO Unity Protection Act, bipartisan legislation to prohibit the use of U.S. Department of Defense or Department of State funds to blockade, occupy, annex or otherwise assert control over the sovereign territory of a NATO member state without that ally’s consent or authorization from the North Atlantic Council, and to reaffirm the United States’ commitment to NATO unity and collective security.
Bipartisan group of lawmakers introduces bill to prevent military action against NATO members
(January 12, 2026)
In a letter to colleagues obtained by POLITICO, Keating told lawmakers “this legislation takes a clear stand against such action and further supports NATO allies and partners.”
Although the legislation doesn’t name any specific countries, it’s a clear reference to Trump’s threats against Greenland. The omission was deliberate, said Keating, who wanted to broaden the legislation’s focus. He said he met with the Danish Ambassador and the head of Greenland representation as the legislation came together.
“This isn’t just about Greenland. This is about our security,” Keating said.