News Digest

• What the Venezuela Attack Means for China

  2026-01-06

  The crisis in Venezuela may spur deeper Chinese engagement across Latin America. Chinese spending on dining out fell sharply in recent months. The standoff between Tokyo and Beijing continues over Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s repeated remarks that Japan could aid Taiwan.

• NATO Leaders Push Back Against Trump’s Greenland Threats

  2026-01-06

  The leaders of seven NATO members issued a joint statement on Tuesday pushing back against U.S. ambitions to annex Greenland. At least 14 journalists working inside or near the country’s National Assembly in Caracas have been temporarily detained.

• Donald Trump Is Channeling George W. Bush

  2026-01-06

  The U.S. president evidently believes that his daring coup in Caracas can avoid the failings that bedeviled the United States’ Iraqi adventure. Expecting leading regime figures to renounce Chavismo is about as unrealistic as persuading Baath Party dead-enders to reject Saddam after 2003.

• The Real Reason China and Russia Won’t Try a Maduro-Style Raid

  2026-01-06

  Russia and China will not be “emboldened’ to conduct leadership-targeting operations. China does not believe it is ready and Russia already put its hand in the fire and got burned. U.S. forces are so good at what they do that their operations can appear almost magical.

• Trump’s Venezuela Attack May Give China Cover on Taiwan

  2026-01-06

  China is deeply sensitive to regime change narratives. For Beijing, the principle is existential: If great powers can remove governments that they deem illegitimate, then no government is safe. Venezuela may signal U.S. willingness to use force in the event of an escalation over Taiwan.

• U.S. Airpower Can’t Run Venezuela

  2026-01-06

  The raid on Caracas was an unsettling demonstration of the effectiveness of U.S. air and sea power, writes Julian Zelizer. But turning that power into effective control over how foreign countries govern themselves is a much rougher test. Modernizing the oil industry, for example, will require careful negotiations between labor, capital, the Venezuelan army, and other local stakeholders.

• Trump's Greenland comments

  2026-01-06

  A U.S. invasion of Greenland would be a monumental crime of colonialism, writes Julian Zelizer. It would present a national security disaster not seen since the 1930s, he says. Greenland is nearly unanimously opposed to American control.

• Trump Might Have His Hubris Checked in Venezuela

  2026-01-06

  John Avlon: Donald Trump seems convinced he can take what he wants without paying a price. He says the presidency is seductive. It leads even cautious politicians to overreach, and Trump is the opposite of cautious, Avlon says.

• What Americans Really Think About Trump’s Venezuela Gambit

  2026-01-06

  New polling suggests that Americans remain deeply divided over the U.S. attack on Venezuela. Americans are more evenly split in their approval and disapproval of this weekend’s developments, according to new polling published by Reuters/Ipsos. Nearly three-quarters of respondents expressed worries that the United States would get “too involved” in Venezuelan affairs. That sentiment is shared by 90 percent of Democratic and more than half of Republican respondents. The international community appears powerless to address the attack.

• How Trump gets Greenland in 4 easy steps

  2026-01-07

  Brussels insists it will defend national sovereignty — but won’t say how. 24 countries would instead keep Kyiv afloat using joint borrowing. It's another win for Europe’s populists.

• Von der Leyen makes €45B pitch to win Meloni’s support for Mercosur trade deal

  2026-01-06

  The Commission says regularly re-examining pesticides like glyphosate is slow and politicized. Health and environmental groups fear the end of a key safety backstop. We rate the policy responses and reactions on a pen-and-manure scale.

• Europe gets warm words from US on Ukraine — but reliability fears loom

  2026-01-06

  Statement would be one of the strongest signs yet of U.S. commitment to Kyiv’s security. Both Edouard Philippe and Bruno Retailleau have emerged from the chaotic process with their reputations bruised.

• US intervention in Venezuela arouses both hope and angst in Kyiv

  2026-01-06

  The removal of Malyuk would “seriously weaken Ukraine’s ability to protect itself,” an EU official said. The EU's foreign policy chief said Russia's claims were designed to undermine peace efforts.

• Netherlands dials back on US Caribbean drug missions amid Venezuela tensions

  2026-01-06

  Investigators accused officers of obstructing searches tied to a corruption probe involving sitting lawmakers. Unions want Labour to consider an EU customs union, but Prime Minister Keir Starmer says closer EU ties will not cross existing red lines. Dutch defense forces traditionally worked closely with the U.S. but are balking after U.N. attacks on suspected smuggling boats.

• German state’s ruling coalition collapses over infighting within populist left party

  2026-01-06

  The arson attack has brought the southern part of the German capital to a standstill. The center-left state premier will remain in office as the leader of a minority government. Brussels needs Rome’s support by Friday to secure a majority for the EU's landmark trade agreement with South America.

• UK readies bill to move closer to EU

  2026-01-06

  A bill establishing a legal framework for U.K.-EU alignment is due to be introduced to parliament this spring or summer. London Mayor Sadiq Khan on Zohran Mamdani’s election to lead New York City.

• Whatever’s next for a post-Maduro Venezuela, it can’t be a repeat of previous failures

  2026-01-07

  A European force in postwar Ukraine is an important mission for Zelenskyy and his people. It would also provide significant collateral benefits for European defense. Unlike previous missions, the U.S. must approach Venezuela with a lighter hand, a shorter timeline and a healthy dose of humility.

• Europe’s top leaders rally to defend Greenland against Trump’s threats

  2026-01-06

  Statement would be one of the strongest signs yet of U.S. commitment to Kyiv’s security. Belgium would not be on the hook to pay damages to Moscow as it would be near impossible for Russia to find a jurisdiction that would hear and enforce the case.

• In Valencia, fleeing Trump

  2026-01-07

  The stories of disillusioned and fearful U.S. families seeking refuge from MAGA in Spain. Text and photos by MICHAEL ROBINSON CHÁVEZin Valencia, Spain.

• Europe and the US to pledge ‘legally binding’ security guarantees for Ukraine

  2026-01-06

  Once seen as top-tier candidates, both Edouard Philippe and Bruno Retailleau have emerged from the chaotic process with their reputations bruised. Statement would be one of the strongest signs yet of U.S. commitment to Kyiv's security.

• UK’s David Lammy to meet JD Vance as Ukraine talks inch forward

  2026-01-06

  The U.K. deputy prime minister and U.S. vice president meet at a particularly sensitive time. The British PM is already battling a perception he is overly cautious. A multi-billion pound price tag attached to proposal for a ‘full decant’ of MPs and peers.

• Trump’s Maduro raid was ‘right thing to do,’ says UK Tory chief

  2026-01-06

  Keir Starmer once pledged to abolish the House of Lords. Now he can’t help but fill it with allies. Kemi Badenoch said she understands what it is like living ‘under a military dictatorship’

• Investing in cloud infrastructure would unlock more than €1 trillion growth in the EU

  2026-01-05

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• US action in Venezuela and force-based order – a danger for Lithuania?

  2026-01-06

  Washington is declaring its return to a 19th-century doctrine of ‘spheres of influence’ The move could embolden countries such as China and Russia to act more aggressively in their own neighbourhoods. Concerns about such a world order began to surface among European politicians after Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014. Venezuela's president, Nicolás Maduro, was detained by the U.S. in a law enforcement operation supported by the military. International law experts have criticised the Trump administration’s attempt to present the operation as a purely law enforcement action.

• Lithuanian border guards seize first balloon-smuggled cigarette shipment of the year

  2026-01-06

  The seizure took place shortly after midnight near the border in the Varėna district, south east of the country. The cargo contained 3,000 packs of Minsk Capital QS cigarettes bearing Belarusian excise stamps. The State Border Guard Service has launched a pretrial investigation.

• Irregular migration via Latvia to Lithuania more than doubled in 2025, border guards say

  2026-01-06

  Lithuanian border guards detained 1,288 migrants in 2025 who had entered Latvia from Belarus and later attempted to reach Western Europe. That compares with 540 detentions in 2024. Of the migrants travelling via Latvia, 825, or 64%, were detained by Lithuanian officers.

• Vilnius-based Russian oppositionist Volkov draws ire over criticism of Ukraine’s leaders

  2026-01-06

  Leonid Volkov is an associate of the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. He drew criticism from Lithuanian politicians after Anna Tiron published a screenshot of her conversation with him. The screenshot appeared to show Volkov welcoming the reported killing of Denis Kapustin.

• Lithuania’s presidential adviser: international law is ‘complicated’ in Venezuela’s case

  2026-01-06

  Presidential adviser on foreign policy Asta Skaisgirytė said questions surrounding international law in Venezuela are complex. She said the priority now should be a peaceful transfer of power and the organisation of new presidential elections in Venezuela. She urged to respect the law in the case of Greenland.

• Western Lithuanian district declares emergency over heavy snowfall

  2026-01-06

  Plungė District Mayor Audrius Klišonis said the decision will allow the municipality to access additional funding to deal with challenges brought on by severe winter weather. Forecasters said weather conditions are expected to remain similar in the near term.

• ‘Language is not a rule of integration – it is a key’: lessons from other countries

  2026-01-06

  Lithuania lacks experience in immigration and its integration system is still being developed. Most temporary work permits are now issued to citizens of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan. In 2024, one third of recorded hate speech cases were related to nationality.

No Economist articles in this digest.

• Day of Infamy

  2026-01-06

  Five years ago Donald Trump tried to overthrow an election he lost. He failed, and I assumed that the threat was over. But there he is. And he’s every bit as bad as his opponents and critics warned he would be.