News of the World

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The Greenland Controversy Special Edition

GREENLAND

White House says Greenland could be taken ‘utilizing the U.S. Military’

WASHINGTON — The White House said Tuesday that the US military could seize Greenland — after President Trump again expressed interest in acquiring the Danish-ruled island.

“The President and his team are discussing a range of options to pursue this important foreign policy goal, and of course, utilizing the U.S. Military is always an option at the Commander in Chief’s disposal,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement first reported by Reuters.

“President Trump has made it well known that acquiring Greenland is a national security priority of the United States, and it’s vital to deter our adversaries in the Arctic region,” Leavitt said.

Trump’s long-held desire to annex the world’s largest island resurfaced shortly after the American raid Saturday that captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

Former Trump administration official Katie Miller, the wife of deputy White House chief of staff Stephen Miller, tweeted a map of Greenland covered with the US flag hours after the military operation — drawing outrage from Copenhagen and the semi-autonomous island’s leaders.

Responding to reporter questions, Trump said Sunday: “We’ll worry about Greenland in about two months. Let’s talk about Greenland in 20 days.”

“Right now, Greenland is covered with Russian and Chinese ships all over the place,” Trump said in the press cabin of Air Force One.

“We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security. And Denmark is not gonna be able to do it, I can tell you. You know what Denmark did recently to boost up security in Greenland? They added one more dog sled.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio told members of Congress that an invasion of Greenland, home to about 57,000 people, is not imminent and that the goal is to buy the island, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Denmark in 1917 sold the Danish West Indies — now the US Virgin Islands — to Washington in exchange for $25 million in gold.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Monday that a US military takeover would end the NATO alliance.

“If the United States chooses to attack another NATO country militarily, then everything stops,” she said. “That is, including our NATO and thus the security that has been provided since the end of the Second World War.”

Greenlandic premier Jens Frederik Nielsen, meanwhile, called Miller’s tweet “disrespectful” and declared “our country is not for sale.”

In a joint statement, European leaders stressed that “Greenland belongs to its people,” and maintained the importance of Arctic security.

Marco Rubio making moves on Greenland as Trump ‘extremely serious’ about buying island valued at $3.3 billion: sources

WASHINGTON — Secretary of State Marco Rubio is jumpstarting President Trump’s long-sought bid to acquire Greenland after the daring capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro has given the administration just the right “machismo” to purchase the strategically located island.

Rubio told reporters Wednesday that he was scheduled to meet with officials from Denmark, which colonized Greenland in the 1700s and still exerts control over its affairs, as soon as next week — but declined to confirm reports that Trump hopes to buy the island.

The White House and Cabinet officials have supported the move to obtain the world’s largest island — and sources familiar with the administration’s discussions expressed that Trump is “extremely serious” about purchasing it being the best way.

“The United States is eager to build lasting commercial relationships that benefit Americans and the people of Greenland,” a State Department spokesperson said. “Our common adversaries have been increasingly active in the Arctic. That is a concern that the United States, the Kingdom of Denmark, and NATO Allies share.”

Details of the US-Denmark summit were not immediately forthcoming, but the price tag for Greenland could come out to at least $3.3 billion, per the World Bank, less than 1% of the federal government’s total projected $7 trillion in spending this fiscal year.

However, that price tag doesn’t include the market price of its untapped mineral reserves.

A Cold War-era pact granted that positioning to American troops, with the military’s Pituffik Space Base already located far to the northwestern side of Greenland, leading some critics to question the prudence of nabbing the Danish-controlled island — whether through diplomacy or military force.

The Greenland agreement, signed in April 1951, allows the US to “construct, install, maintain, and operate” more military bases on the island as well as “house personnel” and “control landings, takeoffs, anchorages, moorings, movements, and operation of ships, aircraft, and waterborne craft,” The New York Times first reported.

“The president keeps his options open, but diplomacy is always the first,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a press briefing.

US will acquire Greenland ‘whether they like it or not,’ Trump says, to block China or Russia from doing so

WASHINGTON — President Trump said Friday that the US will acquire Greenland “whether they like it or not” because “if we don’t do it, China or Russia will.”

Trump vowed Denmark would transfer Greenland “the easy way” or “the hard way.”

“Ownership” is necessary, Trump insisted at the White House, because “you don’t defend leases the same way — you have to own it.”

The remarks were Trump’s most forceful to date on taking the world’s largest island and come just three days after White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said military action was “always an option.”

The setting of the comments, notably, was a forum with oil executives to discuss divvying up Venezuela’s oil resources following the Saturday US raid that captured that country’s president Nicolas Maduro.

On Greenland, Trump ruled out compromises such as Copenhagen allowing for an enhanced US military presence or a free-association compact with an independent local government.

“When we own it, we defend it. You don’t defend leases the same way. You have to own it,” Trump said.

“Countries can’t make nine-year deals, or even 100-year deals. Countries have to have ownership. And you defend ownership, you don’t defend leases, and we’ll have to defend Greenland. If we don’t do it, China or Russia will — not going to happen.”

Greenland, home to about 57,000 people, would be the largest US territorial acquisition in history — exceeding the land area of the 1803 Louisiana Purchase from France and the 1867 Alaska Purchase from Russia.

Although the billionaire developer-turned-president is said to pine for a record-breaking real estate deal to plant Old Glory in the Land of Ice and Snow, he insisted Friday he’s not currently considering a price.

“I’m not talking about money for Greenland yet. I might talk about that, but right now, we are going to do something on Greenland, whether they like it or not, because if we don’t do it, Russia or China will take over Greenland, and we’re not going to have Russia or China as a neighbor,” Trump said.

Greenland is vast, frozen and largely uninhabitable — here’s why President Trump wants it

From May until late July, Greenland experiences 24 hours of daylight. In spite of that, there is so much about the world’s largest island that remains a mystery.

And despite the fact that 80 percent of Greenland is under a 1.6-mile-deep icecap, the place is currently hot. Since his return to office in 2025, President Trump has made it very clear he wants the vast frozen land to become part of the US.

So eager is Trump to take it over that, according to the White House this week, “utilizing the US military [is] an option.”

But given that almost the entirety of the frozen island is uninhabitable, why?

“Greenland is key for technology, security and space exploration,” Tom Dans, who leads the United States Arctic Research Commission, told The Post.

“Trump has a long-term perspective on this region.”

The only problem is that the island — which has a population of just 60,000, a quarter of whom live in the capital city, Nuuk — is already taken.

Although geographically part of North America, Greenland is a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, a member of the European Union and a US ally.

Both Denmark and EU members have been firm in saying the land is not for sale, and they wouldn’t react too well to a military invasion — although what they would potentially do about it remains a question mark.

The US already has one military base in Greenland, but Trump wants it all. Although he initially floated military action, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has downplayed that, saying the US would prefer to work through diplomacy with Denmark and Greenland and buy out the land. 

As Trump himself put it aboard Air Force One, “Right now, Greenland is covered with Russian and Chinese ships all over the place. We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security.”

Justina Budginaite-Froehly, a nonresident senior fellow of the Atlantic Council, explained that the island’s location is “strategic,” particularly for monitoring adversaries such as China and Russia.

“If you are controlling the territory, you can, with new technology, build sensors there; Greenland is a huge platform for observing,” said Budginaite-Froehly.

“You can build infrastructure to establish situational awareness of that area and project further power.

Budginaite-Froehly also noted the “Greenland, Iceland and UK gap,” two vast expanses of sea between the three countries, through which Russia can launch, via its northernmost ports, nuclear submarines into the waters off Europe or the US.

Danish troops ordered to shoot first, ask questions later if Greenland is invaded

Danish troops must open fire — even without direct orders — if invaders try to capture Greenland by force, Denmark’s Defense Ministry said as the US weighs military action to annex the land.

The ministry confirmed Wednesday that soldiers are required to uphold a Cold War-era rule to  “immediately take up the fight” against any foreign force threatening Danish territory, local Berlingske reported.

The 1952 directive explicitly states that troops must fight without waiting for commands, even if their leaders are unaware of a formal declaration of war, Denmark’s Defense Command and Ministry told the outlet.

The order was initially created as a result of the Nazi attack on Denmark in 1940, when the country’s communication system partially collapsed and military units were left unsure of how to respond to the invading army.

The order has since remained standing in Denmark, which oversees Greenland and has rejected President Trump’s proposals for the US to purchase or seize the island.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen slammed the Trump administration’s latest attempts to claim the island as a US territory, saying an attack on the autonomous territory would mark an end to the NATO defense alliance.

“If the United States chooses to attack another NATO country militarily, then everything stops,” Frederiksen said on Monday.

The Joint Arctic Command, Denmark’s military authority in Greenland, is the agency that would ultimately assess what constitutes an attack on the island.

The warning comes after the White House said Tuesday that the US could use military action to seize Greenland.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has since been tasked with meeting with Danish officials to reportedly jumpstart efforts to purchase the island nation.

Italian PM Giorgia Meloni doubts Trump will use military force in Greenland, urges strong NATO Arctic presence

ROME — Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said she did not believe the United States would use military force to seize Greenland, warning on Friday that such a move would have grave consequences for NATO.

At her traditional New Year’s press conference, Meloni said a reinforced NATO presence in the Arctic would help address U.S. concerns about rival powers gaining influence in the region, reducing pressure for unilateral action by Washington.

“I continue not to believe in the hypothesis that the United States would launch a military action to take control of Greenland, an option I would clearly not support,” said Meloni, one of U.S. President Donald Trump’s closest allies in Europe.

Her comments come amid rising tensions over U.S. policy in the Arctic and Europe’s role in shaping security policy, after last weekend’s U.S. swoop on Venezuela rekindled concerns about Trump’s intentions towards Greenland.

Threat to NATO

While most EU leaders criticised the United States for grabbing President Nicolas Maduro in a daring military raid, Meloni said she had supported the operation.

“I agreed with Trump on Venezuela. I do not agree with him on Greenland,” she said, adding that it would not be in anyone’s interest for the United States to seize the vast territory, which is strategically located between Europe and North America.

“I think it would not even be in the interest of the United States of America, to be clear,” Meloni added.

The White House said on Tuesday that the U.S. was considering a range of options to acquire Greenland, including the use of military force.

The Italian leader said it was “clear to everyone” that any U.S. move on Greenland would have a significant impact on NATO, adding this was the reason she did not think Washington would follow through on its threats.

USA

Billions in healthcare fraud discovered in California, Minnesota ‘pales in comparison’: Dr Oz

Billions of dollars in alleged fraudulent healthcare spending is being investigated in California, specifically probing foreign nationals operating illegal hospice facilities — officials announced Friday in a bombshell press conference.

“We have witnessed a sevenfold increase in hospice in LA County, sevenfold. That doesn’t happen naturally,” Dr Mehmet Oz, the administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services told The Post during at the press conference.

“There is not seven times more deaths in LA County than there were five years ago. These are fraudsters, and these do tend to be foreign influences, either Russian and Armenian gangs, mafia, that are leading a lot of these efforts.”

Fraudsters who run these facilities are working with about “100 bad doctors,” who convince a patient they’re dying to enroll them in hospice care, Dr Oz said, adding about 100,000 people have handed over their Medicare numbers.

“We are major focused on this issue, and I think our suspicion, our belief, is that the fraud in California will magnify whatever’s happening in Minnesota,” United States Attorney Bill Essayli said. “What’s happening in Minnesota pales in comparison to the level of fraud that we believe is occurring in California.”

Dr Oz said the Trump administration is also cracking down on taxpayer money being used to treat illegal immigrants for elective procedures.

“We’ve already identified about $1.3 billion of federal dollars spent to take care of illegal immigrants,” Dr Oz said. “The state is giving that money back.”

Hundreds of billions of dollars flow through California’s healthcare system, according to Essayli, who said $10 billion is for “illegal immigrant health care.”

“No federal dollars is supposed to be used for that,” said Essayli, who back in April launched a task force investigating corruption in the state, specifically focused on homelessness.

And even so Newsom won't stop spending tax payers' money like crazy.

Gavin Newsom proposes $350B California budget — kicks the can on debt

California Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled a record-high $350 billion state budget Friday that makes “historic” investments in areas like education — but kicks the can on paying down federal debt, foisting costs onto struggling employers.

Newsom’s budget incorporates a $43 billion windfall tied to the stock market that he touted in his State of the State speech Thursday, bringing his office’s estimated deficit down to $3 billion — the state’s fourth deficit in a row. The budget plows billions into maintaining education, health care, and other programs but ignores a $20 billion federal loan for Covid unemployment payments — a situation one legislator called “alarming.”

Ignoring the loan means small businesses are on the hook for the state’s debt, said state Sen. Roger Niello of Fair Oaks.

“We already have the highest unemployment in the nation and we’re putting this additional burden on our employers. It makes absolutely no sense,” Niello said.

The budget includes $662.2 million in mandatory interest payments, but there is no money going towards the principal.

Since July, the total balance has ballooned to $21.3 billion, and private employers in California pick up the tab under federal rules. Employers pay an $42 extra per employee this year and growing, per KCRA

Every state expect California has paid off the Covid-era loans.

“That is an alarming thing because [Newsom is] basically saying that businesses and employment are not a priority to him and that’s troubling,” Niello added.

At 5.5%, California’s unemployment rate was the highest in the country as of November.

Newsom’s $350 billion budget proposal is about $30 billion higher than this year’s budget, thanks largely to federal healthcare cuts that forced costs onto the state and mandatory set-asides in areas like education.

NY sues Trump admin over ‘cruel’ move to freeze $10B in child care funds to blue states

New York is suing President Trump’s administration over its move to freeze $10 billion in child care and social services funding to Democrat-led states — calling it “cruel.”

The spending halt amounted to an unconstitutional act of political retribution that would have “devastating” impacts on low-income and vulnerable families, the scathing federal lawsuit filed Thursday by state Attorney General Letitia James and four of her blue-state peers contended.

Gov. Kathy Hochul revealed the lawsuit during a PIX11 interview, harshly condemning the cuts.

“Donald Trump is literally declaring war on kids,” she said. “They’re just using this as a fishing expedition to go after New Yorkers.”

Trump’s Department of Health and Human Services this week froze the funding to five states — California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota and New York — over concerns that the benefits were fraudulently funneled to non-citizens.

The move followed heightened scrutiny over a long-simmering fraud scandal in Minnesota.

But James and her fellow attorneys general argued in the lawsuit that Trump officials already had ways to handle potential fraud without resorting to a freeze.

Instead, the Trump administration took a “shoot first ask questions later” approach cutting off funding while asking the states to provide evidence that could confirm officials’ fraud suspicions, the lawsuit argues.

“In short, Defendants have publicly stoked allegations of fraud, including Plaintiff States purportedly providing unlawful benefits to undocumented immigrants, regardless of whether they have been substantiated, and used those speculative allegations as a pretextual justification to punish perceived political enemies of the Trump Administration by unlawfully withholding critical funding pending purported fraud detection measures unauthorized by any statute,” the lawsuit states.

The lawsuit filed in Manhattan federal court seeks an order declaring the freeze illegal and putting a stop to it.

Top FBI New York field office official tapped to replace Dan Bongino

Christopher Raia, the head of the FBI’s New York field office, will replace Dan Bongino as deputy director of the bureau, an FBI spokesperson said Friday.

Raia, a career agent, was asked to take the FBI’s No. 2 position and he accepted, the bureau spokesperson said.

Raia will report to Washington, DC, on Monday to start the new job.

As deputy director, Raia will assist FBI Director Kash Patel and Co-Deputy Director Andrew Bailey manage the bureau’s more than 30,000 employees.

Raia’s hiring means the unusual three-person leadership structure at the FBI – implemented when Bailey was hired in August amid reports of infighting at the bureau surrounding the handling of an investigation into pedophile Jeffrey Epstein – will remain in place.

The new deputy director has been with the bureau since 2003 and served as the FBI’s top counterterrorism official before leading the New York Field Office.

It’s unclear who will replace Raia in New York.

Raia’s predecessor at the New York field office, James Dennehy, was forced to retire in March as part of sweeping changes to the bureau made by the Trump administration.

Bongino announced in December that he would leave his position at the FBI in January, after less than a year on the job.

“I want to thank President Trump, AG [Pam] Bondi, and Director Patel for the opportunity to serve with purpose,” he wrote in an X post announcing his decision. “Most importantly, I want to thank you, my fellow Americans, for the privilege to serve you.”

After Bongino’s announcement, President Trump told reporters, “Dan did a great job. I think he wants to go back to his show.”

Socialist politician turns LA City Hall into anti-ICE, abolish-police spectacle

A blistering anti-police, anti-ICE screed played out inside Los Angeles City Hall Friday — not as a protest gone rogue, but as a fully sanctioned event, greenlit and hosted by far-left DSA Councilwoman Eunisses Hernandez.

The presentation took place behind what is widely regarded as a “sacred” area of City Hall, a space reserved for official proceedings and accessible only with approval from council leadership. The event was allowed to proceed uninterrupted for 15 minutes, with speakers calling to “abolish police,” denouncing law enforcement funding and urging the city to divest from LAPD.

The event centered on the New Year’s Eve shooting of Keith Porter, who was fatally shot by an off-duty ICE agent after allegedly firing a rifle into the air, an illegal and dangerous practice city officials warn can seriously injure or kill bystanders when bullets fall back to the ground.

Porter’s family and advocates argue the ICE agent overreacted.

Inside City Hall, speakers and attendees wore “Abolish Police” jackets and shirts reading “F— the police.” One attendee wore a keffiyeh, a polarizing symbol increasingly visible at far-left demonstrations.

Black Lives Matter Los Angeles activist Joseph Williams used the official forum to demand divestment from law enforcement and to blame both federal immigration enforcement and local policing for Porter’s death.

“We must move money away from law enforcement,” Williams told councilmembers, calling on them to hold the mayor accountable and redirect city resources.

Williams is no stranger to City Hall confrontations. He previously helped lead Black Lives Matter protests that clashed with LAPD officers in riot gear during the council’s leaked-audio scandal, when demonstrators attempted to force their way into the building and accused police of brutality.

Hernandez, the far-left District 1 councilmember who swept into office in 2022 on a police-abolition platform, presided over the presentation. A former community organizer, Hernandez has repeatedly positioned herself against traditional law enforcement, opposing police raises and voting against Mayor Karen Bass’s 2023 city budget because it devoted roughly a quarter of city spending to the LAPD.

Maniac who randomly beat beloved security guard to death at NYC subway station found mentally unfit for trial

The madman charged with randomly pummeling a beloved security guard to death at a Brooklyn subway station has been found mentally unfit to stand trial, a court heard Friday.

David Mazariegos, 25, will be committed to a state psychiatric hospital after flunking a mental health exam — following the alleged merciless, unprovoked Oct. 7, 2025 killing of Nicola Tanzi, a 64-year-old security guard at MetroTech.

Brooklyn Supreme Court Judge Dineen Riviezzo revealed that Mazariegos — a struggling artist with an escalating rap sheet before the attack — had been “found unfit” for trial before wishing the maniac good luck.

“We will see you at some point at which you are better. Good luck with your treatment,” the judge said during a brief hearing, just before Mazareigos was handed over to the custody of mental health professionals.

Mazareigos, who appeared subdued and sleepy while wearing an orange prison outfit, will face first-degree murder and other charges if or when he’s deemed mentally fit to stand trial at a later date.

Prosecutors said Mazareigos punched Tanzi in the face at a security gate in the Jay Street-MetroTech station, near where the God-fearing Italian immigrant had worked for 15 years.

Mazareigos then allegedly repeatedly stomped on Tanzi until his body went “totally limp” — leaving him with a skull fracture, a crushed nasal bone and multiple other injuries to his face, prosecutors have said.

Tanzi, a devout Catholic, died a few hours later.

UKRAINE WAR

Zelensky shockingly boots ‘Hero of Ukraine’ spy chief who led daring raids against Russia

The Ukrainian spy chief known for orchestrating the bold drone attack on bombers deep behind Russian lines was shockingly forced out by President Volodymyr Zelensky — and questions have swirled over the reason for his ouster.

Vasyl Malyuk, who had officially been designated a “Hero of Ukraine,” resigned from his post leading the Security Service of Ukraine Monday, after initially refusing Zelensky’s orders to step down over the weekend, the Guardian reported.

Malyuk will not be completely pulled from services, but will continue organizing Ukraine’s “asymmetric operations” against Russia.

“I am leaving my post as head of the Security Service. I will stay in the system to carry out operations that continue to inflict maximum damage on the enemy,” he wrote in a telegram post after his resignation. “A strong, modern intelligence service is key to our state’s security.”

Zelensky echoed the statement, explaining Malyuk would be put to work focusing on operations similar to Operation Spiderweb, the behind-the-lines June strike that saw drones stashed in Russian trucks emerge and destroy a fleet of strategic bombers.

“I had a meeting with Vasyl Maliuk. I thanked him for his combat service and proposed that he focus on this line of work specifically,” Zelensky said. “This is where Vasyl is at his strongest, and this is exactly what he will continue to do within the Security Service of Ukraine.”

But some critics within Ukrainian leadership have argued that removing Malyuk will only diminish the effectiveness of the spy agency, which has also made headlines for numerous high-profile assassinations of Russian officials.

Zelensky has said he is simply looking to surround himself with new voices as the war approaches the four-year mark, but some reports suggest there may have been other motivations.

Malyuk’s ousting could be related to corruption allegations that have dogged members of Zelensky’s inner circle, according to the outlet Ukrainska Pravda, which cited sources that said Malyuk was forced out by the president’s former chief of staff Anriy Yermak.

Yermak’s home was searched as part of a corruption probe in November, according to the Guardian. He was not officially accused of any crimes, and resigned after the investigation.

Trump rejects Putin claim Ukraine attacked his residence: ‘We don’t believe that happened’

President Trump slapped down the Kremlin’s accusation that Ukraine targeted a residence of Russian strongman Vladimir Putin last week, saying Sunday night that he doubted such an attack ever took place.

“I don’t believe that strike happened. There is something that happened fairly nearby, but had nothing to do with this house,” Trump, 79, told reporters aboard Air Force One as he returned to Washington after spending the holidays at Mar-a-Lago.

The president had initially scolded Ukraine over the alleged drone assault, saying Dec. 29 he “was very angry about it” following a call with the Russian leader.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had denied the allegation, calling it “typical Russian lies,” and the CIA had also assessed that the attack never happened.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov publicly alleged that 91 long-range drones targeted Putin’s home in the Novgorod region, roughly halfway between Moscow and St. Petersburg, and that they had been shot down.

“This is not the right time,” Trump said shortly after Lavrov went public with his claims. “It’s one thing to be offensive, it’s another thing to attack his house.”

On Sunday, Trump defended his initial reaction, contending that he didn’t know better at the time.

“Because nobody knew at that moment,” the president said. “That was the first I heard about it. He said that his house was attacked.”

“We don’t believe that happened, now that we’ve been able to check. But that was the first we ever heard about it.”

Russia claimed it was reevaluating its participation in peace negotiations with its western neighbor, which Moscow invaded in February 2022.

Trump also suggested Sunday that he could ratchet up tariffs on India to pressure New Delhi to back off its purchases of Russian oil, a critical source of funding for Putin’s war machine.

“[Prime Minister Narendra] Modi is a good guy. He knew I was not happy, and it was important to make me happy,” Trump warned.

“They do trade, and we can raise tariffs on them very quickly.”

Zelensky picks new adviser Trump called ‘toxic’ and ‘terrible’ ahead of Paris talks with Witkoff, Kushner

WASHINGTON — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will meet Tuesday in Paris with US peace envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner — one day after naming a critic of President Trump as his new economic adviser, calling her “highly skilled,” despite Trump describing her as “toxic” and “terrible.”

The summit is expected to focus on Zelensky’s request for “security guarantees” and will include meetings with major European leaders, some of whom have offered peacekeeping troops to ensure a negotiated peace remains in effect.

It’s unclear what effect Zelensky’s choice of former Canadian finance minister Chrystia Freeland as his new economic adviser will have on the Russia-Ukraine peace talks, but the US president has repeatedly made clear that he detests her.

Freeland resigned as then-Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s finance chief in December 2024 after clashing with Trump over his tariff threats.

Trump said at the time: “Her behavior was totally toxic, and not at all conducive to making deals which are good for the very unhappy citizens of Canada. She will not be missed!!!”

Trump remembered her derisively in May when he hosted current Prime Minister Mark Carney in the Oval Office, saying “I didn’t like” Freeland, whom he called a “terrible person” who caused a “bad relationship” by trying to “take advantage” of the US.

Freeland, meanwhile, gloated about Trump disliking her during her unsuccessful bid in January to lead Canada’s Liberal Party, which she lost to Carney — even clipping footage of the US president dissing her to use in her campaign videos.

“I want to let you in on a little secret: Donald Trump doesn’t like me very much,” she said in an ad. “Donald Trump and his billionaire buddies think they can push us around. Trump thinks we’re for sale, that he can take what isn’t his. Well, we’re not going to let him.”

Zelensky announced that Freeland’s surprising new role on X Monday.

“Today, I appointed Chrystia Freeland as an Advisor on Economic Development. Chrystia is highly skilled in these matters and has extensive experience in attracting investment and implementing economic transformations,” Zelensky wrote.

“Right now, Ukraine needs to strengthen its internal resilience – both for the sake of Ukraine’s recovery if diplomacy delivers results as swiftly as possible, and to reinforce our defense if, because of delays by our partners, it takes longer to bring this war to an end. I am grateful to everyone who is ready to support our state and our engagement with partners. Glory to Ukraine!”

Witkoff, Kushner ink 5-point plan in Paris to enhance Ukraine ‘security guarantees’

WASHINGTON — President Trump’s peace envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner signed onto a five-point plan with European leaders in Paris Tuesday to enhance “security guarantees” for Ukraine if it reaches terms to end Russia’s nearly four-year invasion.

The joint statement by major NATO allies and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is vague on some details but represents a step forward, including specifying a “US-led ceasefire monitoring and verification mechanism” that would “address any breaches, attribute responsibility, and determine remedies.”

Other points pledge “critical long term military assistance” to Kyiv, a “European-led” multinational peacekeeping force, additional military aid and sanctions in the “case of a future armed attack by Russia,” as well as “mutually beneficial defence [sic] cooperation with Ukraine.”

Key points remain unresolved, including Zelensky’s recent proposal for both Ukrainian and Russian forces to withdraw from frontlines in order to establish a demilitarized zone — as an alternative to agreeing to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s demand that Ukraine cede the north of Donetsk province.

UK and French leaders separately firmed up their offer to dispatch troops to monitor the frontlines if a cease-fire is reached.

Witkoff said in a statement that he and Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, would have further talks with Zelensky on Tuesday night and into Wednesday — teasing business pledges to rebuild Ukraine.

“We think we’re largely finished with security protocols, which are important so that the people of Ukraine know that when this ends, it ends forever,” Witkoff said at a press conference alongside Zelensky, French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chanceller Friedrich Merz.

“We also think critically that we are very, very close to finishing up as robust a prosperity agreement as any country has ever seen coming out of conflicts like this,” Witkoff said.

“It will aspirationally mean large, large possibilities for the Ukrainian people, for people coming home from war who will find wonderful jobs out there. We’re working with BlackRock, Larry Fink, in this endeavor, and we think it’s going to be very, very important for the people of Ukraine, and we believe that a robust economy correlates and works directly with these security protocols.”

Witkoff said that resolving land disputes with Russia remains a sticking point.

Russia Praises Trump White House for Latest Oil Tanker Move

The Russian foreign ministry said President Donald Trump had released the two Russian nationals who were part of the crew of the Marinera oil tanker seized in the North Atlantic after it had broken through the U.S. blockade of Venezuela.

Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the foreign ministry, said Trump decided to release the pair in response to an appeal from Moscow, which had earlier accused the U.S. of an "illegal use of force" and disputed that it fell under the jurisdiction of Washington's sanctions on Venezuela.

"We welcome this decision and express our gratitude to the U.S. leadership," Zakharova said in a statement on Friday. "We are beginning immediate action on all issues related to ensuring the prompt return of our fellow citizens to their homeland."

U.S. European Command (EUCOM) said the Marinera, originally named Bella 1, was seized on Wednesday because the vessel had violated American sanctions. The Trump administration said the vessel tried to disguise itself as a Russian vessel to avoid the U.S. sanctions on Venezuela where the White House is asserting control over the oil industry under its "Donroe Doctrine."

In an interview with Jesse Watters of Fox News that aired Wednesday night, Vice President JD Vance said the Marinera "was a fake Russian oil tanker. They basically tried to pretend to be a Russian oil tanker in an effort to avoid the sanctions regime."

The sudden Russia-U.S. clash over Venezuela—including the capture of Nicolás Maduro from Caracas last week—came despite a thawing of relations during negotiations over Moscow's war in Ukraine.

Russia Rejects Ukraine Peace Proposals, Condemns ‘Axis of War’

Russia rejected the Coalition of the Willing's plan to put Western peacekeeping troops into Ukraine once the war ends to deter future aggression by the Kremlin, saying those forces would be "legitimate military targets" for Moscow's forces.

Ukraine had hailed the plan as vital security guarantees for a peace agreement with Russia.

Two key members of the coalition, the United Kingdom and France, also NATO allies, signed a "declaration of intent" with Ukraine at the meeting in Paris on January 6 to deploy forces to Russia's neighbor once a ceasefire is in place.

U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, also participated in the coalition meeting and endorsed its outcome.

Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, said in a statement Thursday morning that the "deployment on Ukrainian territory of military units, military facilities, warehouses, and other infrastructure of Western countries will be classified as foreign intervention posing a direct threat to the security not only of Russia, but also of other European countries."

"All such units and facilities will be regarded as legitimate military targets of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation," Zakharova said, originally in Russian. "These warnings have been voiced repeatedly at the highest level and remain relevant."

She added: "The new militaristic declarations of the so-called coalition of the willing and the Kyiv regime form, in their person, a genuine 'axis of war.'"

The Trump administration is trying to broker a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine. Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, having initially invaded in 2014 to annex Crimea and occupy parts of the east.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that a peace deal is 90 percent done, but sharp disagreements over control of the eastern Donbas region and of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant remain blockers to an agreement.

NATO Allies [UK] Announce New Arctic Circle Mission To ‘Defend’ Northern Flank

NATO is strengthening the defense of its northern flank with the deployment of additional military forces from the U.K.

Royal Marines will return in force to the Arctic Circle as part of the Lunna House Agreement, a major defense pact signed by the U.K. and Norway in December 2025.

Under the agreement, the U.K.’s Commando Force—led by the Royal Marines—will operate in Norway year-round. They were previously only deployed in the country during the winter months.
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What To Know

The U.K. Commando Force previously established an operations hub, Camp Viking, in the village of Øverbygd, 40 miles south of Tromsø, in 2023. This year, the team will return with a deployment of 1,500 personnel, along with all-terrain vehicles and helicopters from Commando Helicopter Force.

The commandos will operate across the coastlines and mountains of Northern Norway and take part in Exercise Cold Response—the largest military exercises in the country in 2026. It has been organized to serve as a demonstration of the unity of NATO and the alliance’s ability to deter threats in the high north.

The U.K. forces will operate closely not only with their Norwegian hosts, but also Marines from the Netherlands, as they train to defend this strategically important region across fjords and mountains.

US Issues Urgent Warning Over ‘Significant’ Attack On Ukraine

The United States has warned that it received information of a "potentially significant" air attack on Ukraine in the next few days. 

The U.S. embassy in Kyiv warned American citizens to immediately shelter in place in the event of such a strike.

The warning, issued on Thursday, did not give any further details and Ukrainian media noted that it did not mention that Russia would be responsible.
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What To Know

The waring from the U.S. embassy on Thursday was the first by the mission since November 3, when American citizens in Ukraine were told "to exercise heightened caution" due to recent attacks from Russian missiles and drones hitting Ukraine's critical civilian and energy infrastructure.

Russian overnight attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure left the Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia regions nearly without power and created a "national emergency," Dnipro Mayor Borys Filatov said Thursday.

Meanwhile, Russia's Defense Ministry said on Thursday that it had used the Oreshnik missile to hit energy infrastructure and drone production facilities. The weapon is a Russian intermediate-range ballistic missile that Putin has touted as a new, hard-to-intercept system designed to carry nuclear weapons.

Ukrainian authorities did not confirm that the weapon had been used, but said at least four civilians had been killed and 19 others injured across the country during Russian attacks overnight. 

It comes as U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner discussed Washington's peace plan for with Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev in Paris on Wednesday, according to Axios, citing an unnamed source.

Russia-Ukraine: Zelensky Demands Trump Act After Major New Strikes

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky issued a fresh call for U.S. President Donald Trump to take action against Russia after the latest deadly strikes by Kremlin forces—including with their new hypersonic Oreshnik missile—in Moscow's revenge for an alleged attack on Russian President Vladimir Putin's state residence that Kyiv and Washington say did not happen.

"A clear reaction from the world is needed. Above all from the United States, whose signals Russia truly pays attention to," Zelensky said in an X post on Friday. "Russia must receive signals that it is its obligation to focus on diplomacy, and must feel consequences every time it again focuses on killings and the destruction of infrastructure."

What To Know

• Russia's defense ministry said it used an Oreshnik missile system as part of its "massive attack" on Ukraine in retribution for the alleged attempt to strike Putin's state residence in Novgorod in late December. The U.S. and Kyiv have said no such attempt to attack Putin's residence happened.
  
• At least four were killed in Kyiv, Ukraine's emergency services said, and dozens more were injured in the latest Russian attack. Lviv was also struck by what was likely an Oreshnik missile, knocking out gas supplies in the area, which is close to the border with Poland, a NATO ally.
  
• Zelensky said the Qatari embassy in Kyiv was damaged during the attack, noting that Doha was supporting efforts to bring peace to Ukraine. The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv had earlier warned of a looming air attack and advised Americans to seek shelter.
  
• The Ukrainian leader said the strike is "a very loud reminder" to Kyiv's partners that "supporting Ukraine’s air defense is a permanent priority. Not a single day can be lost in deliveries, in production, or in agreements." He said Kyiv will speak to partners today about what they need.
  
• The strike and Zelensky's appeal to Trump come at a time of worsening relations between the U.S. and Russia over Venezuela, after the capture of Moscow's ally Nicolas Maduro from Caracas by American forces, and the U.S. seizure of a Russian-flagged vessel in the North Atlantic that had broken through Washington's blockade.
  

Donald Trump Responds to Whether He Would Send US Military to Capture Putin

President Donald Trump responded to a question from a reporter on Friday about whether he would consider sending in the U.S. military to capture Russian President Vladimir Putin following the capture of Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro last week.

Newsweek has reached out to political analysts via email for comment on Friday.
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What To Know

Fox News' Peter Doocy asked Trump, referencing recent remarks by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, whether he would ever order a mission to capture Putin.

Trump responded, in part, "I don't think it's going to be necessary...I've always had a great relationship with him [Putin]. I'm very disappointed. I settled eight wars; I thought this was going to be in the middle of the pack or maybe one of the easier ones."

Trump added: "The last month, they've lost 31,000 people, many of them Russian soldiers and the Russian economy is doing poorly."

After Maduro's capture, Zelensky said the U.S. "knows what to do next" when it comes to "capturing dictators."

What People Are Saying

Senator Chris Van Hollen, a Maryland Democrat, on X this week: "Trump's actions in Venezuela and his Administration's national security strategy are making our nation—and the world—less safe. They're setting a dangerous precedent, and you can bet Putin and [Chinese President] Xi are taking note."

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, a Rhode Island Democrat, on X this week: "Trump/Russia? Greenland gambit attacks NATO, as Putin wants. Venezuela gambit emboldens Putin on Ukraine, may be a de facto swap. Support for EU far right aligns with Putin. Please let’s not pretend there’s no Trump/Russia happening."

Vice President JD Vance on X earlier this month: "The president offered multiple off ramps, but was very clear throughout this process: the drug trafficking must stop, and the stolen oil must be returned to the United States. Maduro is the newest person to find out that President Trump means what he says. Kudos to our brave special operators who pulled off a truly impressive operation."

In a follow up post, Vance added: "And PSA for everyone saying this was 'illegal': Maduro has multiple indictments in the United States for narcoterrorism. You don't get to avoid justice for drug trafficking in the United States because you live in a palace in Caracas.

EUROPE

Swiss nightclub owner allegedly fled with cash, destroyed evidence as 40 died in New Year’s Eve inferno

The manager of the Swiss resort bar where 40 people died in a New Year’s Eve fire allegedly fled with the night’s cash as patrons desperately tried to escape — with both owners now accused of destroying evidence in the aftermath.

Jessica Moretti, 40, is accused of abandoning terrified partygoers as flames engulfed Le Constellation and was seen by multiple witnesses carrying the cash register, Italy’s La Repubblica reported.

Moretti and her husband, Jacques Moretti — both French nationals who have co-owned the swanky Crans-Montana nightclub since 2015 — are under investigation for manslaughter and causing bodily harm to 119 others who suffered horrific burns while celebrating in the Swiss Alps.

After the fire, Jessica Moretti said she sustained “slight burns on one arm” as she escaped while the flames tore through her nightclub, according to La Repubblica.

As investigators reviewed cellphone footage, security camera video from inside the bar and footage from streetlight-mounted cameras outside to reconstruct what happened, the couple is now accused of destroying evidence by blocking social media accounts after the fire.

Romain Jordan, a lawyer representing some of the 116 injured — many of them teenagers left with catastrophic burns — said Le Constellation suspended its Facebook and Instagram accounts while rescue operations were still underway, according to the Times of London.

Jordan said the fire broke out around 1:30 a.m. New Year’s Day and claimed the club blocked its social media accounts between 3 a.m. and 6:30 a.m., while its website was also taken offline as emergency services worked to extinguish the flames and rescue victims.

He said the suspended accounts contained videos of the packed holiday party and earlier festivities, arguing that their removal showed security concerns “came to the managers’ minds straightaway.”

“My clients want answers,” he said. “They want the chain of responsibility that led to this drama to be clearly established. The managers are being investigated, but the council must be investigated, too. No questions must be ignored.”

The fire tore through Le Constellation after sparklers attached to champagne bottles ignited the ceiling during the boozy celebration.

Following the tragedy, Jacques Moretti, 49, told Swiss outlet La Tribune de Genève that “everything was done according to the regulations” and claimed the nightclub had been inspected three times over the past 10 years. He was not inside the nightclub at the time of the fire.

Owner of Swiss bar, where 40 died in horrific NYE fire, arrested and deemed ‘flight risk’

The owner of the Swiss nightclub where 40 New Years Eve revelers died in a horrific fire was arrested Friday for manslaughter and detained as a possible “flight risk,” authorities said. 

Jacques Moretti, 49, who ran the ski resort hotspot Le Constellation in the ritzy town of Crans-Montana, was cuffed and taken into custody at a pre-trial detention center, chief prosecutor Beatrice Pilloud said, according to Sky News.

Meanwhile, his wife and co-owner of the club, Jessica Moretti, 40, was placed on house arrest.

They both face charges of manslaughter by negligence, involuntary bodily harm and arson by negligence — after a sparkler lit the ceiling of the basement-level club shortly after midnight on Jan. 1, killing 40 people and injuring 116.

The blaze tore through the club as trapped partygoers smashed windows in a desperate attempt to escape.

The bar had not undergone any annual safety inspections in the past six years and owners were considered reckless, authorities in Crans-Montana said this week.

“There was a culture of reckless risk-taking”, Nicolas Féraud, the municipal chief of Crans-Montana, said at a press conference. “This endangered customers and staff.”

Moretti allegedly fled with the night’s cash as flames engulfed the bar and is accused of destroying evidence in the aftermath of the fire, La Repubblica reported —  though he had not been charged with crimes linked to those accusations Friday.

“My constant thoughts are with the victims and those who are fighting today. This is an unimaginable tragedy,” Moretti told reporters outside the prosecutor’s office Friday.

Moretti and his wife met with prosecutors in Switzerland’s Valais region before the arrest.

MIDDLE EAST

Iran’s top judge warns protesters of punishment ‘without any legal leniency’ as mosques burn

Iranian protestors demonstrating against the theocratic regime will face harsh punishment with absolutely zero leniency, Iran’s top judge has warned — as footage emerged Friday of mosques burning on the streets of Tehran amid the ongoing riots.

Chief Justice Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, the head of Iran’s judiciary, issued the stark warning after President Trump vowed to back those peacefully demonstrating across the country.

Signaling a potentially violent crackdown, Ejei vowed the punishment for rioters would “be decisive, maximum and without any legal leniency.”

The remarks, which were made earlier in the week and broadcast on state TV on Friday, came as Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei condemned Trump’s support for the protesters — claiming the president’s hands were now “stained with the blood of Iranians.”

“Iranians must maintain their unity,” Khamenei said in televised remarks as an audience chanted “Death to America!”
Protesters are “ruining their own streets … in order to please the president of the United States,” he added.

“Because he said that he would come to their aid. He should pay attention to the state of his own country instead.”

There was no immediate response from Trump or Washington regarding the latest threats from Iran.

Despite Iran cutting off internet and phone lines in recent days, footage emerged online early Friday of a burning mosque in Tehran as anti-government protestors took to the streets overnight.

Multiple burnt out cars and debris could be seen strewn across the street outside the mosque.

The protests, which broke out Dec. 28, began over Iran’s ailing economy but have since morphed into the most significant challenge to the government in years.

LATIN AMERICA

Honduran opposition lawmaker injured after explosive device detonated ‘centimeters’ from her

Honduran opposition lawmaker Gladis Aurora Lopez was injured on Thursday after an explosive device was thrown near her at the National Congress, her National Party said in a statement, as tensions remain high following the country’s disputed presidential election.

The conservative National Party alleged the device was thrown by members of the ruling Liberty and Refoundation Party (Libre), and said the blast detonated “centimeters” from Lopez, wounding her.

A representative for the Libre Party did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Video verified by Reuters showed the lawmaker seated, with a white button-down shirt pulled away to reveal stripes of blood and apparent bruising on her back.

The incident comes amid political mistrust after the November 30 vote, in which centrist Salvador Nasralla has appealed to the Electoral Justice Tribunal seeking recounts in multiple departments after the electoral authority declared National Party candidate Nasry Asfura the winner by less than 1% of the vote.

Both were seeking to unseat the leftist Libre Party of President Xiomara Castro, whose candidate Rixi Moncada trailed in third in the elections.

Asfura is due to take office on January 27.