9 h. ago What unites Greenland, Venezuela and Ukraine? Trump's immoral lies and Europe's chronic weakness | Simon Tisdall

The president’s inability to tell right from wrong fuels his increasingly dictatorial, illegal and erratic behaviour Donald Trump made 30,573 “false or misleading” claims during his first term, according to calculations published in 2021 by the Washington Post. That’s roughly 21 fibs a day. Second time around, he’s still hard at it, lying to Americans and the world on a daily basis. Trump’s disregard for truth and honesty in public life – seen again in his despicable response to the fatal shooting in Minneapolis – is dangerously immoral.Trump declared last week that the only constraint on his power is “my own morality, my own mind”. That explains a lot. His idea of right and wrong is wholly subjective. He is his own ethical and legal adviser, his own priest and confessor. He is a church of one. Trump lies to himself as well as everyone else. And the resulting damage is pernicious. It costs lives, harms democracy and destroys trust between nations.Simon Tisdall is a Guardian foreign ...

Politics

52 h. ago Pope blasts how countries are using force to assert dominion in major foreign policy address

Pope Leo XIV has denounced how nations are increasingly using force to assert their dominion worldwide

Events

3 d. ago Mike Johnson says ‘nobody’ is talking about military action in Greenland

Trump has repeatedly talked about the United States taking over Greenland despite criticisms from Denmark

Events

4 d. ago If Donald Trump thinks Greenland should be his, how long before he sets his sights on Scotland? | Zoe Williams

By the expansionist logic of the president and his advisers, the US is entitled to annex just about anywhere‘We do need Greenland, absolutely,” Donald Trump told the Atlantic on 5 January, with the hand-wavy follow-up, “We need it for defence.” His adviser Stephen Miller was more aggressive still in an interview with CNN, saying: “The real question is, by what right does Denmark assert control over Greenland? What is the basis of their territorial claim? The US is the power of Nato obviously Greenland should be part of the United States.” His wife, Katie Miller, posted an image on X of a map of the country papered over with the US flag, with the caption “soon”. It’s hard to orientate sensibly towards things that happen on X these days: if she had posted a Grok-generated image of Greenland in a bikini, would that be more or less concerning?Still, we’re right to be concerned. There is no comfort to be had from old-era ideas such as: “Maybe they’re just sabre-rattling about Greenland t...

Politics

4 d. ago Putin and Trump accused of secret deal to swap Ukraine for Venezuela

A US National Security expert has warned Russia may capitalise on the US capture of Venezuelan dictator Maduro to make a major move against Ukraine, reviving concerns about an alleged 2019 proposal

Politics

4 d. ago Putin's secret deal to swap Ukraine for Venezuela? Fears US will give Russia free rein to crush Kyiv in wake of Maduro capture

Fears of the US allowing Russia to crush Ukraine in the wake of the incursion into Venezuela are growing.

Politics

4 d. ago UK and France agree to deploy forces to Ukraine in the event of a peace deal – Europe live

Starmer and Macron ‘sign declaration of intent’ following Paris meeting Their statement also says they “will not stop defending” the UN Charter principles, “including sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders”.Nato has made clear that the Arctic region is a priority and European allies are stepping up.” Continue reading...

Economics

4 d. ago ‘Coalition of the willing’ to give press update with US reportedly ready to support a post

European leaders hold press conference after Paris meeting earlier today with US officials Their statement also says they “will not stop defending” the UN Charter principles, “including sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders”.Nato has made clear that the Arctic region is a priority and European allies are stepping up.” Continue reading...

Politics

4 d. ago People in Greenland: share your views on Trump’s recent comments

We’d like to hear from people in Greenland on their thoughts about the US president’s renewed call to take over the territorySpeaking aboard Air Force One on Sunday, Donald Trump doubled down on his claim that Greenland should become part of the United States. “We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security, and Denmark is not going to be able to do it,” Trump told reporters.We’d like to hear from people in Greenland on their views on Trump’s renewed call to take over the autonomous territory. You can share your views below. Continue reading...

Politics

4 d. ago European leaders rally behind Greenland as US ramps up threats

Statement of support comes after presidential aide says ‘no one will fight US militarily over future of Greenland’ Europe live – latest updatesOne of Donald Trump’s top aides has ramped up the pressure on Denmark by questioning Copenhagen’s claim to Greenland, as leaders from major European powers rallied behind the Arctic territory.Stephen Miller, the US president’s deputy chief of staff for policy, also claimed military intervention would not be needed to take over island because “nobody is going to fight the United States militarily over the future of Greenland”. Continue reading...

Politics

5 d. ago Greenland belongs to its people, say European leaders, as coalition of willing meets to discuss Ukraine in Paris – Europe live

Danish PM and leaders of UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Poland allude to Trump threats of takeover and say principles of UN charter must be upheldTheir statement also says they “will not stop defending” the UN Charter principles, “including sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders”.Nato has made clear that the Arctic region is a priority and European allies are stepping up.” Continue reading...

Politics

5 d. ago Vikings are back as Scandi countries plot major united response to foil Trump on Greenland

For the first time, Nordic countries are not only rejecting US pressure over Greenland but are actively preparing for a “US-less NATO” by integrating their military defences

Politics

5 d. ago Coalition of the willing to discuss Ukraine security guarantees in Paris amid Trump threats over Greenland – Europe live

Volodymyr Zelenskyy will talk with leaders including Starmer, Macron, Merz and Carney as well as US delegation led by Steve WitkoffBefore Venezuela, Witkoff last week had indicated progress in talks on measures to protect Ukraine against future Russian aggression.On 31 December, he had tweeted that the “productive” discussions with national security advisers of Ukraine, UK, France and Germany had focused on “strengthening security guarantees and developing effective deconfliction mechanisms to help end the war and ensure it does not restart.” Continue reading...

Events

5 d. ago Why managing Trump is far more important than defending international law for Starmer

Political editor David Maddox explains why Sir Keir Starmer could be the pivotal figure in Paris for the conference on Ukraine when European leaders know that they have to ‘manage’ Trump

Politics

5 d. ago Progress for Ukraine talks in Paris uncertain with US focus shifting to Venezuela

Ukraine's allies are meeting in Paris to discuss security guarantees after a potential ceasefire with Russia

Politics

5 d. ago Stephen Miller declares Greenland should be part of US and 'nobody will fight' over country's future

Stephen Miller declared on CNN that the Trump administration's formal position is that Greenland should become part of the United States, insisting no country would fight Washington over it.

Politics

6 d. ago Trump’s Venezuela invasion sets a perilous precedent | Kenneth Roth

If Trump can invade Venezuela, why can’t Putin invade Ukraine? Or Xi Jinping seize Taiwan?No matter how you slice it, Donald Trump’s invasion of Venezuela is an act of naked aggression. It is blatantly illegal and sets a disturbing precedent of indifference to national sovereignty that tyrants worldwide will be eager to exploit.The ostensible reason for the US president’s military incursion was to arrest Nicolás Maduro on criminal charges for drug trafficking. But that does not justify invading Venezuela to seize him. Continue reading...

Politics

7 d. ago Today, Trump’s target was Caracas. What tomorrow? | Stephen Wertheim

He took office promising to annex Greenland and take back the Panama Canal. Now that he has ousted Maduro, other countries could be next“This is genius,” Donald Trump enthused. It was February 22, 2022. Vladimir Putin had just declared parts of eastern Ukraine to be independent and sent in Russian troops to serve as so-called peacekeepers. The once and future American president was impressed, even inspired. “We could use that on our southern border,” Trump mused.Trump didn’t know then that he was speaking at the start of a full-scale invasion that has lasted nearly four years and inflicted upwards of 1.5 million casualties and counting. And Trump doesn’t know now what he has unleashed in Venezuela. The South American country is not Ukraine, nor, for that matter, is it Afghanistan, Iraq, or Libya. But by ordering military strikes to seize dictator Nicolás Maduro, Trump has thrown a country of around 28 million people into uncertainty and tossed aside the most obvious, hard-won lesson...

Politics

7 d. ago Ukraine war briefing: Ukraine will fight on if peace talks fail, Zelenskyy vows

Ukraine’s top allies hold security talks in Kyiv; Russia condemns US attack on Venezuela. What we know on day 1,411The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, says he hopes for a leaders’ summit in the US by the end of January to discuss proposals on how to end the war with Russia. Security advisers from Ukraine’s top allies met in Kyiv on Saturday for talks on a US-brokered plan to end the war, days after Kyiv announced a deal was “90%” ready. Officials from 15 countries including the UK, France and Germany as well as representatives from Nato and the EU joined the meeting. The US special envoy Steve Witkoff also joined virtually, a Ukrainian official said, although the US military attack on Venezuela earlier in the day overshadowed proceedings.Next week, the talks will continue during a European leaders’ meeting in Paris and then with US negotiators. “And after that we will be preparing for a meeting in the United States at the leadership level. We would like all of this to happ...

Events

8 d. ago Today an illegal coup in Venezuela, but where next? Donald Trump talks peace but he is a man of war | Simon Tisdall

The world will be anxious, and rightly so. For a man so bent on a peace prize, Trump appears to revel in conflictThe overthrow and reported capture by invading US forces of Nicolas Maduro, Venezuela’s hardline socialist president, will send a shiver of fear and consternation around the world. The coup is illegal, unprovoked and regionally and globally destabilising. It upends international norms, ignores sovereign territorial rights, and potentially creates an anarchic situation inside Venezuela itself.It is chaos made policy. But this is the world we now live in – the world according to Donald Trump. Continue reading...

Events