Category News

In response to Donald Trump’s threats to retake control of the self-governing Danish territory, Denmark has sent additional troops to Greenland.

According to public broadcaster DR and other Danish media reports, the Royal Danish Army’s chief, Peter Boysen, and “a substantial contribution” of soldiers made an overnight landing in Kangerlussuaq in western Greenland.

58 Danish troops reportedly landed in the Arctic, according to a report from TV2’s public broadcaster, along with about 60 others who had already been dispatched earlier to participate in Operation Arctic Endurance, a global military exercise.

Danish armed forces and the Ministry of Defense did not respond to requesting comment right away.

The US president claimed that the vast, mineral-rich Arctic territory is crucial to Washington’s security, but Trump later rejected using military force to overthrow it.

Trump responded to a question about whether he could seize the island by force in an interview with NBC News on Monday, saying, “no comment.”

Trump made the remarks after he informed Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Storer that despite receiving this year’s Nobel Peace Prize, he no longer felt compelled to “think purely of peace.”

Denmark has expressed interest in a more powerful US military presence in Greenland, but it has repeatedly stated that it is not interested in selling the island and that any force-asking would end NATO.

Trump’s insistence that Greenland be brought under US control has stifled US-European relations for the first time in decades and sparked concerns about the potential demise of NATO, the transatlantic security alliance, whose 32 members include both the US and Denmark.

An armed attack on any member of the NATO group is regarded as an assault on all, according to Article 5 of the organization’s charter.

To discuss ideas for strengthening Arctic security, including the establishment of a joint NATO mission in the Danish territory, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte met with Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen and Greenland’s Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Motzfeldt on Monday.

The parties had spoken about the significance of the Arctic to “our collective security” and Copenhagen’s growing investments in its defense capabilities, according to Rutte in a statement.

Rutte promised to keep working as allies on these crucial issues.

Following the discussions, Poulsen emphasized the need for unity.

He thanked our allies for standing up for Greenland and Denmark.

The “trade bazooka” of the EU

Trump’s threats to impose tariffs on Denmark and seven other European nations until a deal is reached on buying Greenland raise the possibility of a full-fledged transatlantic trade war at the same time as his actions are putting security ties in jeopardy.

Retaliatory tariffs and the bloc’s anti-coercion mechanism are among the options being considered at the European Union’s scheduled emergency meeting on Thursday to discuss its response to the crisis.

The bloc would be able to impose severe restrictions on US tech firms’ investment and business activities within the single market by triggering the Anti-Coercion Instrument, also known as the “trade bazooka.”

In a meeting with US diplomats on the sidelines of the Davos summit in Switzerland on Monday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated on the day that she had emphasized the “need unequivocally respect the sovereignty” of Denmark and Greenland.

Von der Leyen remarked, “This is of utmost importance to our transatlantic relationship.” The European Union “continues to work closely with the United States, NATO, and other allies, working closely with Denmark to advance our shared security interests at the same time.”

A wide range of suggested proposals will be examined by the government, including whether a social media ban for minors would be effective, and how best to make it work, according to the government’s statement on Monday.

The UK government announced in a statement that UK ministers will travel to Australia, which last month became the first nation in the world to forbid social media use by young people under the age of 16 in order to gain firsthand from the Australian approach.

The government said that the consultation will consider options like extending the digital age of consent, putting in phone curfews to prevent excessive use, and restricting potentially addictive design features like “strikes” and “infinite scrolling.”

The UK’s announcement comes as governments and regulators around the world wrestle with the rapid rise in AI-generated content, which was highlighted this month by reports that Elon Musk’s Grok AI chatbot produced child-friendly images, including those of children.

In a statement released on Monday, the UK stated that it had already made plans for an absolute ban on artificial intelligence nudification tools and that it was working to stop children from downloading, sharing, or viewing nude images on their devices.

According to UK Secretary of State for Technology, “We are determined to ensure that technology enriches children’s lives rather than harming them,” Liz Kendall, “we are determined to ensure that every child receives the education they deserve.”

The UK’s announcement did not mention a specific age for social media use, but it did state that it was considering a ban on using the site for children under a certain age in addition to other measures, such as better age checks and checking whether the 13-year-old digital consent age was excessive.

Kemi Badenoch, the leader of the opposition Conservative Party, has already stated that if it were in power, it would impose a social media ban on under-16s, according to the UK’s PA Media news agency.

After earlier claiming that the Labour-led government of Prime Minister Keir Starmer lacked the “backbone” to impose a social media ban, Badenoch, PA reported, said the planned consultation by his leadership amounted to more delay.

According to Badenoch, the prime minister is still trying to imitate an announcement the Conservatives made a week ago but is still not getting it right.

On Tuesday, January 20, 2018, this is how things are going.

Fighting

• According to reports of explosions in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, ballistic missile launches by Russia had been reported early on Tuesday morning.
• According to the city’s mayor, Ihor Terekhov, who posted a message on the Telegram messaging app, Russia also shot Kharkiv, the second-largest city in Ukraine, with missiles on Monday, seriously affecting a crucial infrastructure facility. The type of facility that was struck was not disclosed by Terekhov.
• In his weekly video address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described a new method of air defense that the country’s armed forces are using, involving small groups of interceptor drones.
• A Russian soldier is reportedly being executed by Ukraine’s SBU secret service in 2024, according to the Kyiv Independent media outlet.

military assistance

Peace talks

• Oleksandr Syrskii, the head of Ukraine’s top military, claimed that Moscow is not exhibiting any signs of interest in discussions involving a peace deal with Kyiv. Instead, he continued, citing a daily goal of 1,000 drones, which it is increasing.
• Rustem Umerov, Ukraine’s security chief and top negotiator, said that Kyiv has engaged in “substantive” discussions on security and economic issues with Jared Kushner, son of US president Donald Trump’s son-in-law, and Steve Witkoff, as well as other diplomats. Further discussions are anticipated to take place at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos this week.
• Zelenskyy stated that his team of negotiators had held several rounds of negotiations in the US and that he hopes to sign documents with the US regarding post-war security guarantees for Ukraine this week.
• According to two sources with knowledge of the visit, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s special envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, will travel to Davos this week to meet with US delegation members on the World Economic Forum’s agenda.

Politics

• A rifle was discovered on his yacht after it docked in the port city of Sochi last June, and an American man was arrested in Russia for five years for illegally transporting weapons, a court announced. Charles Wayne Zimmerman, the man, was identified by the publication, who said he “admitted his guilt in full.” The sentence for the man was not specified, but it stated that an appeal had been turned down.

Energy

• In response to Russia’s ongoing assault on Ukraine’s energy sector, Polish pipeline operator Gaz-System announced in a statement that it will increase its capacity for gas transmission between February and April.