Analysis

Arthur Micelino Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos on January 21, 2026, Donald Trump announced he was seeking “immediate negotiations” to acquire Greenland from Denmark, arguing that “it’s the United States alone that can protect this giant mass of land, this giant piece of ice.” After …

  Dr. Ruwayda Mustafah President of the KRI Nechirvan Barzani’s quiet diplomacy could secure Syria’s northeast, protect US energy interests, and prevent regional spillover. Since the rapid twelve-day offensive that took over Damascus in late 2024, President Ahmed al-Sharaa has sought to reassert central government authority across Syria’s …

Arctic brinkmanship over Greenland, NATO in chaos, and Putin’s calculated silence. In the latest episode of Russia Decoded, hosts Andy Kuchins and Chris Monday unpack how Russian state media frames the fragmenting West. January 2026 may well be remembered as the moment the post-1945 international order finally began …

James Holmes In the late 1890s, naval theorist Alfred Thayer Mahan made a compelling argument for the United States’ possession of Hawaii. Those interested in the annexation of Greenland might take note. Once upon a time, an eminent American full-throatedly espoused annexing a strategically situated, lightly populated island …

Damjan Krnjevic-Miskovic Canadian prime minister Mark Carney has charted a realist course for Canada. Can he put it to use and help strike a US-Denmark deal over Greenland? Canadian and European political leaders of various stripes seem to be tripping over themselves to articulate a sensible position on …

As President Donald Trump begins the second year of his second term, there is renewed volatility in the markets linked to geopolitical tensions and trade issues. Investors are concerned that this time the repercussions could be more severe and long-lasting compared to previous events. On Tuesday, volatility across …

Kurniawan Arif Maspul Sometimes foreign policy speaks not through treaties or tanks, but through theatre. When Donald Trump revived the idea of acquiring Greenland in early 2026—this time with hints of coercion rather than commerce—the point was never the island itself. Greenland became a language; a signal, carefully …

In a surprising development, President Vladimir Putin has indicated that Russia is prepared to donate $1 billion from its frozen U.S. assets to former President Donald Trump’s newly proposed Board of Peace—and an as-yet unspecified sum for Ukraine’s reconstruction. The move comes as Putin weighs Trump’s invitation to …

CHRISTINA VANBERGHEN The article on “Europe’s Arctic Moment: Greenland, NATO, and the Strategic Imperative at Davos”, published two days ago on Substack and today in Modern Diplomacy, was written prior to the start of the World Economic Forum. Yet, in light of the developments over the past forty-eight …