As the dust begins to setttle on the 56th World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Dearbail Jordan and Patrick Jackson(left) report that,
"The first three-way peace talks between Russia, Ukraine and the US have ended in Abu Dhabi with no apparent breakthrough, as fighting rages. … The two-day talks ended after waves of Russian air strikes targeted Ukraine's badly damaged energy infrastructure, killing one person and injuring 35 others, Ukrainian officials said." (BBC News: 24 January 2026) (my emphasis)
The intensive bombing by Putin of Ukraine's energy infrastructure in the hope to cow the people of Ukraine, and force Zelensky to 'unconditionally surrender to his 'demented' "Novorossiya" demand is, as Zelensky told the audience at Davos,
"Too often in Europe something else is more urgent than justice.
Europe loves to discuss the future but it avoids taking action today, action that defines what kind of future we will have.
...
Righ now those countries [in Europe] are making money for Putin [by buying Putin's oil and gas] and that means Russia continues to push its sick agenda" (Crux: 23 January 2026) (my emphasis)
“We are very close to a meeting between Putin and Zelensky,” one US source said. … Despite the positive tone, deep divisions remain – particularly over territory in eastern Ukraine. … Zelensky has repeatedly said he will not surrender, warning it could become a launchpad for future Russian assaults. (The Sun: 26 January 2026) (my emphasis)
As Zelensky has, on countless occasions, warned the world that Putin has absolutely no intention of stopping then war in Ukraine, primarily to ensure his own survival, Putin now faces his worst nighmare.
"Russia's Shadow Fleet of oil tankers is been hit hard, as I speak. Looks like this time the West means business.
This is a new development because before none of the western politicians were so public about actions like that.
It signals a willingness to do enforcement .... to enforce actions on the high seas, not only on the territories of different countries, but in the international waters.
And this is a meaningful escalation in practical risk for Shadow Fleet operators." (Inside Russia: 24 January 2026) (my emphasis)
Putin and his 'siloviki' are popping the champange corks in the Kremlin as Trump threatens to invade, and annex, Greenland.
Andrew Weisman(right) outlines the international political and legal implications of Trump's threat to invade Greenland.
More significantly, he outlines that Trump's threatening invasion of Greenland mirrors Putin's invasion of, and subsequent war with, Ukraine, which is playing directly into the hands of Putin.
In an interview with Nicolle Wallace (left), Weismann states that,
"I'd like everyone to think about the message to Russia. Russia has engaged in an unprovoked attack on Ukraine. The Congress heretofore has viewed that ... to defend Ukraine in the face of Russia.
But this is sending a message that what Russia is doing is what America is going to do, and what China could do with Taiwan.
This "might makes right" view of the world, where you blow off the United Nations Charter, you blow off the sense of the Rule of Law internally, domestically, and internally, is what leads to 'global chaos' in a world that's not civilized at peace.'" (ms.now: 17 January 2026) (my emphasis)
ms.now: 17 January 2026 (deadline-white-house) and ms.now : 17 January 2026 (11th-hour)
And against this backdrop, as reported by Dan Peleschuk(left),
" Two people were killed and dozens more wounded in a mass Russian drone attack across Ukraine overnight, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Sunday, as U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators hashed out a post-war plan in the latest round of peace talks." (Reuters: 18 January 2026) (my emphasis)
"Ukraine's peace negotiators arrived in the United States on Saturday for talks on details of a proposed agreement to end the four-year war with Russia, the head of the Ukrainian president's office said. … During the talks, Zelensky said his team would seek clarity from the US on the Russian stance towards diplomatic efforts to end the war. Moscow has refused to budge on its maximalist demands for a peace deal. " (The Independent on MSN: 18 January 2026) (my emphasis)
"King Charles has reiterated the United Kingdom's commitment to Ukraine, telling the nation "we stand with you" amid the deadly ongoing Russian invasion. The monarch also spoke of his hopes for a lasting peace that safeguards its "security, sovereignty and prosperity". (The Mirror: 16 January 2026) (my emphasis)
And whilst Putin and his 'siloviki' may be toasting Trump's threat to invade and annex Greenland, in the face of Greenlanders demonstrating against his potential actions,
"The Russian economy has found itself in its worst state since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine due to a steep decline in oil revenues and the depletion of reserves. Despite claims by US President Donald Trump about Russia's supposed "advantage" in the war, economists are predicting a banking crisis and a recession in Moscow as early as next year." (Yahoo Finance: 23 December 2025) (my emphasis)
And we now learn from Catherine Mackinlay (left) and Will Stewart (right)that, "Vladimir Putin has suffered a massive blow after Ukrainian drones attacked his top-secret super-weapon testing hub, denting possible hopes of Russia launching its 'unstoppable' Oreshnik missiles. Specialist military site Militarnyi revealed that "Ukrainian drones attacked the 4th State Central Inter-Service Test Range Kapustin Yar in Astrakhan Region." … One Russian aim in a new blitzkrieg on Ukraine could be a "genocidal" campaign to destroy the country's nuclear power plant substationsin a bid to force people to surrender. Electricity transmission substations ensure the operation of the atomic power plants." (Daily Express on MSN: 18 January 2026) (my emphasis)
Putin's celebration of Trump threatening to invade and annex Greenland is a celebration that disguises his fear of his imminent downfall.
"But it was Medvedev’s final message that sent shockwaves globally. Arguing that diplomacy
has failed and international law is ignored, he claimed that only
maximum military strength — including nuclear weapons — can protect a
nation from foreign intervention. His closing words, “Long live nuclear weapons,” are now being interpreted as a veiled warning to the United States and its allies." (Times of India: 4 January 2026) (my emphasis)"(blog-entry 4 January 2026)
No longer is Mevedev's threat of nuclear armageddon a 'veiled warning to the United States and its allies".
By bombing Ukraine with the 'nuclear capable' Oreshnik missiles, Mark Trevelyan and Andrew Osborn(right) report that, "President Vladimir Putin's launch of an Oreshnik hypersonic missile appears aimed at intimidating Ukraine and sending a signal of Russian military might to Europe and the United States at a crucial juncture in talks to end the war. ...
"It does appear that at this point Russia is using Oreshnik for signaling purposes, so the destruction is not necessarily the goal," Pavel Podvig (left), director of the Russian Nuclear Forces Project, told Reuters when asked if the use of dummy warheads would diminish the capacity of Moscow's action to intimidate Ukraine and its allies." (Reuters: 9 January 2026) (my emphasis)
The argument of Pavel Podvig that Putin is simply bombing Ukrainian civilians with the 'nuclear capable' Oreshnik missile for 'signalling' purposes simply holds no water.
"If they are on their last legs, desperate people do desperate things (i.e. Putin). … It's very much designed to intimidate, to force Europe to accept Russia's conditions for peace in Ukraine. (i.e. total surender) … I think it's a strategy that will backfire. … If a missile did land in Poland, Poland would regard that as a direct attack its own sovereign territory and would respond very robustly to that. … Russia as lost out to avoid sanctions busting trade thanks to Venezuela um Maduro being taken out, and China's lost access to oil. So Russia is being pushed into a corner by that." (The Sun : 10 January 2026: YouTube)
"The UN Security Council is set to convene an emergency meeting on 12 January at Ukraine's request to address Russian attacks, particularly the use of the Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile. … The meeting will address Russia's flagrant breaches of the UN Charter. We urge Security Council members to demonstrate unity of purpose by demanding an end to the aggression, protection of civilians, and unwavering support for Ukraine's sovereignty." (Ukrayinska Pravda on Yahoo News: 10 January 2026) (my emphasis)
"Members of the Coalition of the Willing, together with Ukraine and the US, have signed a joint declaration on security guarantees aimed at achieving a stable and lasting peace in Ukraine. … Participants at a meeting in Paris on 6 January reaffirmed their commitment to a just and lasting peace in Ukraine in line with the principles of the United Nations Charter. They welcomed the progress made so far, including through discussions between American, Ukrainian, European and other international partners." (Ukrayinska Pravda: 6 January 2026) (my emphasis)
Coalition of the Willing
To the initial meeting of the Coalition of the Willing, Russia's standard respose was,
"Russia's Foreign Ministry has said that the Coalition of the Willing declaration on security guarantees for Ukraine is far removed from a peaceful settlement, and that Russia will view Western troops deployed in Ukraine as "legitimate military targets".
Members of the Coalition of the Willing signed a declaration on security guarantees for Ukraine on 6 January in Paris. According to Zakharova, the "document is extremely far from a peaceful settlement". (Khrystyna Bondarieva(left): Ukrayinska Pravda on Yahoo News: 8 January 2026) (my emphasis)
However Putin and his Kremlin cohorts were completely taken by surprise by the military and financial commitments to Ukraine of the 'Coalition of the Willing', without the participation of the US.
"
... Early this morning (10 January 2026), Central European Time, intelligence sources
detected what they described as a co-ordinated series of announcements
from European capitals that had clearly been synchronized to the
minute.
At 0:900 Brussels time, the German Defence Ministry released a statement.
At 09:03, the French Ministry of Armed Forces followed.
At 09:07 the Polish Ministry of National Defence.
At 09:12 the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence.
What we know at this hour is that European leaders have announced a comprehensive military support package for Ukraine valued at over eighteen billion euros, structured specifically to operate independently of United States approval or participation" (Mustafa Yildirim: 10 January 2026: YouTube)
These announcements of financial and increased military support for Ukraine follow Putin's continuous bombarment of Ukraine civilians with missiles and drones, which has also drawn the ire of church leaders.
"Church leaders have branded President Vladimir Putin the ‘Anti-Christ’ after the Russian leader said his war with Ukraine was part of a “holy mission”.
Putin called Russian soldiers “warriors” who were acting “as if at the Lord's behest” in a speech marking Orthodox Christmas on Wednesday.
“Trying to do this with power and violence, which is not about love, not about Christian values is more like the Anti-Christ in the Christian world,” the Rector at the Paris of the Protection of the Holy Mother of God in central London told The Independent." (The Independent on MSN: 9 January 2026) (my emphasis)
As the Russian economy continues to fall into the abyss of complete collapse, and the people of Russia revolt against the continuing economic decline that is impoverishing them, how far into the economic abyss will Putin descend before he arms an Oreshnik missile heading for Ukraine with a nuclear warhead?
The international 'political' tsunami that is now engulfing the world, with the arrest of Venezuelan president Maduro through the military invasion of Venezuela by Trump, has upended the international political strategies of Vladimir Putin, Ayatollah Khamenie, and Xi Jingping(left).
Just three weeks ago, as reported by the Moscow Times,
"Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday reaffirmed his support to Venezuela in a phone call with longtime ally President Nicolás Maduro, the Kremlin said. ... Russia has fostered warm ties with Venezuela and Maduro visited Moscow earlier this year, attending an annual military parade and signing a broad partnership agreement with Putin.
In a phone call on Thursday, "Vladimir Putin expressed solidarity with the Venezuelan people," the Kremlin said in a read-out. (Moscow Times: 11 December 2025) (my emphasis)
And in the wake of Trump's arrest of Maduro, and transferring him to a US prison for trial as a 'drug trafficer' smuggling drugs into the US, Sabrina Penty(left) reports that,
"Volodymyr Zelensky has suggested Vladimir Putin should now be detained - after the US captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and flew him out of the country in an extraordinary military operation.
Speaking to reporters after a meeting with European national security advisors on Saturday, the Ukrainian president was asked about Donald Trumps' military action against Venezuela.
'How should I react to this? What can I say?', Zelensky said with a wry smile.(Daily Mail: 4 January 2026) (my emphasis)
"President Donald Trump has warned that the United States is 'locked and loaded' and ready to intervene in Iran if the regime continues violently suppressing peaceful protesters. ... The warning comes over ongoing protests across Iran, where citizens have been taking to the streets to oppose economic hardship, with several deaths reported already." (Internatioal Business Times: 2 January 2026) (my emphasis)
"Russia’s reaction to the U.S. strike on Venezuela has taken a dramatic turn. Dmitry Medvedev, a senior Russian security official and close ally of President Vladimir Putin, issued a blistering statement condemning Washington’s actions and accusing the United States of abducting a legally elected leader.
But it was Medvedev’s final message that sent shockwaves globally. Arguing that diplomacy has failed and international law is ignored, he claimed that only maximum military strength — including nuclear weapons — can protect a nation from foreign intervention. His closing words, “Long live nuclear weapons,” are now being interpreted as a veiled warning to the United States and its allies." (Times of India: 4 January 2026) (my emphasis)
Yet the very words of Medvedev that,
" ... diplomacy
has failed and international law is ignored, he claimed that only
maximum military strength ... can protect a
nation from foreign intervention"
is precisely what Ukraine is doing against the illegal invasion by Putin of Ukraine.
This merely serves to indicate the near complete collapse of Putin's 'demented Novorossiya' arguments for his invasion of, and subsequent illegal annexation of,
Ukraine's Crimea in 2014,
a swathe of Ukraine's Donbas and Lughansk in 2014,
and swathes of Ukraine's Zaphorizia and Kherson provinces in 2022.
And Putin's recent 'missile' bombing of Kherson has somewhat infuriated Trump.
"President Donald Trump expressed fresh frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin, bristling at the Kremlin’s ongoing military operations even as the US leader seeks to bring an end to the war in Ukraine.
“I’m not thrilled with Putin, he’s killing too many people,” Trump said Saturday during a news conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. … Trump initially told reporters he was “very angry” about the purported attack on Putin’s residence, even as Ukrainian officials denied Moscow’s account and cast the allegations as an attempt to derail the peace talks.
Trump later signalled his skepticism over the Russian claims and his disappointment with the Russian leader with a social media post that shared a New York Post editorial. (Bloomberg on MSN: 3 January 2026) (my emphasis)
Further drowning a sinking and flailing Putin in a sea of 'total political confusion and paranoia', Anders Anglesey(left) reports,
"A Russian military blogger feared any US takeover of Venezuela's oil reserves could lead to a "nightmare" collapse of the country's economy which is reliant on energy exports. … Russians have been left in fear they will "starve to death" following the swift capture of Vladimir Putin's ally Nicolas Maduro. … Fears have also seeped out from the Kremlin and have infected online spaces where Russians have shared concerns that oil prices will collapse and damage the country's economy which is reliant on energy exports. Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska (right) said American control of Venezuelan oil could have serious negative consequences." (Mirror: 3 January 2026) (my emphasis)
Putin has finally reached a dead-end in his war with Ukraine.
The intensive bombing by Putin of Ukraine's energy infrastructure in the hope to cow the people of Ukraine, and force Zelensky to 'unconditionally surrender to his 'demented' "Novorossiya" demand is, as Zelensky told the audience at Davos,
As Konstantin Samoilov (left) reports, the most significant news is that,
