January 22, 2026 – Short News

Rutte Denies Greenland Deal – Lots of Arctic Talk, No Control

Mark Rutte makes it clear that control over Greenland was not a topic of his talks with Donald Trump. In an interview, he said the discussions were not about ownership or sovereignty, but about security in the Arctic. The focus was on how this vast region can be protected as China and Russia become increasingly active there. That, and nothing more, shaped the talks. What stands out is how little substance there is behind the framework Trump keeps invoking. Rutte himself avoids any concrete description of what was supposedly agreed. Instead, he praises Trump and says he is right that the Arctic must be protected jointly. At the same time, Rutte stresses that talks about Greenland continue to take place between the United States, Greenland and Denmark, with the aim of preventing economic or military influence by Russia and China.

What remains is a clear signal of classification: no transfer, no deal, no control. Just another conversation about security, now being sold as something bigger than it actually is. What truly angers us is the carelessness with which this story was picked up. Without verification, without follow up questions, without even the smallest attempt to put it into context. Online, that was enough to send every AfD actor who can more or less read and write running. Trump was celebrated as if he had just humiliated Europe.

This is exactly where the real problem lies. Facts are hardly being checked anymore in the media, not even where outlets like to see themselves as serious. And that is exactly what strengthens right wing populism. Not because it is particularly clever, but because it feeds on this negligence. One single follow up question to Rutte would have been enough, and the matter would have been settled. But it was not about clarification, it was about speed. About being faster than the others, at any cost. This is how false images are created. And these images stick, even when they are later disproven. They shift perception, they distort reality, and that is precisely where their danger lies. We will not go down this path. What we publish is what has been researched - and only that. This is not a claim, it is an obligation. And yes, today that is uncomfortable and financially a constant fight for survival. But that is exactly what investigative journalism means.

“Not About Us Without Us” – Greenland Pushes Back Against NATO

Aaja Chemnitz has unequivocally rejected the alleged Greenland deal. The member of the Greenlandic parliament in Copenhagen explained that NATO has no right whatsoever to negotiate without Greenland’s political representatives. The trigger were statements by Donald Trump claiming there had been an agreement on Greenland with NATO chief Mark Rutte. Chemnitz described this portrayal as completely insane. Rutte has since denied such a deal and clarified that control over Greenland was not a topic of his talks with Donald Trump.

In a post, she made clear that Greenland is not an object of other people’s talks. Nothing about us, without us, she wrote, drawing a clear line. She was particularly explicit on the issue of resources. That NATO could have any say over the land or its rare earths was completely out of the question. Greenland decides for itself about its future, its economy and its resources. The reaction shows how far claims and reality are drifting apart. While elsewhere people talk about frameworks and deals, Greenland makes clear that sovereignty is not up for negotiation.

Newsom Uninvited, But… – Davos, Pressure and the Long Washington Echo

Gavin Newsom blames the White House for the short notice cancellation of his appearance in Davos. A conversation with the business magazine Fortune had been planned at the USA House, a central meeting point for American economic and trade events on the margins of the forum. Fortune said the decision to cancel was made by the USA House. From Newsom’s circle, however, it is said that the decision came under pressure from Washington. A statement from the USA House was initially not forthcoming. The White House, for its part, left open whether it had intervened, but publicly questioned why Newsom was in Davos at all. A spokesperson disparagingly called him a third rate governor. The planned appearance was indeed cancelled under political pressure from the USA House. Newsom is nevertheless speaking in Davos, in a different format and outside the originally planned stage - the attempt to silence him has thus failed.

The episode may seem banal, but it is revealing. A Democratic governor known for his open criticism of Trump disappears from the stage of an international forum. Officially for organizational reasons, politically accompanied by mockery and devaluation. In these days, Davos is not only a place of global debates, but also a mirror of domestic power games. Who speaks, who is silent, and who is made to be silent often says more than the speeches themselves.

Eight Minutes – and No One Was Allowed to Help

A doctor from Minnesota, Adam Armbruster, has sharply criticized the medical response after the shooting of Renee Good. According to an analysis of emergency call and fire department logs, Good still had a thin and irregular pulse about eight minutes after the incident when firefighters and paramedics arrived. This information has raised questions about whether timely medical help might have been possible and why it did not occur. Adam Armbruster said he was “simply appalled by the lack of immediate first aid and the initial resuscitation attempts” and called precisely this omission “the most inadequate” aspect for him. Even an identified medical professional on site who wanted to offer help was denied access. The debate over emergency procedures and delayed care continues, while the discussion about operational methods and responsibility further intensifies. It is also known that ICE officers are trained in CPR and are normally able to provide immediate assistance. This fact has caused shock among medical professionals and fierce criticism of the initial care. We had already made research available on this on January 8, see also our article: Deadly Seconds After the Shot - How Help Was Denied and Investigations Were Withheld Fatal Seconds After the Shot – How Aid Was Denied and the Investigation Was Taken Away

The doctor was on site, identified himself, and offered to intervene medically. He was denied access. No handover, no support, no intervention. Instead, standstill. For him, he says, it is hard to put into words what this did to everyone who stood behind him and watched. This sentence changes everything. It shifts the focus from the shot to what came after. To decisions, minutes, omissions. Not abstract, but concrete. Eight minutes are not a footnote. Eight minutes are time. And time can mean life.

Greenland as Cake – When Politics Turns Into Caricature

A cake, shaped like Greenland, with the flag of the United States on it. Lawmakers cut into it, laugh, pose. No more image is needed to understand how far some have gone by now. A geopolitical conflict becomes a gag, sovereignty turns into icing. What is being celebrated here is not strategy, but megalomania in dessert form. No one negotiates territories with cutlery, no one builds trust with symbols from a pastry shop. And yet that is exactly what is now being spread, shared, celebrated. America 2026, just embarrassing.

Putin Hesitates on the “Board of Peace” – Invitation Accepted, Decision Open

Vladimir Putin has confirmed that Russia has so far not made a decision about joining the so called Board of Peace. He thanked Donald Trump for the invitation and said the Foreign Ministry would review the proposal and consult with strategic partners. At the same time, Putin emphasized Russia’s special relationship with the Palestinian people. He also floated the idea of contributing one billion dollars from frozen Russian assets to the body. Whether, when and under what conditions this would happen, he left open. The initiative thus remains deliberately vague.

Trump defended the invitation to Russia by arguing that all countries must be included, especially those with influential leadership figures. He acknowledged that this included controversial individuals, but added that precisely these figures carried weight and enforcement power. What is being sold as a peace initiative therefore looks less like a finished project than like a collection of open questions. Russia is reviewing and keeping all options open.

After Minnesota, now Maine — the next ICE operation is underway, and the fight continues …

The Trump administration has launched a new nationwide deportation operation, this time in the state of Maine. The Department of Homeland Security confirms arrests since the beginning of the week. According to authorities, the target group consists primarily of migrants from Somalia, as well as people from Sudan, Guatemala and Ethiopia. The operation follows directly on the massive deployment in Minnesota, which triggered nationwide protests and has been under further pressure since the death of Renee Good at the hands of an ICE officer. Somali communities have lived in Maine for years, especially around Lewiston, many having arrived as asylum seekers over the past two decades.

Local politicians have been warning about the operations for days. The governor and several mayors made clear that provocations and violations of fundamental rights would not be accepted. At the same time, local representatives describe palpable fear in the affected neighborhoods. ICE speaks of targeted operations against individuals with warrants and refers to alleged serious prior offenses. According to internal figures, there are around 1,400 so called targets in Maine. What is emerging is familiar. First the operation, then the justification, then social division. Maine is now experiencing what Minnesota has already been through - with an open outcome.

37 Percent – and the Rest Slips Further After Davos …

The numbers are clear, and they are brutal. Donald Trump has fallen to 37 percent approval in the polls. At the same time, 71 percent of adults in the United States say the country is out of control. This is not a snapshot from a fringe group, but a broad mood across age, income and political camps. The majority no longer believes that things are being managed. They experience chaos, stagnation or escalation - depending on where one looks.

This becomes particularly clear on the issues Trump himself has made the benchmark of his policy. On inflation, he is 27 points underwater. A historic figure for a president who promised to bring prices down and restore stability. On immigration, his perennial issue, he is ten points underwater. Even on crime, a topic he has rhetorically dominated for years, disapproval outweighs approval. Seven points negative, despite all the toughness, despite all the images, despite all the threats. The reality check becomes even clearer when looking at Greenland. Only nine percent of respondents support the use of military force to take over the territory. Nine percent. That is not a mandate, it is political isolation. Even many who voted for Trump refuse to follow him here. The idea may be loud, it may produce headlines, but it finds no majority. Not even close.

The data come from a recent survey by The Economist and YouGov. More than 1,700 adult US citizens were surveyed in mid January. What stands out is less any single figure than the overall picture. Dissatisfaction runs through all groups. Women and men, younger and older, people with lower and higher incomes. Even among conservative voters, the feeling is widespread that the country is spiraling out of control. This also explains the nervousness surrounding this presidency. Foreign policy distractions, symbolic conflicts, ever new fronts. Those who lose domestically look for the stage elsewhere. But the polls show that this strategy does not work. It shifts attention, but it does not create trust. And trust is what is missing right now. Approval ratings are falling, skepticism is growing, and the sense of loss of control is becoming the majority view. That is the real finding of these numbers. Not the individual percentage point, but the direction.