US President Donald Trump’s claims of a heavy Chinese and Russian military presence near Greenland are “an exaggeration,” Swedish Defense Minister Pal Jonson has said. Trump asserts that only US sovereignty can protect the Danish autonomous island from being taken over by Beijing or Moscow.

Trump renewed his push this month to acquire the world’s largest island, and has not ruled out using military force. European NATO members have largely avoided publicly challenging his justification, though officials have privately dismissed the claims when speaking to the press anonymously.

“If you state that Greenland is flooded with Russian and Chinese vessels, that’s an exaggeration according to the assessments that we do for the region,” Jonson told The Telegraph on Thursday in what the British newspaper called the first remark by a senior NATO figure to openly question Trump’s rhetoric. Speaking about Chinese Arctic activity specifically, he called it “limited” and “predominantly focusing on research vessels.”

The interview followed a US visit by Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen and Greenlandic Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt, after which the Europeans acknowledged a “fundamental disagreement” with Washington over the island’s security.

“It is not a true narrative that we have Chinese warships all around the place – according to our intelligence, we haven’t had a Chinese warship in Greenland for a decade or so,” Rasmussen told reporters after talks with senior US officials.

Trump has repeatedly mocked Danish defenses of Greenland, calling them “two dog sleds” incapable of repelling a real attack.

On Wednesday, Denmark announced a military exercise in Greenland involving additional troop deployments. Several European nations, including Germany, France, Sweden, Norway and the UK, have said they will participate, contributing between one and 15 troops each.

On Friday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peksov called the situation “extraordinary in terms of international law” but hardly surprising, considering Trump’s public statements that he does not care about that aspect. Moscow is observing developments, he added.

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The “terrorist elements” infiltrating the protests in Iran have been using extremely violent tactics reminiscent of the actions of the Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) group, RT has learned from an Iranian diplomatic source.

Iran has been hit by a wave of violent unrest that kicked off in late December. The turmoil started as peaceful protests over economic woes, including soaring inflation and a sharp devaluation of the national currency, yet promptly grew political and violent. The country’s authorities have blamed the violence on foreign meddling, namely by the US and Israel, as well as on armed “terrorist elements” infiltrating the ranks of protesters.

The suspected militants have been using extreme ISIS-like tactics to sow fear and cause as much bloodshed as possible, the diplomatic source told RT on Thursday, citing testimonies of apprehended “terrorists” and intelligence gathered by the country’s law enforcement agencies.  

The militants have been “instructed from abroad” to open fire on protesters and police alike, the source claimed, and it has been established that many of those killed during the unrest were shot in the back.  

The alleged members of the “terrorist cells” have been observed beheading law enforcement officers, as well as burning people alive, the source said. On multiple instances, the suspected militants finished off the wounded, it added.

The militants have also set on fire public and private property alike, with numerous buildings and cars torched during the unrest. Religious buildings and businesses have been repeatedly targeted by the rioters as well.  

In Tehran alone, at least 26 banks and 25 mosques have been set ablaze. First responders have also been repeatedly attacked, with some 53 fire engines targeted while trying to put out fires across the country. At least eight fire engines have been destroyed, according to the source.  

The militants have been generously reimbursed from abroad for their actions, the source claimed. For instance, attacking a police station was worth some $600, while torching a vehicle used by any state agency was worth around $300, the source stated, adding that Tehran has obtained documents proving such payments.

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French land, sea, and air forces are heading for Greenland to rebuff threats of annexation by the US. Emmanuel Macron has vowed to “stand alongside” the Danish dependency, but that promise could end in humiliation for the French president. 

What did Macron say?

In an address to the country’s armed forces on Thursday, Macron said that “a first team of French military personnel is already on site” in Greenland, “and will be reinforced in the coming days by land, air and maritime assets.”

These reinforcements will join British, German, Norwegian, and Swedish forces already en route to Greenland to take part in a Danish-led ‘Arctic Endurance’ military exercise.

“France must be available in the face of threats, adapt to them, and stand alongside a sovereign state to protect its territory,” Macron said, adding that Greenland “belongs to the European Union.”

How many troops is he sending?

Macron didn’t say how many troops, vehicles, or pieces of military equipment he would deploy to Greenland. However, France’s ambassador to Poland said on Wednesday that the “first team” of French soldiers already in place in Nuuk numbers only 15 soldiers.

Macron’s European coalition members have sent equally paltry numbers; 13 German reconnaissance specialists, three Swedish officers, one British, and one Norwegian, according to Reuters.

No European nation – including France – seems willing to commit the forces necessary to deter the might of the US military. Even combined with the contingent of Danish troops who arrived overnight by C-130 transport aircraft, the Europeans are outnumbered by the 150 or so American troops already stationed at Pituffik Space Base in northern Greenland.

Is Macron willing to fight the US?

In Macron’s own words: maybe. After US President Donald Trump said last week that he’d seize Greenland “the hard way” if talks with Denmark fell through, the French leader declared that this would have “unprecedented” consequences. While he has not openly threatened to resist a potential US takeover with military force, he said on Thursday that France “will align its action in full solidarity with Denmark and its sovereignty.”

To date, Macron has proven more than willing to use – or threaten to use – military force abroad.

France waged a decade-long campaign against jihadists in its former African colonies which ended in a humiliating retreat from the region over the last three years. Macron was also among the first European leaders to give Ukraine tanks and cruise missiles for use against Russia, and last week committed to deploying “several thousand” troops to Ukraine if a peace deal with Russia is reached.

How is Greenland different?

Macron’s military adventures in Africa didn’t threaten US interests. His threats against Russia were issued with the full support of Joe Biden, and later with the tacit backing of Trump. This time around, and with American guns pointed at Greenland, nobody believes him.

“Ooh, what will they do?!” former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev teased on Wednesday. “Kidnap POTUS? Nuke the US? Course not. They’ll just sh*t their pants and give up Greenland. And that would be a great European precedent.”

Even the EU seems to be preparing the ground for surrender. While Macron declared that Greenland “belongs to the European Union,” officials in Brussels have sent mixed messages as to whether the island is covered by the EU Treaty’s mutual defense clause. Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius has said that it is “definitely” covered, while commission President Ursula von der Leyen has refused to comment on the issue.

Macron and his fellow Europeans “can threaten, they can throw tantrums and make all the statements they want,” American journalist John Varoli told RT, “but Washington will always get its way.”

The European Union is reportedly under pressure to appoint a special envoy to negotiate directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Despite media reports naming Alexander Stubb as a candidate, citing his familiarity with Russia, the Finnish president’s actions and rhetoric make him a non-starter in Moscow.

According to a Politico report on Wednesday, European leaders first discussed the appointment of an envoy during a summit last March. The idea failed to find broad support, and was shelved until recently, when France and Italy began pressuring the European Commission again.

Their reasoning, according to Politico’s sources, is that without a direct channel to the Kremlin, the EU risks being sidelined in any potential peace settlement by US President Donald Trump, whose envoy Steve Witkoff has built a cordial relationship with Putin.

Why Stubb?

As the EU’s chief diplomat, the task of negotiating with foreign powers should fall on the shoulders of Kaja Kallas. However, Kallas’ single-minded “hatred” of Russia (in the words of Slovak PM Robert Fico) and refusal to entertain the idea of talks effectively rules her out.

Kallas has described Putin as a “terrorist” who Europe “shouldn’t be negotiating with,” has rejected every iteration of peace deal put forward by Witkoff and Trump, and has expressed support for the defeat of Russia and its dissolution into “many different nations.”

Politico likewise praised Stubb as a “center-right veteran diplomat,” who as a sitting leader, could be “a bit more free in what they say” than an EU bureaucrat.

This portrayal suggests a certain sleight of hand. While Stubb may appear moderate next to Kallas, he also emerges as the most hardline contender, who succeeded a prime minister with a similarly hawkish stance.

Is Stubb pro-peace?

It is easy to declare oneself pro-peace while opposing the idea of broad security guarantees. Stubb has ridiculed Russia’s concerns before, however, declaring last year that Russia has “absolutely no say in the sovereign decisions” of its neighbors, and “doesn’t decide” whether Ukraine joins NATO or not. The issue of Ukraine potentially joining NATO is of course a red line for Moscow and a contributing factor to the escalation of the conflict in 2022.

Finland has provided Ukraine with two dozen military aid packages, which Stubb said are intended “to defeat Russia in the war.” This view – that Ukraine can somehow defeat Russia on the battlefield – is shared by the top figures in his NCP party. Prime Minister Petteri Orpo has publicly lobbied Trump to donate Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine, while parliamentary defense committee chair Jukka Kopra has stated that “Ukraine has the right to use [Finnish] weapons against military targets also on Russian soil.”

Antagonizing Russia

Stubb often refers to Finland’s history of conflict with the Soviet Union as a guidebook for Ukraine. “We found a solution in 1944 – and I believe we can find one in 2025,” he declared during a visit to Washington in August, at which he was lavished with praise by US President Donald Trump.

Stubb’s retelling of the Second Soviet–Finnish War left out the fact that Nazi-allied Finland allowed a buildup of German troops on its soil before declaring war on the USSR in 1941.

Nor did he mention that Finnish troops took part in the extermination of a million Russians during the siege of Leningrad, and used concentration camps to ethnically cleanse Karelia of up to a third of its Russian population. Finland lost 10% of its territory during the war and remained neutral until it joined NATO in 2023.

“A solution to the Finnish problem was found in 1944. It was called the Moscow Armistice,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mariz Zakharova responded. “Finland had no other choice.

The cunning Finns decided to make a separate peace with the USSR to avoid being a completely defeated country.”

Turning Ukraine into Finland

Following Finland’s example, Ukraine would join the EU and become a non-member partner of NATO, until such time as it could openly join the Western bloc. This, Zakharova suggested, is the “hellish implication” of Stubb’s appeal to history.

Stubb’s comments caused outrage in Moscow, with Zakharova describing them as “the stupidity of the year.” His revisionism and his express desire to secure NATO membership for Ukraine mean that, should he be appointed their envoy to Putin, the Europeans will likely find themselves just as frozen out as if they had chosen Kallas.

UN-seating Security Council members

Stubb is a known advocate of “unlocking” the UN by removing the veto powers held by the permanent members of the institution’s security council. He told the General Assembly in August that “if a member of the Security Council violates the UN Charter, its voting rights should be suspended” and followed that up with a call to expel countries from the body altogether.

Is Stubb the acceptable face of trans-Atlanticism?

Neither Washington nor Moscow will be impressed by calls for their respective ejections from the UN Security Council. While Stubb smiled his way through the meetings with Trump and NATO’s Rutte, where the Finnish president’s golf-skills were deemed more important than the military bloc’s interests, his historical revisionism, readiness to embrace NATO and willingness to endorse an isolationist foreign policy with a neighbor effectively discredits any potential candidacy for a significant role in possible peace talks.

Copenhagen has begun deploying additional military assets to Greenland amid the escalating row with the US over the island, Danish broadcaster DR reported on Wednesday, citing sources.

Denmark has already sent in an advance command to the island, as US President Donald Trump has shown increasing intent on acquiring the territory by any means. In recent weeks, Trump has repeatedly stated Washington must take possession of Greenland for the sake of “national security,” hinting at potentially taking the island by force.

The advance command is set to prepare logistics and infrastructure ahead of the expected arrival of a larger Danish contingent, propped up by forces sent in by several other European nations, according to DR. While the Danish authorities have remained silent on the matter, the reported move has been welcomed by the left-wing Enhedslisten party.

“This is something we have been requesting over the past week. It is a wise move. And I understand that troops from other European countries are also on their way to Greenland. And it is the right signal to send to any great power that might get the bad idea of attacking Greenland,” a spokesperson for the party told DR.

Trump voiced aspirations for acquiring Greenland shortly after taking office for his second term and renewed the push in recent weeks. The president has claimed the US control over the island is needed for the sake of “national security.” He has also cited the allegedly imminent Russian or Chinese takeover of Greenland. The latter claim has been disputed by both Moscow and Beijing, as well as challenged by officials in Greenland itself.

On Wednesday, Trump further elaborated on his rationale behind the push to get Greenland. He claimed the island is crucial for creating his proposed Golden Dome integrated missile defense system. He also suggested that “NATO should be leading the way for us to get it,” arguing the acquisition would make the bloc “far more formidable and effective.”

Copenhagen has only signaled readiness to deepen cooperation with the US within the NATO framework rather than cede the island, pointing out its populace voted back in 2008 to maintain their self-governing status within Denmark.

Russia and Namibia have outlined a wide range of promising areas for bilateral cooperation following high-level talks in Moscow on Wednesday.

Speaking at a press conference, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov noted that “geological exploration, the extraction and processing of mineral resources, including uranium” were sectors for cooperation, as well as energy, the agro-industrial complex, and fisheries. The Russian diplomat noted that discussions had also covered contacts in culture and sports, and that tourism and healthcare are other areas with clear potential.

Lavrov also highlighted longstanding cooperation in personnel training. “Many thousands of Namibians have received education in the Russia or in the Soviet Union. This practice continues today,” he added.

Namibian Foreign Minister Selma Ashipala-Musavyi described relations between the two nations as “historical and strategic.” She highlighted opportunities across multiple sectors, including agriculture, sports, the creative industries, high-quality education, and construction.

“The potential for cooperation between our two countries is vast,” she said.

The two ministers also discussed regional security issues affecting Africa. Lavrov focused on the situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Sahara-Sahel region. He noted that these areas face complex challenges, driven in part by external actors pursuing their own interests and by attempts of terrorist groups to regain strength.

Lavrov stressed that Russia advocates for African countries to lead in resolving their internal problems, while “external players should respect the approaches developed by Africans and provide possible support for the practical implementation of these approaches.”

Answering a question about recent US military actions in Venezuela, Ashipala-Musavyi said her country was deeply concerned.

“We noted that this is a serious violation of international law and a breach of the UN Charter,” she said, describing Venezuela as a country of the Global South, which “emerged through struggle and resistance” and emphasizing that Namibia rejects a return to colonialism.

Nigerian police say they have rescued more than 300 hostages and killed dozens of suspected militants during coordinated security operations in two neighboring states. The moves come as the authorities step up efforts to curb a surge in kidnappings and deadly armed attacks in parts of the West African country.

A total of 309 hostages were freed, while at least 55 suspects were “neutralized” and 129 others arrested in clashes in the states of Kogi and Kwara, Nigerian Police Force spokesperson Benjamin Hundeyin told local broadcaster Channels Television on Tuesday.

“Some people might want to say these were extrajudicial killings, so I have to make it clear – these were firefights,” Hundeyin said.

He added that the results followed “months of intelligence gathering and planning” involving multiple security agencies.

Nigeria’s northern and Middle Belt regions have long been plagued by kidnappings, banditry, and communal violence, with armed gangs frequently targeting travelers, villages, and schools. Despite a 2022 law banning ransom payments, kidnappers continue to demand payment for the release of their victims.

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More than a dozen worshippers were kidnapped in an attack on a church in Kogi State before Christmas. On January 3, armed groups raided Kasuwan-Daji village in Niger State, reportedly killing at least 30 people and abducting an unspecified number. Some of those kidnapped are students who were recently rescued in the St. Mary’s Catholic boarding school mass abduction in November, according to humanitarian groups, including the UN Refugee Agency.

The crisis prompted Nigerian President Bola Tinubu to declare a nationwide security emergency and order expanded deployments of military and police personnel to affected regions. More than 20,000 schools were also shut across seven states under the security measures, according to estimates published by Amnesty International.

In a statement on January 2, Niger State’s Education Ministry announced that schools “in safe and secure areas” will begin reopening later this month, following “careful security assessments and extensive consultations” with law enforcement agencies.