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Global Security Situation Brief

23/01/2026

Greenland

  • President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, announced today that the Commission will soon propose a substantial investment package for Greenland, adding that the EU also plans to deepen cooperation with the United States on Arctic security issues. Von der Leyen also stated that, given Trump's withdrawal of tariff threats, the EU should now shift its focus to implementing the trade agreement with the United States. These statements were made following an emergency summit of European leaders held in Brussels yesterday. The summit was convened in response to President Trump's earlier threats regarding Greenland, after which Trump announced a framework agreement with NATO. (The New York Times)

Israel-Hamas war

  • According to satellite images reviewed by Reuters, Israel has moved the concrete barriers used to delineate the Gaza Strip's yellow line dozens to hundreds of meters into Hamas-controlled territory, and its military has constructed at least six defensive positions to station troops. The images show that Israel has unilaterally altered its control line in Gaza, encircling additional land.
  • According to health officials, an Israeli airstrike on Gaza yesterday resulted in the deaths of five people. Health officials at Al-Shifa Hospital stated that four Palestinians were killed by Israeli tank shelling in the eastern suburb of Zaytoun, Gaza City. A fifth Palestinian was killed by Israeli artillery fire in Khan Younis in the south. (Reuters)

Trump's "Peace Commission"

  • After the signing ceremony of the Trump Peace Committee in Davos, Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner unveiled the development plan for New Gaza, which includes residential buildings, data centers, and seaside resorts. The plan indicates that reconstruction will begin in the Rafah area, which is under Israeli military control. Kushner did not disclose who will fund the project, only stating that a meeting will be held in Washington in the coming weeks, during which private sector donation plans will be announced. (Reuters)
  • At Trump's signing ceremony, Ali Shaath, the leader of the newly established technocratic government in Gaza, announced that the Rafah border crossing will be opened in both directions next week. Israel has not confirmed this, stating only that it will consider the matter. (Associated Press)
  • Trump withdrew the invitation to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to join the Peace Commission yesterday. Trump did not explain the reason for withdrawing the invitation, but it appeared to be a response to Carney's speech at the Davos Forum this week. Carney did not directly mention Trump or the United States, but he described the fracture of the U.S.-led global order. (The New York Times)
  • Russian President Putin stated yesterday that Moscow is willing to donate 1 billion dollars to the Gaza Peace Committee, but this requires the United States to unfreeze Russian assets in the U.S. During a meeting at the Kremlin with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, Putin indicated that if the funds frozen during the Biden administration are released, they could be used to support the Palestinian people. Putin mentioned that he plans to discuss this matter with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. (The New York Times)

Developments in the Russia-Ukraine situation

  • Russian, Ukrainian, and U.S. negotiators will hold talks today in the United Arab Emirates. The Kremlin confirmed that Russian officials will attend the meeting following yesterday's discussions between Putin, Vitkov, and Kushner. Russia described the talks as beneficial in all aspects but reiterated that a peace agreement cannot be reached until territorial issues are resolved. Ukrainian President Zelensky stated after meeting with Trump in Davos: "Everything is about land. This is the unresolved issue." Zelensky also confirmed that Ukrainian officials will attend the meeting in Abu Dhabi. (BBC)

Iran

  • The United Nations Human Rights Council will hold an emergency meeting today to discuss Iran's shocking use of violence against protesters. (Reuters)
  • The U.S. military has deployed additional military forces to the Middle East, including the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier and its associated vessels, which were redirected from the South China Sea to the Middle East. President Trump stated yesterday that the United States has dispatched a fleet toward Iran, just in case he decides to take action. (Associated Press)
  • Iran's top prosecutor, Mohammad Movahedi, stated today that Trump's claim that he prevented the execution of 800 detained protesters is a complete lie, adding that such a number does not exist at all, and the judicial authorities have never made any such decision. (Associated Press)

Syria

  • The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees will take over the Al-Hol camp in northeastern Syria, which holds thousands of individuals allegedly linked to the Islamic State organization, a UN official said yesterday. UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric warned that the situation inside the camp remains tense and volatile, with humanitarian operations still suspended following incidents of violence. (BBC)
  • According to a Reuters report yesterday, a U.S. official revealed that the U.S. military is expected to complete the transfer of up to 7,000 Islamic State prisoners from Syrian prisons to Iraq within the next few days. Legal professionals in Iraq stated that the Islamic State prisoners transferred from Syria so far come from multiple countries, with Iraqis constituting the majority. Additionally, there are Arab militants from other countries, as well as citizens from the United Kingdom, Belgium, France, Germany, and Sweden.
  • Officials stated yesterday that the decision to transfer Islamic State prisoners to Iraq was made in response to a request from Baghdad officials, which has been welcomed by the U.S.-led coalition and the Syrian government. An Iraqi security official said that detaining them in Iraqi prisons aligns more with Iraq's interests than leaving them in Syria, due to concerns that prisoners might escape from detention centers amid tensions between the Syrian government and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces. A Syrian Foreign Ministry official noted that the plan had been discussed for months prior to the recent clashes with the Syrian Democratic Forces. (Associated Press)

American relations

  • The Trump administration is expanding its ban on aid to organizations that support abortion services, extending the prohibition to both international and domestic organizations that promote gender identity and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. A U.S. official stated yesterday that the new regulations will be published today in the Federal Register. (Associated Press)

Minnesota

  • The White House misrepresented the arrest of prominent civil rights attorney Nekima Levy Armstrong, who participated in an anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) protest in Minnesota on Sunday. The protest disrupted a church service. The White House posted a doctored image on social media showing Levy Armstrong crying, while the original picture depicted her with a calm expression. Levy Armstrong's attorney, who was present, stated that she remained completely calm, composed, and rational. (Associated Press)
  • According to two sources, federal prosecutors attempted to file charges against former CNN reporter Don Lemon for his involvement in an anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) protest that disrupted a church service, but a local magistrate refused to approve the charges. Lemon and his lawyer both stated that he attended the protest in his capacity as a journalist. One source added that Attorney General Pam Bondi was furious about the decision. (POLITICO)
  • Vice President Vance stated yesterday that the Trump administration currently has no immediate plans to invoke the Insurrection Act (which would allow the deployment of troops in Minneapolis) and is instead attempting to de-escalate the situation. Vance also expressed optimism that local officials would be more cooperative in the coming days but did not specify the reasons. (The New York Times)
  • According to official sources, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained at least four children, including a 5-year-old, in Columbia Heights, a suburb of Minneapolis. Vance told reporters that immigration officials were pursuing the father of the 5-year-old, who had fled, leaving the officials with no choice but to take the abandoned boy. However, witnesses stated that school officials, family friends, and neighbors all offered to take the boy in, but were refused by ICE officers. Zena Stenvik, Superintendent of Columbia Heights Public Schools, said: "ICE's frequent operations in our community are causing trauma and harming our children." (Reuters)
  • Yesterday, a federal appeals court heard arguments on whether the United States is truly being invaded by Venezuela, a hybrid criminal state. This claim was made last year when former President Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelan immigrants accused of being members of the Aragua Train gang. The Trump administration argued that Trump's declaration was final, and that judges questioning his determination of what constitutes an invasion were overstepping their authority. (The New York Times)
  • According to internal government documents unsealed by a federal judge yesterday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio personally approved the deportation of five student activists last year, primarily because they participated in pro-Palestinian protests and wrote articles about the Gaza war. The documents reveal that a senior diplomat repeatedly warned that deporting visa holders and permanent residents based on activities closely linked to speech protected by the First Amendment would likely provoke legal challenges. In one of the documents, officials acknowledged there were few grounds to deport the students aside from a rarely used 1952 law, which allows the Secretary of State to deport non-citizens for reasons related to foreign policy. (The Washington Post)
  • Former Special Counsel Jack Smith testified before Congress yesterday, stating that he believes the Department of Justice will prosecute him, adding: I believe they will do everything in their power to do so, because the President has ordered it. (Axios)

Actions of the Trump administration

  • The Office of Management and Budget has directed all federal agencies, except the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs, to report every grant, loan, contract, subcontract, and other monetary award to a coalition of 14 Democratic-led states and Washington, D.C. The memorandum, issued on Monday, requires agencies to submit their reports by January 28. It states that the move aims to reduce improper and fraudulent use of these funds through administrative actions or by submitting legislative proposals to Congress. (The Washington Post)