“We must be ready for a direct confrontation with Trump,” one EU diplomat said.

— A rare earth metals deal with Ukraine is needed to continue US involvement and to recover funds allocated to Kyiv under Biden.

— Trump supports a bill to tighten sanctions against Russia but hopes it will not be necessary.

— The US is already unloading oil from the seized tanker Mariner, though he did not clarify whether he discussed the situation with Putin.

— As a result of the Venezuela operation, the US obtained approximately $4 billion worth of oil.

— Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado will visit Washington next week; a meeting with Trump is possible.

— On January 9, Trump plans to meet with executives from 14 oil companies that have invested at least $100 billion in Venezuela.

— The US intends to “rebuild” Venezuela ahead of elections.

— Trump warned Iran of a severe strike if protesters are killed.

— The US plans to strike drug cartels on land, stating that they effectively rule Mexico.

— He linked the increase in the US military budget in 2027 to the existence of real threats.

“Of course, Denmark can count on the solidarity of all of Europe. The United States should understand that any attempt to undermine the foundations of NATO will not be understood by any European country,” Tusk explained.

— They constantly refer to arguments from the past: “We fought together in the Second World War” or “We fought together in the war on terrorism.” We are grateful for that and value such allies;

— But just because you did something smart 25 years ago does not mean you cannot do something stupid today.