Global Conflicts, NATO's Future, and Domestic Changes Mark Start of 2026
While everyone was relaxing and celebrating the New Year holidays, numerous events, new conflicts, and legislative initiatives were unfolding around the world. The United States extracted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro along with his wife from Venezuela. Following this, American leader Donald Trump turned his close attention to Greenland. This incident went beyond ordinary diplomatic confrontation and became evidence of significant structural changes. More on the key news that may have slipped your attention during the holidays is in this report.
International Conflicts
In early 2026, the West faced a large-scale and unexpected crisis. Against this backdrop, NATO may lose its raison d«être. But we»ll tell everything in order.
The Capture of Venezuela«s President
Amid the New Year holidays in Venezuela«s capital, Caracas, a series of explosions rocked the city. The strikes against the country were carried out by the United States on the personal order of President Donald Trump. During a special operation codenamed »Midnight Hammer,« American military forces captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, transporting them to New York, where they appeared in court.
Maduro and his spouse were charged with «narco-terrorism» against Americans. During the court proceedings, the Venezuelan leader declared his innocence. He also added that he remains the president of his country. He emphasized that he had not seen the indictment before and did not know his rights. Maduro«s wife also considers herself innocent. She noted that she sustained injuries during the capture.
Maduro«s attorney during the court hearing emphasized that he is not yet seeking his client»s release on bail. However, the defense will later file such a motion. The next hearing in Maduro«s case was scheduled for 17 March.
Venezuela is currently temporarily governed by the country«s Vice President Delcy Rodríguez. This decision was made by the country»s Supreme Court based on the constitution. At the same time, the situation in the country is controlled by the United States.
The Greenland Crisis
After the special operation to capture Maduro, Trump announced that he had plans for at least five more countries and intends to bring order there. These included Cuba, Mexico, Colombia, Greenland, and Iran.
Trump«s attention was most drawn to Greenland. The US presidential administration stated the possibility of establishing control over the island, which became a real threat of force. This incident went beyond a normal diplomatic conflict and became an indicator of significant structural changes.
«We really need Greenland, absolutely need it,» said the head of the White House in an interview with The Atlantic.
Old alliances are being tested by a new interpretation of national interests. The situation around the planet«s largest island clearly demonstrates how relations within the North Atlantic Alliance are built and also raises questions of international law and peoples» right to self-determination.
NATO«s Existence Under Threat
The very raison d«être of NATO could be lost due to the conflict over Greenland. As the threat or attack by one NATO member on another would undermine the alliance»s purpose, noted Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
The alliance could also disintegrate against the backdrop of Greenland«s transition to the US—this is the view of Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. The politician doubts Trump will abandon the idea of annexation.
Against this backdrop, the first country has already stated its desire to leave NATO. Clémence Guetté, Vice President of the French National Assembly (the lower house of parliament), tabled a resolution for France«s exit from the alliance.
«The question of France»s participation in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, a military alliance led by and in the service of the United States, is more pressing than ever. I am submitting a resolution for planning an exit from NATO,« the vice-speaker wrote on social media X.
The politician criticized US actions regarding Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, the country«s plans to annex Greenland, and its support for Israel.
Seizure of a Russian Tanker
Against the backdrop of the blockade of sanctioned oil from Venezuela, the United States seized the oil tanker Marinera, sailing under the Russian flag, in the North Atlantic. The US European Command claims the vessel was detained for violating American sanctions.
The vessel was originally named Bella 1 and sailed under the Panamanian flag. In December, it attempted to dock on Venezuelan shores but was stopped for inspection by US authorities. After that, the crew changed the vessel«s name to Marinera, painted a Russian flag on the hull, and declared a transfer to Russian jurisdiction.
The Russian Foreign Ministry called Washington«s actions a »gross violation of international law« and demanded the immediate release of the tanker, decent treatment of the crew, and no hindrance to the return of Russian citizens to their homeland. Following this, Trump released two Russians from the crew of the Marinera tanker.
Protests in Iran
It was also unsettled in Iran. There, protests have been ongoing for 13 days, sparked by the collapse of the national currency and public dissatisfaction with the political system. Initially, the rallies were peaceful but later rapidly escalated into riots and one of the most serious challenges for the authorities in recent years.
The protests in Iran began on 28 December 2025, when shop owners in Tehran took to the streets due to the sharp fall of the rial to a record low against the dollar. This event exacerbated already difficult economic conditions caused by high inflation and a rising cost of living.
Sixty-five people have died in street clashes, including 50 protest participants. Another 2,300 have been detained, according to the human rights organization HRANA. However, Time magazine learned of more than 200 deaths during the protests. Hospitals in Tehran alone admitted more than 200 people. All of them died, with gunshot wounds being the cause of death for most.
Against the backdrop of the protests, the country is experiencing internet access disruptions, according to the monitoring service NetBlocks. Restrictions were introduced on 8 January, when protesters carried out armed provocations in many Iranian cities.
This has also affected the work of leading news agencies IRNA, ISNA, Nour News, Mehr, and the news aggregator Khabar Fouri. Their websites are inaccessible, and information is not updated in Telegram channels either.
Furthermore, the situation is complicated by direct threats of military intervention from the United States. The head of the White House stated that the US is ready to help Iran «find freedom.» The American leader also threatened to strike Iranian territory if protesters continue to die in the country.
He also warned the state against actions to resume nuclear activities. According to him, such steps could lead to severe measures.
Natural Disasters and Emergencies
The start of the year was unsettled not only in political matters. During the holidays, a series of emergencies occurred, and natural disasters raged in some places.
On New Year«s Eve, a tragedy occurred at the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana. There, in the Le Constellation bar, about 40 people died in an explosion, and approximately 100 visitors were injured.
It all happened in the bar«s basement around 1:30 AM local time (3:30 AM Moscow time), after which a fire broke out on the building»s first floor. At that time, there were more than 100 visitors in the establishment; its total capacity is up to 400 people.
The victims suffered severe burns, and local hospitals were overcrowded. The injured were hospitalized using medical helicopters. A no-fly zone for other aircraft was established over Crans-Montana.
The Russian embassy received no information about Russian citizens affected by the explosion in Crans-Montana. According to preliminary data, the cause of the tragedy was an accident involving pyrotechnics, reports a radio station. Police are conducting an investigation.
Another accident occurred in the Bardymsky District of Perm Krai. During a helicopter crash on the territory of the Ashatli-Park recreation base, two people died.
Ashatli-Park is a year-round nature and entertainment complex in Perm Krai with ski slopes.
On board the Robinson R44 helicopter were Ilyas Gimadutdinov, founder of the transport and logistics company «TatTransCom,» and Elmir Konyakov, the head of the company«s motorcade. It is known that the flight was unauthorized, and the preliminary cause of the crash could have been engine icing.
Investigators from the Central Interregional Transport Investigations Directorate of the Russian Investigative Committee are establishing the circumstances of the deaths. According to preliminary data, the crash occurred during landing approach.
At the beginning of the year, heavy snowfall hit Russian regions. In Tatarstan, some road sections were paralyzed due to the bad weather. Buses and heavy trucks were banned from entering federal highways. One driver in the Nizhnekamsk District lost control, veered into the oncoming lane, and collided with another car. He and his passenger died at the scene.
Several districts of Krasnodar Krai and Adygea were also affected by the snow cyclone. There, railway tracks were buried in snow, and power lines were down in some places.
Many Russians had to change their vacation plans in Georgia due to the bad weather. Unfortunately, some lost money, as they had booked hotels in advance but could not check in on the appointed day, since all types of traffic on the road leading to the Georgian-Russian border (the Upper Lars checkpoint) were banned due to avalanche danger.
A similar situation occurred on the border with China. Tourists went for a New Year«s vacation but instead were forced to wait for hours at the country»s entry point. At that time, more than 50 buses were in line. Many waited for entry for more than 10 hours, and tourists were not told the reasons for the delay. Furthermore, waiting halls inside the checkpoint were empty.
A real collapse occurred at Russian airports by the end of the New Year holidays. Due to bad weather, Moscow«s air hubs could not fully send and receive flights, and hundreds of passengers had to wait in terminals for several hours to a full day to fly home. Some tourists slept right on the floor.
New Laws and Changes in Russia
Since the new year, a number of changes to the country«s legislation have taken effect. One of them concerns education. Thus, from 1 January, a law came into force allowing 9th-grade graduates to receive a vocational education for free, even if they did not pass the mandatory state exam (the OGE). The list of these professions will be determined by regional authorities.
This year, electric vehicle owners will continue to travel on toll roads for free. Russian authorities extended the benefit for them for another year. According to Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov, this will be an incentive to purchase electric cars and support investments in taxi fleets and the charging station network.
All underage Russians will need to get their own international passport to travel abroad. Starting 20 January, traveling with a child under the old rules will not be possible, as birth certificates are excluded from the list of documents for crossing the border. Parents should prepare in advance to apply for a child«s international passport:
the child«s birth certificate;
a parent»s passport;
a photograph of the child;
an application.
The document is processed in 1–3 months.
Using an internal passport, children over 14 and adults will be able to enter Abkhazia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and South Ossetia.
Furthermore, Russia has suspended the import of certain types of Nestlé baby food due to a dangerous toxin called cereulide. This decision was made by Rospotrebnadzor (the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing).
Cereulide is a toxin produced by some strains of the Bacillus cereus bacterium. It is heat-resistant and can cause rapid development of food poisoning symptoms: nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea. They usually appear within the first 6 hours after consuming the product. It poses a particular danger to infants with immature immune systems.
The restrictions apply to instant dry mixtures (milk-based, fermented milk, lactose-free, and therapeutic) produced from 15 April to 27 November 2025 under the brands NAN, PreNAN, «Nestogen Comfort,» and «Alfare Amino.»
Other News
In addition to the key events that occurred in early 2026, we have prepared an overview of all the changes awaiting us this year. We discussed how prices will rise and where savings can be made in this article.
To read about how the situation on the battlefield changed and what political decisions were made this week, click here.
A lot of interesting things are also happening in the world of show business. Filipp Kirkorov admitted from whom he borrows money, and Sati Kazanova became a nun. All the stories from the lives of stars are covered in a separate article.
