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Since the start of 2026, one topic has dominated headlines and minds in Brussels: the US attack in Venezuela and whether Greenland will be next.
Although it was a quiet, snowy week with policy makers gradually coming back to their desks, the incidents have set the scene for what is set to be an intense year for EU leaders.
The US’s capture of Nicolás Maduro and rising concerns about US President Donald Trump’s interest in annexing Greenland have made the world’s instability even clearer.
So, where does the European Union position itself in an uncertain global context where rules no longer seem to exist?
We grapple with these questions in this episode of Brussels, my love? with Svenska Dagbladet correspondent Teresa Kuchler, EU lobbyist Connor Allen and Euronews’ political correspondent Stefan Grobe.
Into the unknown
On 4 January, in the aftermath of the Caracas raid, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas called for calm and restraint by all parties involved and urged them to respect international law, but stopped short of condemning the action outright.
According to Grobe, the EU’s cautious answer is understandable: “There’s not much they [EU leaders] can do,” he says, reminding that Venezuela is outside the EU’s sphere of influence and the US remains a key player in the war in Ukraine.
Panelist Teresa Küchler, who spent the week reporting from Madrid speaking to Venezuelans, says the situation is complex. On the one hand, there are questions regarding international law; on the other, there are the celebrations of some Venezuelans in Europe who are happy about Maduro’s capture.
Trump’s swoop on Maduro has also raised concerns about Greenland, the autonomous territory in Denmark, which has long been in the president’s sights.
According to Allen, Trump’s intention to take over the Danish territory could be motivated by genuine security concerns, but Grobe says his true motive may be to control the island’s mineral resources.
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Additional sources • Georgios Leivaditis, sound edtor and mixer.
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