In January 2026, the capture of Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces stands as the ultimate consequence of a leader who gambled on regional aggression and lost. While Operation Absolute Resolve was the kinetic end, Maduro’s downfall was structurally prepared by his systematic alienation of every neighbor that once formed his “Bolivarian” shield.
In January 2026, the diplomatic rift between the United States and the Kingdom of Denmark has escalated into a full-blown security crisis. The catalyst for this friction was the January 3rd capture of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela (Operation Absolute Resolve), which emboldened the Trump administration to pivot its “transactional realism” toward the Arctic.
In January 2026, the capture of Nicolás Maduro has fundamentally redefined the “Trump Doctrine,” shifting it from a policy of rhetorical isolationism to one of targeted, high-impact intervention. While the operation—codenamed Operation Absolute Resolve—was tactically swift, its geopolitical implications are expansive. It signals a move away from the “forever wars” of the past two decades toward a “transactional realism” that uses overwhelming force for specific, finite objectives.
In January 2026, the transatlantic relationship has reached a paradoxical milestone: Europe has finally met Washington’s long-standing demands for increased defense spending, yet the resulting “Strategic Awakening” has triggered deep friction over influence, industrial preference, and the very definition of Western civilization.
As we enter the first week of January 2026, the global landscape is defined by the fallout from the U.S. military operation in Venezuela and a critical “election-year” posture from Washington. The year ahead suggests a shift from the post-war multilateral order toward a more transactional, high-stakes era of “sovereignty-first” politics.
As of January 5, 2026, the aftermath of Operation Absolute Resolve has left Venezuela in a state of strategic confusion. While President Trump celebrated the “capture” of Nicolás Maduro as a historic law enforcement success, the administration’s stated plan to “run” the country has met with significant domestic and international skepticism.
In January 2026, the Abraham Accords are entering their most critical phase, as the pragmatic “outside-in” strategy for regional peace faces the dual pressures of Iranian proxy escalation and the internal institutionalization of political Islam.
In early 2026, the global security landscape is dominated by the fallout of the Trump administration’s 2025 National Security Strategy (NSS) and the subsequent military operation in Venezuela. These actions have ignited a fierce debate over whether the administration’s “America First” doctrine is a path to restraint or a new era of aggressive unilateralism.
On January 3, 2026, the U.S. executed Operation Absolute Resolve, a massive military strike on Caracas that resulted in the capture of President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores. Trump has since declared a “Trump Corollary” to the Monroe Doctrine, signaling a new era of direct intervention.
In January 2026, the international order shifted into a more aggressive era of American interventionism, marked by the dramatic capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and the implementation of a new “Trump Corollary” to the Monroe Doctrine.
In 2025, China successfully positioned itself as a “stability leader” by exploiting Donald Trump’s transactional foreign policy. While Washington disrupted alliances and institutional norms, Beijing unveiled its Global Governance Initiative, offering the Global South a pluralistic, non-liberal alternative to a fragmenting Western order.
On December 12, 2025, Washington launched Pax Silica, a strategic US-led initiative designed to secure the “silicon supply chain” and counter China’s dominance in the AI economy. Described by Under Secretary Jacob Helberg as the “G7 of the AI age,” the pact treats computing power and critical minerals as the strategic equivalents of 20th-century oil and steel.
