Headlines coming out of the US shook the world in the first week of 2026: the military operation in Venezuela and Trump’s talk of seizing Greenland confronted European leaders with an uncomfortable question: How do democracies navigate a world where power politics trumps international law? DW Berlin Briefing host Nina Haase and her guests, Michaela Küfner (DW Chief Political Editor) and Thorsten Benner (Global Public Policy Institute) discuss whether Germany’s relative silence is strategic restraint or helplessness in the face of US assertiveness.
Chapters:
0:00 Intro: US superpower unleashed
1:32 Turbulent start of 2026
5:24 Venezuela: German government responds
9:22 No illusions: law vs. interests
13:29 German president: "US and Russian ruptures"
15:00 Iraq & Venezuela: this time, no pretense
18:28 Europe’s dilemma: dependent on the US
20:57 Greenland: German foreign minister responds
28:32 How to engage Trump: The soap opera scenario
31:43 Taking responsibility for defense
34:07 The challenge of political reality
37:19 Wrap-Up: Hard Truths & Next Steps
For more news go to: http://www.dw.com/en/
Follow DW on social media:
►Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dwnews
►TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dwnews
►Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/deutschewellenews/
►Twitter: https://twitter.com/dwnews
Für Videos in deutscher Sprache besuchen Sie: https://www.youtube.com/dwdeutsch
Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/user/deutschewelleenglish?sub_confirmation=1
