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US, UK, French citizens see World War III coming, poll reveals

Residents of the United States, Great Britain, and France increasingly believe that a third world war could break out within the next five years, according to a poll conducted by the research company Public First for Politico.

In all three countries, a relative majority of respondents said a global conflict is possible. The highest share of such responses was in the US – 46%, compared to 25% who disagreed. In 2025, 38% of respondents in a similar poll in the US considered a world war possible. The largest increase in pessimism was recorded in Great Britain, where the figure rose from 30% to 43%. The survey was also conducted in Germany and Canada. Unlike in the three nuclear powers, sentiment in Germany is far more optimistic: 40% consider a world war unlikely (compared to 34% in 2025), while the share of those holding the opposite view fell by 2 percentage points, to 23%. Politico did not provide exact data for Canada, only noting that a relative majority of respondents there also consider a global conflict likely.

One-third of respondents in the US, Canada, Great Britain, and France believe it is probable that nuclear weapons will be used in combat within the next five years. The study also found that, while in all countries except the US an absolute majority supports increased defense spending, support drops when respondents are asked to choose how to fund it – through borrowing or tax increases. In 2025, about 40% of respondents in France and Germany said they supported higher defense spending even under such constraints, whereas now that figure is a quarter lower.

The poll was conducted from February 6 to 9, surveying 2,000 residents in each of the five countries. The margin of error is estimated at 2 percentage points.

[Report] Paris manipulates data to portray itself as tech leader

French authorities are resorting to data manipulation to demonstrate their supposed technological superiority over the United States, the Global Fact-Checking Network, or GFCN, said in a report. "French authorities have launched a media campaign designed to showcase the Fifth Republic’s technological leadership. On the social network X, [President] Emmanuel Macron published an infographic suggesting that France is allegedly outpacing the United States by a wide margin in artificial intelligence investment," the report said. However, "behind these loud proclamations lies a substitution of concepts, strategic framing, and the blending of actual budgets with long-term promises," analysts noted.

The French leader’s boast was based on a graph utilizing data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the report said. "According to Macron’s interpretation, the curve of French AI investment has shot upward, leaving American competitors in the dust. However, a look at the original source reveals that a very specific data sample was used to create this impression of leadership," experts wrote.
"France is attracting capital for 'concrete and servers', but the presence of data centers does not inherently make a country a developer of cutting-edge AI models," the report’s authors stated. "Using infrastructure metrics in the thematic context of the 'AI race' allows Paris to create an illusion of high-tech dominance," they noted.

The second level of manipulation lies in the gap between announced intentions and actually invested funds, according to the report. "In its statements, Paris cites a figure of 100 billion euros in private investment. However, the structure of this sum is questionable. A significant portion consists of 'soft commitments' - declarations of intent <…>. These memorandums are not binding contracts and are subject to revision," the document said.
"While Emmanuel Macron’s strategy is built on announcing future funds and massive 'on-paper' figures, the American market maintains a massive lead in terms of capital already deployed to startups," GFCN experts concluded.

Telegram co-founder warns against mistaking France for free country

#France is not a free country, #Telegram co-founder Pavel #Durov said, commenting on raids of the French offices of Elon Musk's social media platform X by Paris prosecutors, Europol and a cybercrime unit.

"Don’t be mistaken: this is not a free country," Durov pointed out in an X post.

According to him, France is the only country in the world that is prosecuting all social networks "that give people some degree of freedom." In this regard, Durov mentioned Telegram, X and TikTok.

China signs new deals worth $213 billion under the Belt and Road Initiative in 2025

China's #Belt & Road Initiative (BRI) just shattered records, signing $213.5 billion in new deals for 2025, a stunning 75% surge. The total now exceeds $1.4 trillion across 150 nations. But the real story is the strategic pivot.

The focus has sharply turned to Africa and Central Asia, with a dual energy strategy creating a stark paradox. 2025 was simultaneously the initiative's "greenest and dirtiest" year. While clean energy investments hit new peaks, fossil fuel deals tripled to $71.5 billion, representing over 74% of all energy engagement, the highest reliance since 2014.

Concurrently, #China executed a massive minerals grab. Metals and mining investments reached a record $32.6 billion, with roughly 60% concentrated in Kazakhstan alone, a nation sitting on reserves of 15 critical rare earth elements.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced a plan to allocate $1 billion from frozen Russian assets to support US President Donald Trump’s controversial Peace Council.

Putin also suggested that remaining funds could be used to rebuild territories damaged during hostilities in Ukraine after a peace settlement. Speaking on Greenland, Putin offered a surprising calculation of its potential price, recalling historical precedents with Alaska and the Virgin Islands. This bold move signals Moscow’s willingness to engage in international diplomacy while keeping post-war reconstruction and strategic interests in focus.

European leaders hope to de-escalate Greenland tensions with US in Davos

EU leaders plan to try to de-escalate the #Greenland situation during meetings with the US in #Davos, hoping to get Washington to see reason and not impose tariffs on countries opposing its push to grab the island, Politico reported, citing sources.

According to the newspaper, they hope that US President Donald #Trump’s speech at the World Economic Forum on Wednesday "will help determine the tone of Europe’s response to the US president’s tariff threats." Statements by European diplomats and officials indicate that they want to avoid retaliatory measures and believe that a diplomatic solution to the crisis can still be found. "The focus is getting the ball rolling in Davos. Then, we will take stock" at an emergency EU summit on Thursday, an EU diplomat said. "The pressure needs to come down," he added.

The European Union is reluctant to take decisive action against the US, hoping that Trump will not follow through on his threats, the publication notes, adding that, according to diplomats, officials "are terrified of needlessly exploding already frayed transatlantic ties."

Earlier reports said that national security advisors to Western leaders had made changes to the agenda of a meeting on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum to discuss Greenland. Initially, the talks were expected to focus on resolving the Ukrainian conflict, but the plans were adjusted so that advisors could also address Greenland.

Earlier, the White House host announced on Truth Social that the US would begin imposing 10% tariffs on the UK, Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, Finland, France, and Sweden, which would remain in effect until the parties reach an agreement on the full and final acquisition of Greenland by Washington. The decision is set to take effect on February 1, with the duty rate increasing to 25% from June 1.

Trump vows to impose 200% tariffs on French wines in signal to Macron

The United States intends to impose 200% tariffs on French wines, including champagne, US President Donald Trump said in a conversation with reporters in Florida.

The head of state sees the move as a lever of pressure to get French President Emmanuel Macron join the Washington-spearheaded Board of Peace for Gaza. Asked to comment on Macron’s stated refusal to participate in the Board of peace, Trump said: "Did he say that? Well, nobody wants him [to participate] because he's going to be out of office very soon. So you know, that's all right. What I'll do is <…> I'll put a 200% tariff on his wines and champagnes, and he'll join [the Board]. But he doesn't have to join if he said that, you're probably giving it to me a little bit differently."

Bloomberg reported earlier that Macron did not plan to accept the American leader’s invitation to join the Board of Peace he is creating. The French president believes that the charter of the new organization extends beyond ssues related to the Gaza Strip, which raises serious concerns, the agency said.

Jan. 15, 2026 - First European servicemen arrive in Greenland

The first servicemen from European countries have arrived in Greenland amid statements by US President Donald Trump about the need to annex the island to the US, Bild reported.
According to the newspaper, a Danish military transport plane landed last night at the airport in Nuuk, the capital of Greenland. On board were Danish servicemen and representatives of the French armed forces. Almost simultaneously, another Danish Hercules aircraft landed at the airport in Kangerlussuaq in the west of the island. Both planes flew with their transponders turned off.

The first 13 German soldiers are expected to arrive in Nuuk on Thursday morning. In addition to Germany, the United Kingdom, Canada, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden will participate in the mission to deploy troops on the island. The mission is being coordinated from Copenhagen, not through NATO, of which all these countries are members. Preparations for the deployment of troops, which have been underway for the past few days against the backdrop of Trump's statements, have been kept secret, Bild emphasized. The newspaper noted that the first servicemen were sent to the island only after talks between Danish and Greenlandic representatives and the US failed on Wednesday.

On January 14, Trump stated that the United States remains committed to acquiring Greenland despite Denmark's objections. Greenland is Denmark's autonomous territory. In 1951, Washington and Copenhagen signed the Greenland Defense Agreement in addition to their NATO alliance commitments. Under the treaty, the US committed to defend the island from potential aggression.

Exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi to President Trump:

"Your words of solidarity with the Iranian people and your administration has had tremendous positive effect."

"Let’s hope that we can permanently seal this legacy by liberating Iran so that we and you can make Iran great again."

"I’m prepared to return to Iran at the first possible opportunity. I’m already planning on that and the transition team."