The Weekly paper of the New Communist Party of Britain
Week commencing 23rd January 2026
The Weekly paper of the New Communist Party of Britain
Week commencing 23rd January 2026
The Weekly paper of the New Communist Party of Britain
Donald Trump has ruled out using force in Greenland following a deal with the EU at the World Economic Forum in Davos that will give the USA more bases and exclusive mineral rights in the Danish Arctic territory. But the Europeans are boycotting Trump’s “Board of Peace” that will supposedly oversee the international administration of the Gaza Strip following Israel’s evacuation. And the hawks – headed by the leaders of British, French and German imperialism – are still trying to sabotage the ongoing Russian–American peace talks in Ukraine by pumping more and more arms and funds to the ailing puppet regime in Kiev.
This is never enough for Vladimir Zelensky who criticised EU leaders at Davos, accusing them of indecisiveness and weakness – though he pointedly avoided bad-mouthing the UK, which still remains his backer.
Zelensky’s overriding goal is preserving his power – forcing him into constant manœuvring, says Russian political scientist Evgeny Mikhailov. “Zelensky is being forced to seek dialogue with Trump, who has already cut off his funding and is pressuring European leaders” he said. “Zelensky’s trip to Davos and the show of a ‘negotiation process’ feel more like an attempt to manipulate and stall for time – one that’s hard to take seriously.”
As Trump pivots to other ambitious moves, such as seizing Greenland, and threatens to slash NATO support, Ukraine risks being sidelined, he points out, at the same time stressing that any Ukrainian surrender could spell Zelensky’s swift downfall – politically and even physically, given the many enemies he has made. “That’s why Zelensky rushed to meet Trump, aiming to keep navigating between the USA, Russia, and the EU to extract maximum personal security guarantees and prolong his political survival.”
Back in Ukraine the Chernobyl nuclear power plant completely lost its external power supply on the morning of 20th January following a Russian missile strike. Power lines leading to other nuclear plants were also damaged. Some 600,000 people have fled the Ukrainian capital following Russian drone and missile strikes. Thousands of flats in Kiev are now without heat and more than one million consumers without electricity in sub-freezing temperatures.
Nuclear power plants are the last bastion of Ukraine’s energy sector. They provide the minimum necessary level of electricity. The Russians are using special tactics against nuclear facilities, targeting the surrounding infrastructure – specifically the substations that transmit electricity from nuclear power plants to consumers. The nuclear plants themselves remain undamaged and free from risk of accidents.
A Russian delegation has flown to Abu Dhabi for peace talks with US and Ukrainian teams while another headed by Trump’s personal envoy, Steve Witkoff, held secret talks in Moscow amid reports that Keith Kellogg, Trump’s former emissary, was telling people at Davos that there will be a peace deal by the autumn of 2026.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has confirmed the start of the negotiations between the delegations of Russia, the USA and Ukraine in the Emirati capital of Abu Dhabi. “The talks commenced today in Abu Dhabi and are scheduled to continue over two days, as part of ongoing efforts to promote dialogue and identify political solutions to the crisis,” the UAE foreign ministry said.