2026, without international order
The great powers impose their interests while the rules that sustained global balance for decades are diluted
The dawn of the new year 2026 has brought new developments that are in line with the dynamics of the last few months of change in the world order, with the sidelining of the rules that have governed international relations in the vast majority of cases over the last 75 years and which are now being superseded by the decision of the great powers to act in their own interests.
Venezuela is a clear example of pragmatism, not just oil. It is power. We are talking about the United States, Russia, and China, which act on their own initiative without strictly adhering to international law and multilateral relations, although with the impression that they have some kind of tacit agreement among themselves to divide up their areas of interest.
Europe was not invited
The statement by Chinese President Xi Jinping prior to the intervention in Venezuela was two-sided: the need to promote peace and international cooperation in a world marked by instability and reunification with Taiwan as an unstoppable historical cause.
After carrying out intimidating military manoeuvres against Taiwan, Chinese leaders insist on peaceful relations, but what counts is what the Chinese leader says: Taiwan is an unstoppable historical cause.
It's a matter of time
Now the question arises as to how events in Venezuela might influence the ambitions of the other superpowers. Taiwan is crucial to US security and chip manufacturing, but Trump does not mention it. He does insist on the need to control Greenland. Meanwhile, negotiations to end the Russian invasion of Ukraine have the terrifying reference of the Oreshnik hypersonic missile launched by Putin against Lviv, the Ukrainian city closest to a NATO country such as Poland.
It is not easy to reach an agreement, to have to give in after so much suffering, death, attrition and destruction. We must remember that when we talk about ceding or abandoning territory, we are not just talking about land, houses, nuclear power stations or farmland, we are talking about nearly five million Ukrainians who live in these territories.
A wound can be sealed, it can stop bleeding, but if it is not closed properly, it will never heal, and that represents a great threat to Ukrainians, but also to all Europeans, even though Putin assures that he has no intention of attacking his neighbouring countries.
In this year that is only a few days old, attention is focused on the popular protests in Iran that have already claimed thousands of lives. They began because of the poor economic situation and are demanding an end to the regime of the ayatollahs.