Bild: Where snow witch „Elli“ is wreaking havoc today / Wo Schnee-Hexe „Elli“ heute wütet
FAZ: Trump expects years-long control over Venezuela / Trump rechnet mit jahrelanger Kontrolle über Venezuela
Funke: Giffey criticizes Wegner: „I’m seeing very irritated reactions“ / Giffey kritisiert Wegner: „Ich erlebe sehr irritierte Reaktionen“
Handelsblatt: The plunder / Der Beutezug
RND: Storage facilities already half empty: First storms, then freezing cold – is gas becoming scarce now? / Speicher sind schon halb leer: Erst Sturm, dann klirrende Kälte: Wird das Gas jetzt knapp?
SZ: USA leave key institutions / USA verlassen wichtige Institutionen
Tagesspiegel: Cold, snow and black ice – extreme weather brings schools and transport to a standstill / Kälte, Schnee und Glatteis – Extremes Wetter legt Schulen und Verkehr lahm
taz: Very small-scale tennis / Ganz kleines Tennis
Welt: Merz defends Wegner in dispute over crisis management / Merz verteidigt Wegner im Streit um Krisenmanagement
GREENLAND
U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance warns Europeans: Vance advised European countries not to underestimate recent statements by U.S. President Donald Trump regarding Greenland. Europe must itself ensure the island’s security; otherwise the United States would act, Vance said at the White House. Trump has repeatedly laid claim to Greenland, justifying this with strategic national security interests. In doing so, he referred to threats from Russia and China, which from the American perspective are becoming increasingly present in the Arctic. spiegel.de
- Denmark’s ambassador and Greenland’s envoy have held talks at the White House with representatives of the National Security Council, AP reports. Greenland is an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark, but responsibility for foreign and defense policy lies in Copenhagen.
- Several prominent Republicans oppose considerations of a military annexation of Greenland by the United States. Senators such as John R. Curtis, Mitch McConnell, and John Neely Kennedy warned of a strategic mistake and instead called for political or diplomatic solutions. Senator Thom Tillis accused Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller of making amateurish statements.
- U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio plans to meet with representatives of the Danish government next week. The talks, proposed by Copenhagen, take place against the backdrop of recent tensions over possible U.S. interests in Greenland.
- Treaty from the Cold War: Old military agreement already gives the U.S. significant power in Greenland. n-tv.de
UKRAINE
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky announces imminent agreement with the U.S. on security guarantees: Ukraine is close to concluding a bilateral agreement with the United States on security guarantees. Volodymyr Zelensky said the document is „essentially ready“ for signing at the highest level with U.S. President Donald Trump. The basis was recent talks by his chief negotiator Rustem Umerov in France. The aim is to more closely align American and European security efforts.
- Russia has once again warned Western states against stationing troops in Ukraine. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said such soldiers and their equipment would be considered „legitimate military targets.“
- Chancellor Friedrich Merz sees Europe still far from a long-term security agreement for Ukraine. Speaking at the CSU retreat in Seeon, he stressed that an agreement with Russia is a prerequisite for security guarantees. The focus of discussions is the period after a possible ceasefire, not the ongoing war.
- U.S. President Donald Trump has cleared the way for a bipartisan bill introducing new sanctions against Russia. According to Senator Lindsey Graham, the Senate could vote on it as early as next week; the bill also предусматри secondary sanctions against countries such as China, Brazil, and India that purchase Russian oil. The aim is to further restrict the financing of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
- U.S. punitive tariffs of 500 percent? U.S. President Donald Trump is increasing pressure on Russian leader Vladimir Putin. handelsblatt.com
Former German ambassador Anka Feldhusen becomes Ukraine’s business ombudswoman: The cabinet in Kyiv approved her appointment. Feldhusen, who headed the German embassy from 2019 to 2023, succeeds Canadian Roman Waschuk, who had led the Business Ombudsman Council since late 2021. The body mediates between business and the state and handles complaints about administrative misconduct or corruption.
Air raid alert across all of Ukraine: Russian forces attacked large parts of Ukraine during the night to Friday. President Volodymyr Zelensky warned of a massive wave of missile and drone attacks and urged the population to seek shelter. Air defense was active over Kyiv; Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported explosions and fires in the capital. According to authorities, missiles also struck Lviv, hitting an infrastructure target in the west of the country.
- According to President Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine expects intensified Russian air attacks during the current frost period. He spoke of indications of a possible massive attack overnight and accused Moscow of „betting on winter instead of diplomacy.“ Falling temperatures are increasing pressure on the already fragile energy supply. n-tv.de
- Ukraine, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky, is preparing for even more intense Russian air attacks during the current frost period. „Russia is currently relying more on winter than on diplomacy.“ From Friday, temperatures are expected to drop below freezing almost everywhere in the country.
- In western Ukraine, several Russian missiles hit targets near Lviv. Authorities say critical infrastructure was damaged. Ukrainian sources suspect the use of the new Oreshnik medium-range missile; there has been no official confirmation so far.
ARD Germany Trend by Infratest-Dimap: Union 28 per cent (+1), AfD 25 per cent, SPD 13 per cent (-1), Greens 12 per cent, Left Party 10 per cent, BSW 3 per cent (-1), FDP 3 per cent, Others 6 per cent. (Comparison with previous month) tagesschau.de
Saxony-Anhalt’s Minister-President, Reiner Haseloff, plans to step down as early as January. This is intended to better position CDU lead candidate Sven Schulze as the new head of government ahead of the state election in the fall, according to the Mitteldeutsche Zeitung. According to dpa information, the timetable depends on CDU, SPD, and FDP as coalition partners, giving written approval on Monday. Schulze plans to stand for election in parliament later this January. Haseloff has led the state since 2011 and already announced in the summer that he would not run again in the upcoming election. mz.de, sueddeutsche.de, tagesspiegel.de, tagesschau.de, rnd.de
Chancellor Friedrich Merz calls for far-reaching economic reforms at CSU retreat: Merz described the renewal of Germany’s economic policy as a central task of his government. The current weakness of the economy is placing a heavy burden on the country, Merz said at the conclusion of the retreat of CSU Bundestag members at Kloster Seeon, calling for entrenched structures to be broken up. Energy, labor, and bureaucratic costs remain too high, while the tax burden must be reduced to relieve companies and employees. CSU leader Markus Söder reaffirmed the Union’s economic stance: „Lower taxes, not higher ones.“ At the same time, he emphasized Germany’s security ties to the West, saying Europe’s security cannot be guaranteed without the United States.sueddeutsche.de, n-tv.de
- SPD insists on reform of inheritance tax. zdfheute.de
More than 30,000 voluntary departures in 2025: Despite declining asylum numbers, roughly the same number of people left Germany voluntarily last year as in the previous year. According to a response to a Left Party inquiry, between January and October 30,406 people departed using a so-called border crossing certificate. This document is issued not only to rejected asylum seekers but also to people without a valid residence permit. At least every second person leaving had previously received a cash incentive. welt.de
Greens push for a new federal authority to combat financial crime: A central federal agency with law enforcement powers is to tackle money laundering and tax evasion more aggressively. Green Party financial policy spokesperson Katharina Beck announced that the party will introduce a corresponding bill in the Bundestag. In addition, a cash payment cap of 5,000 euros is intended to help curb illegal financial flows. Beck spoke of massive damage to the rule of law, as the state loses hundreds of billions of euros each year. n-tv.de
Greens urge Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt to strengthen civil protection rapidly: Following the power outage in Berlin, the Greens are calling for swift improvements to the protection of critical infrastructure. Parliamentary group leader Britta Haßelmann sees the Interior Ministry as responsible for rapidly expanding structures that have been neglected for years. Civil protection must be significantly strengthened, Haßelmann told the Funke newspapers. By approving the special fund, her party had already created the financial basis—now the federal government must act. morgenpost.de
Further reports:
- SPD wants right to remain for migrants with jobs. tagesschau.de
- Reform of the intelligence services: More data storage, more surveillance, more hacking. tagesschau.de
- Espionage risk in Germany: Communications of critical infrastructure partly unencrypted. spiegel.de
- New data from the Federal Employment Agency: Number of long-term unemployed refugees rises sharply. welt.de
- Incident on the sidelines of the CSU retreat: Police officers brushed? Investigation against former minister Peter Ramsauer. rnd.de
Disruptions caused by storm system „Elli“: Its effects brought heavy snowfall and drifting snow to northern Germany, causing major disruptions to rail and road traffic. Numerous trains were canceled, there were accidents due to icy conditions and blocked routes. Production at the Volkswagen plant in Emden was temporarily halted due to the weather. The German Weather Service issued severe weather warnings for heavy snowfall, drifting snow, and in some cases freezing rain for almost all federal states. The Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency warned of storm surges for the Bay of Lübeck and the Bay of Kiel. In western and southern Germany, widespread black ice is expected during the transition from snow to rain or freezing rain. n-tv.de, tagesschau.de
- In Hamburg, Bremen, Berlin, Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt, and Lower Saxony, in-person classes are canceled on Friday due to persistent winter weather. In Lower Saxony all schools remain closed; in Hamburg and other states compulsory attendance is suspended—some teaching is conducted digitally, while in other cases supervision is provided on site.
- The Federal Working Group for Assistance to the Homeless warns of acute danger to life for people without shelter due to the ongoing cold. Managing director Werena Bösing appealed to municipalities to open additional emergency shelters and also make vacant buildings available; passersby should alert emergency services if people are at risk.
Berlin’s Governing Mayor Kai Wegner remains under pressure after the power outage: Senator for Economic Affairs Franziska Giffey expressed irritation that Wegner was playing tennis at the start of the crisis while tens of thousands of households were without electricity. SPD parliamentary group leader Raed Saleh also described Wegner’s behavior as an „incomprehensible handling“ of the situation and demanded self-criticism from the CDU. Wegner himself sees no reason to apologize and points to what he considers effective crisis management. He is receiving support from the CDU parliamentary group, which stands firmly behind him. n-tv.de
After the withdrawal of the last BSW ministers in Brandenburg, Dietmar Woidke prepares talks with the CDU on a new coalition: After Health Minister Britta Müller and Transport Minister Detlef Tabbert left the BSW as the last cabinet members, the previous coalition is considered definitively over. Dietmar Woidke announced that he will speak with the CDU next week about a possible joint government. Pressure from the business community is growing to quickly create stable majorities. SPD and CDU together would hold 46 of 88 seats in the state parliament. tagesschau.de
- After the collapse of the government in Brandenburg, within Wagenknecht’s party it’s now everyone against everyone. spiegel.de
Further news:
- Berlin: Police investigate after new threat against power grid. n-tv.de
- Berlin: Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt sees no indications of Russian involvement in attack on power grid. zdfheute.de
- Bavaria: Judge in trial over Garmisch train accident irritated with Deutsche Bahn. sueddeutsche.de
- Berlin: 135 testing centers still waiting for payment four years after COVID; Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians still reviewing. tagesspiegel.de
- Bavaria: Trial against AfD politician Daniel Halemba; USB stick with neo-Nazi music and Goebbels speeches found in his room. rnd.de
- NRW: Foreigners’ registration office in Bielefeld allegedly sold residence permits. n-tv.de
- Saxony: Children allegedly attacked kosher café in Leipzig. zeit.de
UN Secretary-General António Guterres criticizes U.S. withdrawal from international organizations: Of the 66 affected institutions, 31 belong directly to the UN system, including programs on climate, the environment, and gender equality. U.S. President Donald Trump justified the move by saying the work of these institutions is incompatible with U.S. interests. Guterres emphasized that the UN will continue to fulfill its tasks. UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric reminded that member states—including the U.S.—are obligated under international law to pay their financial contributions. Washington currently owes the UN around 1.5 billion dollars. welt.de
- UN climate chief Simon Stiell described the U.S. withdrawal as a gigantic own goal. Leaving the Framework Convention on Climate Change endangers the country’s prosperity and security. EU Climate Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra called the step „regrettable.“ Development Minister Reem Alabali-Radovan spoke of another severe blow to multilateralism.
EU demands clarification over AI chaos on Musk’s platform X: Brussels is demanding access to internal documents from Musk’s company regarding the use of the chatbot Grok. The European Commission ordered the U.S. company not to delete any documents related to the AI system for the time being. The background is alleged violations of the Digital Services Act after Grok generated sexualized depictions of minors on X. The Commission had already imposed a fine on X in December and demanded extensive information. handelsblatt.com
India’s Trade Minister Piyush Goyal continues EU free trade talks in Brussels: The European Commission expressed optimism that the talks could lead to a breakthrough in the agreement that has been negotiated for years. An agreement was originally planned by the end of 2025; now the EU–India summit on January 27 in New Delhi is considered the target date for signing by Ursula von der Leyen and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The EU is already India’s most important trading partner, with annual goods trade of around 124 billion euros. The agreement is intended to reduce tariffs, for example on European cars and spirits, while giving India’s textile and pharmaceutical sectors better access to the EU market; security and defense policy elements are also envisaged.
Further reports:
- Unemployment in the eurozone declines slightly. trend.at
- France will not approve the Mercosur trade deal this Friday as expected, according to President Emmanuel Macron; agreement close to completion. faz.net
- Deutsche Bahn and train drivers’ union GDL end first round of wage talks without results. zdfheute.de
- Fashion retailer Zalando closes Erfurt logistics center; around 2,700 employees affected. tagesschau.de
- Corporate insolvencies in 2025 at their highest level in 20 years. n-tv.de
- Industry records biggest increase in orders in almost a year. tagesschau.de
- AI boosts sector: Number of startup foundations climbs to record level. n-tv.de
- Bundesbank still exchanging Deutsche marks worth millions. n-tv.de
- NASA brings ISS crew back early due to illness. faz.net
When Germany goes full Eiszeit, remember this very German truth: there’s no such thing as bad weather, only unprepared people. Extreme cold calls for layers, layers, layers (yes, even indoors), proper winter shoes—smooth soles are basically an ice-skating invitation—and regular warm-up breaks.
Bonus local wisdom: pharmacies and supermarkets sell Wärmflaschen and disposable hand warmers for a reason. Use them. And if the sidewalks turn into an ice rink, take the small, shuffling Pinguin-Schritt—it may look silly, but it’s the unofficial German survival technique for winter.