January 08, 2026
The Donroe Doctrine? Venezuela, Greenland, and America's New Agenda
On January 3, the United States apprehended the sitting president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, and brought him to the United States to face trial for drug trafficking. In the aftermath of the operation, President Trump and other senior officials in his administration have threatened similar aggression against Mexico and Cuba and revived rhetoric about the United States “needing” Greenland. The operation and Washington’s posture have sent shockwaves through the international system, as concerns rise about the resilience of international law and the risk that the world is moving toward a global order based on spheres of influence, where might makes right and authoritarian states like Russia and China sense a freer hand within their respective regions. The Trump administration’s comments about Greenland are putting additional stress on transatlantic relations, with the Danish prime minister making clear that any U.S. attack on Greenland would end the NATO alliance. To help make sense of the geopolitical implications of Maduro’s capture and more, Brussels Sprouts is pleased to welcome back to the podcast Lawrence Freedman and Shashank Joshi.
Lawrence Freedman is an emeritus professor of war studies at King’s College London.
Shashank Joshi is the defense editor at The Economist.
More from CNAS
-
The United States, Iran, and the Risk to NATO
Podcast
On March 14, in the wake of a global energy shock triggered by the United States military campaign against Iran, President Donald Trump called on allies to help reopen the Str...
By Andrea Kendall-Taylor & Jim Townsend
-
Europe’s New Nuclear Deterrence Debate and France’s Answer
Podcast
On March 2, 2026, in a speech at France’s Île Longue base, French President Emmanuel Macron unveiled major changes to France’s nuclear deterrence doctrine. First, Macron annou...
By Andrea Kendall-Taylor & Jim Townsend
-
Can China Capitalize on Changing Transatlantic Currents?
Podcast
This week’s episode of Brussels Sprouts picks up in the aftermath of the Munich Security Conference. The U.S. tone at Munich was notably more conciliatory than last year, as U...
By Andrea Kendall-Taylor & Jim Townsend
-
Can Europe (Ever) Defend Itself?
Podcast
Today’s Brussels Sprouts discussion follows on from our conversation last week on whether middle powers have the ability to chart a course more independent of the United State...
By Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Jim Townsend & Franz-Stefan Gady
