An American raid in Venezuela. Nicolas Maduro hauled into a Manhattan courtroom. Open talk in Washington of annexing Greenland. A Russian flagged tanker seized in the freezing North Atlantic. And as the great powers flex their muscles, Iran edges towards what could become a full blown uprising.

So what on earth is going on?

At the heart of this extraordinary week lies a simple but dangerous truth. The transatlantic alliance is under more strain than at any moment since the Cold War. And for the first time in NATO’s history, the unthinkable is being whispered. What happens if allies collide?

Roland speaks to Lieutenant General Ben Hodges, former commander of US Army forces in Europe, about how NATO has survived bitter internal disputes before and whether it can survive this one.

And former Royal Navy commander Tom Sharpe explains what really happened in the Greenland Iceland UK gap, what was on board the seized tanker, and why this matters for the laws of the sea.

Picture credit: Katie Miller/X, Alex Wong/Getty Images

Read David Blair's analysis: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/01/06/usa-donald-trump-take-greenland-collapse-nato/

Producer: Peter Shevlin

Executive Producer: Louisa Wells

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As Donald Trump reshapes global trade and cuts foreign aid, countries around the world are being forced to adapt fast - and some leaders are doing better than others.

Among them is Zambia's President Hakainde Hichilema, who was voted No. 5 in The Telegraph's World Leaders 2025 for turning his country into a prize both Trump and Xi Jinping covet despite enormous economic headwinds.

The Telegraph's Ben Farmer visited Zambia to interview Hichilema about navigating Trump, China, aid cuts and debt. He tells Venetia and Arthur why Zambia has become a key battleground in the fight for resources such as copper.

Read Ben Farmer's profile of Hichilema: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/12/27/telegraph-world-leader-2025-hakainde-hichilema-zambia/

See the full Telegraph World Leaders 20205 list: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/01/01/telegraph-world-leaders-2025-readers-vs-the-panellists/

Producer: Sophie O'Sullivan

Executive Producer: Louisa Wells

Studio Operator: Meghan Searle

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Two days on from Donald Trump’s extraordinary capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, the dust has barely begun to settle.

Maduro is appearing today in a New York court where he will be charged with “narco-terrorism” and conspiracy to import cocaine, which can carry life sentences under US law.

But Maduro is not the only loser in all of this. Iran, Russia and China have all lost a valuable client - one who sold them oil, bought their weapons, and provided them with a beachhead on America's doorstep.

Venetia is joined by Dr Carlos Solar, a Latin American Security at RUSI, and Adrian Blomfield, The Telegraph's senior foreign correspondent, to discuss the downsides - and upsides - for America's enemies, the Monroe Doctrine's renewed relevance, and what will happen next.

Pic credit: Marcelo GARCIA/AFP

Read Adrian's analysis of what the capture of Maduro means for China and Russia: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/01/03/venezuela-regime-change-russia-china-impact/

Venezuela becomes Trump’s energy superweapon against China: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/01/05/venezuela-becomes-trumps-energy-superweapon-against-china/

Producer: Peter Shevlin

Executive Producer: Louisa Wells

► Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditor

Contact us with feedback or ideas:

battlelines@telegraph.co.uk

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