United States Defense and Military Forces

• These 5 Republicans Broke With Trump on Venezuela War Powers - The Republican defectors paved the way for a debate that could expose bipartisan concern about President Trump’s actions in Venezuela. Mr. Trump called for them to lose their seats.
• Fact-Checking Trump’s Justifications for the Venezuela Operation - The president has repeatedly tied Venezuela to drug overdose deaths, claimed the Maduro regime sent an influx of criminal migrants and accused the country of stealing American oil.
• When It Comes to Russia, Trump Navigates Conflicting Goals - President Trump’s efforts to court President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia are rife with contradictions about stability and displays of American power.
• Buy Greenland? Take It? Why? An Old Pact Already Gives Trump a Free Hand. - Analysts say the Cold War agreement allows the president to increase the American military presence almost at will.
• Rubio Tells Lawmakers Trump Wants to Buy Greenland - President Trump has said since his first term that he wants to acquire Greenland, and he asked aides for an updated plan on Monday. European leaders rejected the president’s assertions.
• After Venezuela, Trump Offers Hints About What Could Be Next - President Trump’s comments about Greenland, Colombia and Cuba offered a glimpse of how emboldened he feels after the quick capture of Nicolás Maduro.
• Trump Says ‘We Need Greenland’ and Threatens U.S. Action in Colombia and Mexico - On Air Force One, President Trump threatened Colombia and its president, described Cuba as “ready to fall” and reasserted his desire to acquire Greenland.
• Sanctioned Oil Tankers Flee Venezuela in Defiance of U.S. Blockade - The ships are using deceptive tactics as part of a seemingly coordinated attempt to bypass American naval forces in the region.
• After Christmas Day Strikes, Fear Grips Muslims in Rural Nigeria - A small town set amid a smattering of baobab trees is grappling with the aftermath of a bombing ordered by President Trump.
• Rubio Stresses U.S. Plan to Coerce Venezuela Rather Than Govern It - The secretary of state said that a military “quarantine” on some oil exports would stay in place to put pressure on the country’s acting leadership.