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Good morning,
Welcome back to another Thursday briefing. This one is short. Let’s begin!
Reporting Period: January 19-22, 2026
Bottom-Line Up Front:
1. On January 19, 2026, Bulgarian President Rumen Radev resigned amid prolonged political instability and public anger over corruption and economic mismanagement. His departure follows months of protests and the December resignation of Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov, after failed efforts to form a governing coalition. Vice President Iliana Yotova assumed the presidency, and Bulgaria is now expected to hold snap elections in Spring 2026.
2. On January 21, President Trump ruled out a military invasion and forceful takeover of Greenland. Trump suggested all relevant parties would enter negotiations. Later, Trump stated an initial deal framework had been constructed with NATO Secretary General Rutte, and that talks would proceed. The US-EU trade deal still remains halted.
Bulgarian President Resigns Ahead Of Snap Elections
Summary
On January 19, 2026, Bulgarian President Rumen Radev resigned amid prolonged political instability and public anger over corruption and economic mismanagement. His departure follows months of protests and the December resignation of Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov, after failed efforts to form a governing coalition. Vice President Iliana Yotova assumed the presidency, and Bulgaria is now expected to hold snap elections in Spring 2026.
Findings
Background: Bulgaria has held seven parliamentary elections since 2021, indicating a continuation of political instability in 2026 (DW). Despite westernization efforts, such as the adoption of the Euro currency on January 1, Bulgaria has experienced large-scale anti-corruption protests in November and December 2025 (DW). In December 2025, Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov resigned due to protests (DW).
Following Zhelyazkov’s resignation, President Radev tasked the Alliance for Rights and Freedoms (APS) party with forming a government, but the offer to nominate a prime minister was rejected (Politico).President Radev: On January 19, 2026, Bulgarian President Rumen Radev announced his resignation (DW, Politico). Radev’s resignation took effect on January 20, and he was replaced by Vice President Iliana Yotova (DW, Politico). There is speculation that Radev may participate in snap elections by forming a new centrist party to “unite all democrats - left and right” (DW, Balkan Insight).
Radev is the first president to resign since Bulgaria secured its independence in 1991 (DW).Elections: On January 16, after Radev’s request for the APS to nominate a prime minister was rejected, he announced that Bulgaria would be “going to elections” (Mediapool). Parliamentary and presidential elections have not been announced, but are anticipated for the Spring of 2026 (Balkan Insight).
Why This Matters
Radev’s resignation underscores the depth of Bulgaria’s political crisis, with repeated elections failing to produce durable governance. Continued instability risks weakening state institutions just as Bulgaria enters the eurozone, increasing economic and social pressure.
The prospect of snap elections also opens Bulgarian politics to populist or external influence campaigns. Until a stable government emerges, Bulgaria is likely to remain a fragile link on NATO and the EU’s southeastern flank.
Trump Draws Back Greenland Rhetoric At WEF, Europe Halts Trade Deal
Summary
On January 21, President Trump ruled out a military invasion and forceful takeover of Greenland. Trump suggested all relevant parties would enter negotiations. Later, Trump stated an initial deal framework had been constructed with NATO Secretary General Rutte, and that talks would proceed. The US-EU trade deal still remains halted.
Findings
Trump at Davos: On January 21, speaking at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, President Trump apparently ruled out an American invasion and forceful seizure of Greenland (Politico). However, Trump demanded that relevant parties conduct “immediate negotiations” regarding Greenland’s sovereignty (Politico).
“We probably won’t get anything unless I decide to use excessive strength and force, where we would be, frankly, unstoppable. But I won’t to that… because people thought I would use force, but I don’t have to use force. I don’t want to use force.”
EU Trade Block: On January 21, the chair of the European Parliament’s Trade Committee announced that the US-EU Trade Deal (the “Turnberry Legislation” negotiated in the Summer of 2025) has been paused due to American and European tensions over Greenland, and by extension, NATO and European sovereignty (X, Euronews).
On January 17, Trump announced that some European nations would experience 10% tariffs (beginning February 1, 2026) and ultimately 25% tariffs (by June 1, 2026) if a deal for “the Complete and Total purchase of Greenland” is not reached (The Intel Brief).
Greenland Deal Framework: On January 21, after Trump’s first day in Davos, he announced that a “framework of a future deal with respect to Greenland and… the entire Arctic Region” had been reached (White House). Trump stated the initial framework was organized with NATO Secretary General Rutte (White House). Trump confirmed that if the framework can be agreed upon with European partners, the US will not institute tariffs (White House).
Negotiations will be led by Vice President Vance, Secretary of State Rubio, and envoy Witkoff. Trump told reporters that “The deal is going to be put out pretty soon… it gets us everything we need to get” (Rapid Response 47).
Initial reports suggest the framework includes “small pockets of land” for the US, trade in minerals, a timeframe, Golden Dome coordination, and American infrastructure investments (The Kobeissi Letter, Insider Paper).
Why This Matters
The Greenland dilemma has damaged the trans-Atlantic alliance, disrupting trade and trust, and ultimately threatening Western collective security. Just as Trump’s wanton aggression set off this crisis, Europe’s apparent willingness to come to blows with the US (without any military parity) has exposed the fragility and revisionism in Europe that Trump uses to justify his “America First” rhetoric.
This is even more apparent given the set stage at Davos, where Western leaders (Canada and Finland in particular) have highlighted their willingness to shape a “new world order” and hand over power to a Russian and Chinese-led global South.
There is a lot of concern with Trump’s expansionist rhetoric, but there is also an unsavory and unspoken danger in Europe’s feebleness, its entitlement, its lack of urgency or understanding in dealing with emerging threats, and its short memory regarding which nation rebirthed it after the detriments of the 20th century…
The Greenland issue has been mishandled on all sides. But thankfully, Rutte has helped to establish a level-headed, mutually beneficial framework for meeting all interests and retaining the integrity of NATO and the Western alliance. Assuming a deal is reached, the Trump administration will likely have to re-engage with Europe to encourage the ratification of the previously established trade agreement.
End Brief
That concludes this brief.
Thank you for reading!
— Nick
This publication is an Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) product and does not contain Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) or Classified Information.