US mulls military option for Greenland

And European allies work on plan should US move on Greenland.

Get full access to Reuters.com for just $1/week. Subscribe now. Daily Briefing Daily Briefing By Kate Turton Hello. Trump's White House says the US military is always an option for acquiring Greenland. Meanwhile, Maduro's immunity claim tests US power to prosecute foreign leaders, and Japan condemns China's dual-use export ban as rare earth curbs loom. Plus, an Elvis Presley-themed train departs for Australian tribute festival. Today's Top News   An aerial view shows a fjord in western Greenland, September 16, 2025. REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane/File Photo United States The White House said that President Donald Trump is discussing options for acquiring Greenland, including potential use of the US military, in a revival of his ambition to control the strategic island despite European objections. European allies are working on a plan should the US move on Greenland. At a retreat in Washington, Trump said Republicans must win the 2026 congressional midterm elections - or else he will get impeached by Democrats. White House Correspondent Trevor Hunnicutt tells the Reuters World News podcast about Trump's focus for the 2026 midterms. Trump's administration is freezing more than $10 billion in federal childcare and family assistance funds to California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota and New York, the Department of Health and Human Services said, citing what it called concerns about fraud and misuse. In other news The US for the first time backed a broad coalition of Ukraine's allies in vowing to provide security guarantees that leaders said would include binding commitments to support the country if Russia attacks again. The leader of Yemen's southern separatists, Aidarous al-Zubaidi, was in the port city of Aden, the group said, after he skipped a flight to Riyadh for talks on a crisis that caused a major feud between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The rift has left some tourists stranded on a remote Yemeni island. An Israeli-backed Palestinian militia said it had killed two Hamas operatives in southern Gaza, marking a renewed challenge to Hamas after Israel empowered its rivals in areas under Israeli military control. Western Europe braced for more snow and ice, with the first named storm of the year hitting the continent's Atlantic coast. More flights were cancelled, train services disrupted and roads blocked as storm Goretti advanced across the region. Business & Markets   Caracas and Washington have reached a deal to export up to $2 billion worth of Venezuelan crude to the US, Trump said, a flagship negotiation that would divert supplies from China while helping Venezuela avoid deeper oil production cuts. Oil markets are reacting to the news, with the move adding supply to an already well‑stocked global market — but reviving Venezuela's oil industry remains a slow, risky process. Hear the analysis on Reuters Morning Bid.  Japan called China's ban on dual use exports for its military "absolutely unacceptable", amid a looming threat of broader curbs on vital rare earths in an escalating dispute between Asia's top two economies. China's top diplomat began his annual New Year tour of Africa, focusing on strategic trade access across eastern and southern Africa as Beijing seeks to secure key shipping routes and resource supply lines. Bayer's Monsanto sued COVID-19 vaccine makers Pfizer, BioNTech and Moderna in Delaware federal court  for allegedly misusing its messenger RNA technology in manufacturing their vaccines, a Bayer spokesperson confirmed. BlueScope Steel is rejecting an $8.92 billion buyout bid from SGH and US-based Steel Dynamics, the Australian steelmaker said, and accused the bidders of trying to buy it "on the cheap". France is seeking support from other governments for a push to exempt fertilisers from the European Union's carbon border levy, which it argues is needed to protect struggling European farmers, a draft document seen by Reuters showed. Maduro's immunity claim tests US power to prosecute foreign leaders   Maduro is escorted as he heads towards the Daniel Patrick Moynihan United States Courthouse. Downtown Manhattan Heliport. January 5, 2026. REUTERS/Adam Gray Nicolás Maduro's first appearance in a US courtroom offered a glimpse of the legal battle ahead over rarely tested questions — chief among them whether he can claim immunity from prosecution. Maduro, who pleaded not guilty to narco-terrorism and cocaine charges, defiantly claimed that he remained the president of Venezuela -- setting up a showdown over the legal protections customarily given to heads of state. Read more And Finally... An Elvis tribute artist waves to Elvis fans on board the Elvis Express from Sydney's Central Station, January 7, 2026. REUTERS/Hollie Adams Elvis Presley fans and tribute artists kicked off their annual journey to the Elvis Festival in the Australian regional town of Parkes. Enthusiasts, dressed in Elvis-style clothing, converged on Central Station in Sydney before embarking on a 222 mile westward journey on the Elvis Express, a special train organised by the festival. 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