Good morning!

Europe’s leadership void is being dramatically exposed. President Trump has been humiliating the Europeans, despite backing down over Greenland. Now Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is piling on. His remarks in his speech at Davos are particularly poignant considering the transformation Bible prophecy says is about to occur in Europe.

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Yesterday, Zelenskyy attacked European leaders for being “weak and indecisive” in standing up to Russia, China or Donald Trump. He berated their arguing among themselves rather than uniting into a “truly global power.”

He mocked the feeble military contingent they sent to Greenland; such gestures intimidate nobody. “If Europe is not seen as a global force, if its actions do not scare bad actors,” he said, “Europe will always be reacting, catching up to new, dangerous attacks.”

Zelenskyy even lambasted Europe for failing to confront Iran and to support the recent uprising. “There was so much talk about the protests in Iran, but they drowned in blood,” he said. “By the time politicians started forming positions, the Ayatollah had already killed thousands … If the regime survives, it sends a clear signal to every bully: kill enough people and you stay in power.”

Recent events truly are a gut check for Europe. Donald Trump is forcing these nations to face their embarrassing fecklessness. And at the same time that he is shaming them into arming up, he is also demonstrating to them the single most important factor for increased power that they currently lack.

That factor is strongman leadership.

Look at the stunning contrast between America under Joe Biden and America under Donald Trump—in mere months. People can argue over Trump’s actions being right or wrong, but the consequential impact of one man vigorously wielding American power in undeniable.

Zelenskyy’s speech repeatedly contrasted President Trump’s decisiveness and force against Europe’s frailty. Everybody can see it.

Prophecy is clear—and the Trumpet has warned for decades—that a European strongman is coming. As you watch events unfold and hear calls for action like those at Davos, you need to know these prophecies to see just where this trend will lead. Those decrying President Trump ruining the international order have no idea the kind of destruction this coming führer will wreak.

German Finance Minister: Let’s Talk About Nukes

As the relationship between the United States and Europe has grown tense, German Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil has hinted that the Europeans should build their own nuclear arsenal, independent from the United States.

“France has offered to make the French nuclear umbrella more effective for European security,” he said in an interview published yesterday in Der Spiegel, adding that Germany should seriously consider the option.

After decades of nuclear pacifism, Germany wants de facto nuclear weapons independence from nato and the United States. Yet the vice chancellor stipulated that Germany still wants to host American nuclear bombs on German soil to “maintain this trans-Atlantic pillar of our security.”

This is an intriguing position to take, especially considering what Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry has warned about for decades, based on Bible prophecy. Two years ago, when French President Emmanuel Macron floated the idea of a U.S.-independent nuclear arsenal, Mr. Flurry wrote:

Like Macron, Germany is actively promoting the construction of a European military. However, it does not want to give the impression that this army is in opposition to nato and the U.S.

That’s almost exactly what Vice Chancellor Klingbeil is trying to do.

In that same article, Mr. Flurry stated, based on Revelation 17:13, “Macron is already willing to share control of France’s nuclear bombs with Germany! These two nations are working together on powerful tanks, airplanes and many other armaments. In some ways, you could say France is already giving its ‘power and strength unto the beast’—a German-led war machine.”

A German-controlled nuclear arsenal would drastically empower Germany’s military and thereby its diplomacy and economy. Watch for Germany to gain beastly power over Europe, independence from the U.S. and a warlike mentality that considers raw power, not international law, valid.

Australian Wildfires: ‘Acts of God’?

For almost three weeks, the Australian state of Victoria has been afflicted by a dozen bushfires. Over 400,000 hectares of land have been consumed; 289 homes and 500 other structures have burned to the ground.

• The Victoria Farmers Federation reports 20,000 head of sheep and cattle have burned to death or died choking in ash and dust. More than 1,000 farmers have been affected, and one died in the inferno.

Insurance companies classify many kinds of disasters as “acts of God.” Did the all-powerful, all-loving God of the Bible cause these flames to rip apart homes, decimate forests, and consume the lives of animals and men?

• The deadly fire at Longwood, north of Melbourne, was triggered by a spark from a trailer on the highway that ignited dry scrub on the roadside and quickly spread. With dry weather and strong winds prevailing, Victorian Premier Jacinta Allen warned that the current fires could burn for “days if not weeks.”

As residents return to the charred remains of homes, some will undoubtedly ask, Where was God? In these moments, some even question God’s existence.

• But consider Amos 4:7: “And also I have withholden the rain from you, when there were yet three months to the harvest: and I caused it to rain upon one city, and caused it not to rain upon another city: one piece was rained upon, and the piece whereupon it rained not withered.” The God of the Bible says that He causes drought. He can and will use “natural” disasters to reprimand mankind. God calls these acts curses! Yes, God curses people—even whole nations!

Australia is a big country. We might have fires at one end, floods at another, and drought in between. Victoria is suffering fires and floods all at the same time.

But there is nothing natural about these “natural” disasters. As Australia and many other Western nations turn further from the laws of the Almighty, the intensity and frequency of such events will increase.

It does not have to be so! Just as there are effects for breaking God’s commandments, there are also effects for keeping them. The way to peace and prosperity, individually and nationally, can be found in the commandments of the Bible.

Read Why ‘Natural’ Disasters? and see for yourself how God can both close the heavens to punish and open them up to bless you with such abundance that you won’t even have room enough to receive it!

IN OTHER NEWS

Chinese intelligence has deeply infiltrated Taiwan’s military, the Wall Street Journal reported on January 21. The Chinese use messaging apps to offer money, business deals and even sexual favors to Taiwanese officers and veterans. In return, they have obtained secrets about Taiwanese defenses and vulnerabilities, including details about the forces guarding the presidential office. Taiwan launched a crackdown on Chinese espionage and influence operations in March, resulting in charges against several former and current members of the Taiwanese armed forces. But officials warn that the full extent of infiltration has yet to be uncovered. The Chinese are “not just benignly collecting information,” said former U.S. counterintelligence official Kerry Gershaneck. “It’s all being used in preparation for annexing Taiwan.” Biblical prophecy shows that China will eventually succeed in its drive to conquer Taiwan.

Spain calls for joint EU army: Ahead of yesterday’s emergency meeting regarding U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat to take over Greenland, Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares called for the creation of a combined European Union military. “A joint effort would be more efficient than 27 separate national armies,” Albares told Reuters on Wednesday, adding that the bloc should focus on bringing together its tangible military assets before mobilizing a coalition of the willing. A joint European army was first proposed in 1951 to counter the Soviet Union, and subtle advances toward that goal have included multinational commands such as eurofor and the current integration of all three main Dutch combat brigades into German Army divisions. If elites like Albares finally succeed in creating a fully integrated joint EU military in the near future, the force would consist of 1.6 million troops (about the population of West Virginia) and a defense budget of $446 billion, making it the second-most powerful military force on Earth.

Poland to increase gold reserves: Poland’s central bank announced plans on Tuesday to buy another 165 tons of gold as a hedge against geopolitical instability, increasing its overall holdings to 772 tons. “This will place Poland among the elite 10 countries with the largest gold reserves in the world,” bank governor Adam Glapiński said in a press release. Former Polish Finance Minister Konrad Raczkowski told the Financial Observer last year that Poland expects the European Central Bank to start requiring eurozone members to keep 4 percent of their gross domestic product in gold bullion. Even though Poland is not currently a member of the eurozone, it wants to fulfill this financial requirement for more than one reason.

U.S. considers leaving Syria completely: The United States is considering withdrawing its entire contingent of about 1,000 troops from Syria after the Syrian government ignored U.S. requests and conducted a lightning offensive against the Kurds, who are U.S. allies, the Wall Street Journal reported yesterday. U.S. officials stated that this will become even more likely if the main U.S.-backed Kurdish group, the Syrian Democratic Forces, fully dissolves. The Wall Street Journal said America faces challenges working with the Syrian military, which is “riddled with jihadist sympathizers, including soldiers with ties to al Qaeda and [the Islamic State] and others who have been involved in alleged war crimes against the Kurds and Druze.” President Trump has tried to portray Syria’s new regime as reformed, safe and cleansed from its former Islamist associations, yet it has some explaining to do as to why Syria’s jihadists in suits are ignoring U.S. interests and destroying U.S. allies.

Trump invites pope to Board of Peace, uninvites Canada: Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s secretary of state, confirmed on January 21 that President Donald Trump has invited Pope Leo xiv to join his Board of Peace and that the pope is considering the offer. Parolin said the Vatican will not “participate financially” in the Board of Peace because “we are not in a position to do so” and explained that the Vatican “finds itself in a different situation than other countries, so there will be a different consideration.” Meanwhile, President Trump withdrew his invitation to Canada to join after Prime Minister Mark Carney told world leaders at the World Economic Forum on January 20 that the world’s “middle powers” must band together to resist economic coercion from the world’s largest powers. Thus, the one-day-old Board of Peace is already engendering strife.

Hollywood loves Sinners: An R-rated vampire film featuring impaling, burning, occultism, profanity, drinking, smoking, racism, sex, gushing blood and other horror has received 16 nominations from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, more than any other film in the organization’s 98-year history. It’s a rare film that succeeded among both critics and viewers, bringing in $363 million globally and becoming the 12th-highest grossing horror movie ever. The Academy usually does not nominate such a movie for many Oscars—considered the most prestigious film award in the world—yet this film received more nominations than such mainstream movies as Titanic. The profusion of nominations for Sinners reflects not only the morals of the Academy but also of viewers. For more on our growing obsession with violence and horror, read “These Violent Delights.”