Get the latest news and updates on FINTECH.TV

Global Power Balance Shifts Under New U.S. Strategy

Market Movers: The Opening Bell

January 26, 2026

Video Transcript

Progress was made overseas in Davos last week.

Trump left the World Economic Forum with a framework for a deal on Greenland.

The island will stay under Denmark's control, but the US is expected to gain access to its minerals and also gain full sovereignty over US bases.

Now Trump touting the agreement by saying it gives the US everything that is needed, and he dropped tariffs against European countries.

But other geopolitical risks remain.

Trump sent a naval armada towards Iran and Threatening Canada with a 100% tariff if they make a deal with China.

Well joining me to weigh in this morning is Patrick Young, chairman and founder of Exchange Invest.

Patrick, good morning.

Thank you so much for joining me.

Well, Davos is finally in the rearview mirror, no tariffs on European nations, but a US deal on Greenland.

So tell me about the framework and do you think the framework primarily is about defense and countering Russia and China, or do you think it leaves the door open to greater US control of Greenland in the future?

Look, ultimately what Trump has been looking for here is access to rare earths.

We know Greenland has a large number of those because in fact rare earths aren't actually that rare.

Once you allow people to mine for them.

That's just an ecological paradigm.

The second thing is obviously the Arctic Circle becomes increasingly important.

Trump wants to get as much access to that as possible in order to counter particularly Russia, but also Chinese influence in the area.

The Greenland deal allows him to do that and therefore it was Great to see a pragmatic European, Mark Rutte, standing up and realizing that ultimately the United States pays for NATO.

It manages to defend the world, and at the same time, therefore, it was specious nonsense that was being spouted by the Europeans in the whole episode.

So what we've got is a great framework of a deal, a thoroughly comprehensive approach, and in fact something that could have been agreed weeks ago with a lot less wailing and gnashing of teeth if the Europeans had been more pragmatic earlier.

Yes, and Patrick, so many headlines coming through, but regarding headlines of a US military aircraft traveling in waters near Cuba, this does come at a time and against the backdrop of regional tensions as well as closely watched military movements in the Caribbean.

So do you think the US aircraft carrier is in Cuban or actually in international waters here?

Look, here's a very simple situation.

We've got several dynamics going on.

First of all, the dynamic politics of the Caribbean have changed immeasurably because previously they had a lender of last resort in the form of oil and gas, which was the Venezuelans.

That spigot is being turned off because Maduro is now in custody and despite the Chavistas still being nominally in charge of the country, they're not going to do anything to upset the Americans.

The Americans are back in Caracas, baby.

They've A fully fledged embassy running with, well, it would seem to us a lot of Secret Service men making sure that the Venezuelan government is adhering to the rules as the Americans see it.

What's going on on the USS George Washington, which is an aircraft carrier which is about the size of a small Polish mercantile city?

I'm in Poland today, that is doing effectively figures of 8 around and about Cuba.

What's it doing?

Well, it's the old fashioned.

Robert De Niro and Meet the Fockers.

The Americans are going like this to Cuba.

They know that the Cubans are up against it.

And of course when your Secretary of State is Marco Rubio, a Cuban American, what could be better?

This year is a regime change year.

We've seen something happening in Venezuela.

It's quite plausible it's going to happen in Cuba, and that's going to reshape the Caribbean more in American interests, which obviously is also part of rebutting China.

Well Patrick, it's definitely a region we're keeping our eyes on, but as we continue our trek around the globe, let's focus on the Middle East.

So last week Trump stating the US is sending an armada to the Middle East, and this did raise concerns of possible action against Iran.

So do you think this is a possibility and there could actually be military action against against Iran.

I think it's a very interesting dynamic here.

I'm not convinced there is going to be military action against Iran per se.

I think that what's happened is when you've got 100 refueling carrier aircraft alone in the region, it is clear the Americans have come up to the Iranian borders and they're shouting blood, blood, blood.

The bunker busters are in the hood.

Everything.

Is there including the armada that you mentioned, if the Iranians don't want to play ball.

Ultimately though, also Trump will understand the Iranians are a very proud people.

The Persians do not want to be seen to have their government overthrown by overseas.

But by putting this pressure on and all of the geopolitical pressure that has been happening in recent months, what's happening?

Well, first of all, the Americans are just Distributed right across the Middle East.

What does that tell us?

It tells us that everybody is looking for regime change across the Mid because clearly a large number of hosts to American bases are fully aware that the US is amping up the pressure on Tehran and the mullahs, and it could well be, I think, that we are looking at the last days of the Islamic regime.

Well, Patrick, I do want to round out our discussion by looking at America's neighbor to the north, in particular Canada.

So Trump's threatening 100% tariffs, but Canada is saying it has no intention of pursuing a free trade deal with China, with Carney saying that the government is honoring its trade commitments, and this does come on.

Heels of Carney speaking at the World Economic Forum.

So tell us what's going on here.

Well, look, Mark Carney wants to get elected in Canada.

He presumably wants to get reelected.

He's managing to beat the drum in a nationalistic fashion, but ultimately Canada remains the GDP rounding error of North America pro rata, despite the fact that it's one of the 10 largest economies on Earth.

So What have we got?

We've got the ultimate end of a new world order.

Carney was bang on about that.

The thing that was quite hilarious was that it was ultimately just another case of smoke and mirrors in an everyday world, which is actually Trump world, being dominated by the US regime, whether we are in the Middle East or elsewhere, and ultimately obscuring from the exciting stories that have been going on over the course of the last week.

And finally, before I let you go, one quick question here.

So Trump met with Zelensky last week in Davos.

What do you think is going on here and how do you see all of this unfolding when it comes to Ukraine and Russia?

Simple fact is Ukraine Ukraine is of no interest to the USA.

It's not a strategic issue, never has been.

The Europeans should have led on this, but they haven't paid their defense bills for the course of the last 20 years.

So therefore, They're in a mess.

Russia's not going to be invading any further than the Ukrainian elements that it already has, or perhaps a little bit further across Ukraine.

It's a bad day for Zelinsky because ultimately he's timed out in terms of what he can possibly get from American assistance and that therefore is going to make him very, very concerned.

Although at the same time Trump is going to be keen to try and clamp down on the Russians going forward, to wit the Arctic Circle.

Patrick, always great talking to you.

Thank you so much for joining us as we kick off a new trading week.

Progress at the World Economic Forum in Davos last week marked a notable shift in global geopolitics, with President Donald Trump leaving Switzerland with a framework agreement on Greenland. Under the emerging deal, Greenland remains under the sovereignty of Denmark, while the U.S. is expected to gain expanded access to critical minerals and full sovereignty over existing U.S. military bases on the island. Following the announcement, Trump moved to drop planned tariffs against European countries, easing near-term trade tensions. Still, broader geopolitical risks remain in focus, including heightened pressure on Iran and renewed trade threats toward Canada.

To break down these developments, Remy Blaire spoke with Patrick L. Young, chairman and founder of Exchange Invest. Young framed the Greenland agreement as a pragmatic outcome centered on access to rare earth minerals and strategic positioning in the Arctic. As melting ice opens new shipping lanes and resource opportunities, the Arctic Circle has become increasingly important in countering both Russia and China. Young argued the deal could have been reached far earlier had European leaders taken a more practical approach, noting that U.S. defense commitments continue to underpin NATO security.

Attention then shifted to the Caribbean, following reports of U.S. military activity near Cuba. Young described a rapidly changing regional landscape, particularly after political upheaval in Venezuela reduced its role as an energy backstop for neighboring countries. He pointed to the presence of the USS George Washington near Cuba as a clear signal of U.S. pressure. With Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a Cuban American, playing a central role, Young suggested the region could be heading toward major political realignment, potentially including regime change in Havana.

The discussion then turned to the Middle East, where Trump announced the deployment of a naval armada amid escalating tensions with Iran. While Young stopped short of predicting direct military action, he described the buildup as a calculated show of force designed to apply maximum pressure. He suggested the U.S. strategy is aimed at destabilizing Iran’s ruling regime without triggering an outright conflict, noting widespread regional awareness that Washington is intensifying its stance toward Tehran.

North of the U.S. border, Trump’s warning of potential 100% tariffs against Canada added another layer of uncertainty. Canadian officials, including Prime Minister Mark Carney, have denied any intention of pursuing a free trade deal with China. Young characterized the situation as political posturing ahead of Canadian elections, arguing that while Canada remains a major global economy, it ultimately has limited leverage in a U.S.-dominated trade environment.

Finally, Young addressed Trump’s meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky in Davos and the outlook for the war between Ukraine and Russia. He contended that Ukraine is no longer a strategic priority for the U.S., placing the burden of leadership squarely on Europe. With European nations underprepared militarily and financially, Young suggested Zelensky faces diminishing prospects for continued American support, even as Trump looks to counter Russian influence elsewhere, particularly in the Arctic.

Taken together, the week underscored how quickly geopolitical narratives can shift. From Greenland and the Arctic to the Caribbean, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe, U.S. strategy under President Donald Trump continues to reshape global alliances, trade dynamics, and security priorities as markets and governments adjust to a rapidly evolving world order.

Latest articles

Related articles