The US military has seized a second sanctions-hit oil tanker at sea, detaining the vessel Sophia in the Caribbean as part of an expanded crackdown on ‘shadow fleet’ ships accused of transporting illicit oil. A previous capture in the Atlantic involved the Russian-flagged Marinera.
The world that emerged after the Cold War is fading fast. As 2026 begins, a less ideological, more power-driven international order is taking shape—what Viktor Orbán has described as the ‘age of nations’. Recent US actions, shifting alliances and the decline of liberal norms reveal the defining features of this new global reality.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has vowed to conclude talks with Slovakia over a new law criminalizing criticism of the Beneš decrees, warning that it revives the principle of collective guilt. The legislation has strained bilateral relations and reignited long-standing disputes over the treatment of the Hungarian minority in Slovakia.
Hungarian defence firm 4iG Space and Defence Technologies has signed an exclusive cooperation agreement with TATRA Trucks, granting it representation and sales rights for the Czech manufacturer’s military vehicles in Hungary. The deal supports Budapest’s ambition to strengthen domestic defence production and NATO-compatible capabilities.
Viktor Orbán opened the year with a two-hour international press conference, declaring that 2025 marked the definitive end of the liberal world order and the dawn of an ‘age of nations’. Promoting Hungary’s ‘peace economy’, opposition to war-driven policies and EU migration plans, he framed the coming election as a decisive civilizational choice.
From 1 January, members of the Hungarian Defence Forces and civilian defence employees are receiving improved non-wage benefits, including higher travel reimbursements, increased housing support and expanded family-related allowances.
In the early morning hours of 3 January, the special forces of the US Army captured President Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela, who is now transferred to the United States to face justice in his criminal case. But why did the Trump administration choose to take such a drastic measure?
‘The core paradox of the European Union has always been an aspiration to function as an imperial power without possessing imperial sovereignty. It claims authority over trade, regulations, and cultural norms across the continent, yet it relies on the American nuclear umbrella for external protection and lacks the independent military force needed to impose its will.’
In 2023, the small Israeli community of Nir Oz, located near the Gaza border, became the scene of one of the deadliest attacks in Israel’s recent history.
Hungary’s rearmament is looking to its traditional German suppliers, while also reaching beyond blocs to Türkiye and Brazil.