ARE WE HEADING TOWARDS WAR?
By Konstantinos Konstantinidis (Amphiktyon)
Lieutenant General (ret.) – Author
Member of the Society of Greek Writers
The aggressive actions of Mr. Trump awaken in those of us who are older memories of dark skies. They remind us of 1938, when Hitler began paving the road toward World War II. The threat of a military takeover of Greenland inevitably brings to mind the lightning-fast occupation of Czechoslovakia. The parallels are deeply troubling.
The main characteristic of that period — and of the present one — was and remains unilateral aggressive action. Then it was Nazi Germany; today it is the great powers. Russia and the United States act at will, while Turkey had already set the precedent in 1974 with the invasion of Cyprus.
The second characteristic is a dialogue of the deaf. Everyone speaks, no one listens. Diplomacy retreats in the face of power and faits accomplis.
The third element is the intensification of psychological warfare. Peoples are being prepared not only militarily but also psychologically, through threats, statements, displays of force, and the systematic cultivation of fear.
Fourth, there is a rapid increase in military spending, accompanied by the development and deployment of new weapons systems. Technology advances faster than political restraint.
Fifth, the United States has effectively revived the Monroe Doctrine in Latin America, while at the same time granting an informal “indulgence” to Russia for achieving its objectives in Ukraine. Selective morality has once again become the rule.
Sixth, the entire planet is engulfed in uncertainty and disorder. Everywhere there is anxiety, division, internal upheaval, and economic instability. Global equilibrium is under severe strain.
Seventh, the powerful apply International Law wherever it suits them and violate it ruthlessly wherever it conflicts with their interests. Law is subordinated to power.
Eighth — and most decisive — they have moved to implement the geostrategic theory of Thucydides, according to which:
“The strong do what they can, and the weak suffer what they must.”
The boarding of ships on the high seas, such as the incident of January 7, 2026, in the Atlantic, involving tankers carrying Venezuelan oil to Russia, constitutes a severe blow to maritime transport and, naturally, to Greek shipping. Is piracy on the high seas being revived?
I estimate that all these developments amount to preliminary actions toward a planned war — one that President Trump may be willing to risk, imitating the cowboys of Western films, where the boldest — or the most reckless — emerges victorious.
Does he perhaps possess some new weapon that fuels his arrogance and emboldens him to initiate a hybrid war among superpowers, the scope and consequences of which no one can predict? Why did he hint at an “automatic blackout” during a potential attack on Venezuela?
Within this framework, psychological warfare has been fully integrated, with continuous intimidation of peoples through claims of the invincibility of the U.S. Armed Forces — just as Hitler once did with Blitzkrieg, Panzer divisions, and the Luftwaffe.
However, action inevitably brings reaction. The first countermeasure may be aimed at the vulnerable American economy. Opponents — China, Russia, and now even Europe — could seek to strike it indirectly.
This may occur through the generalization of the BRICS Pay system, as an alternative mechanism for transactions and de-dollarization.
Ultimately, all of this will impact the peoples, who will pay the price: restricted trade, soaring prices, poverty, and unbearable armaments burdens. As throughout history, the decisions of the powerful become the burden of the weak.
(January 8, 2026)