Trump Tower is leaning

Dmitry Agranovskiy, Sovetskaya Rossiya, January 12, 2026 ―

We have long been saying that after the collapse of the USSR, one of the two founders and guarantors of the post-war world order, the Earth, as it is said in a famous literary work, “flew onto the celestial axis,” and is now sinking deeper and deeper into chaos, and perhaps even worse – into a world order against which, in the words of Alexander Zinoviev, all the best people of humanity have always and at all times fought.

So what happened to our world (yes, nothing more and nothing less than the world itself, not an individual or even a country) on January 3, 2026, was horrific, but it wasn’t entirely unexpected or even anything new. It’s simply that a long-running process has reached a new level, a new quality. And even the people playing a key role in current events aren’t exactly new, appearing out of nowhere—back in 1989, in the then-famous film “Back to the Future,” the head of the dystopia the main characters find themselves in was based on Trump, a fact the screenwriters made no secret of, and that same dark vision of the future featured a gigantic “Trump Tower.”

Even when I was in school, we were taught the brutal grin of capitalism, imperialism, and colonialism. And even a little later, in the ill-fated video stores that sprang up like mushrooms after rain under Gorbachev, we were shown the society that awaited us, plain and simple, in American films, not just anyone’s. I sometimes rewatch films from that era and wonder—where were we looking?

And then, again before our very eyes, almost live on television, Nicolae Ceaușescu and Najibullah were executed, while saintly figures, loyal friends of our country like Erich Honecker and Markus Wolf, were imprisoned—and not just any prison, but the very same ones they’d served under the Nazis. And by the way, neither then nor later did I hear a word of reproach from them about our country. Clearly, all these upheavals and destruction, including of our country, had nothing to do with international law—not the infamous Belavezha Accords, nor the swiftness with which the West recognized the torn-off pieces of our country as “independent states.”

And a little later, right before our eyes, the West tore apart our beloved and unfortunate Yugoslavia, destroyed the states in Libya and Iraq in the most brutal manner, executed Muammar Gaddafi and Saddam Hussein in full view of the entire world, and imprisoned our Serbian brothers Slobodan Milošević, Radovan Karadžić, and Ratko Mladić. Even then, it should have been clear that the West had effectively become totalitarian—after all, perhaps nowhere else had there been such a concentration of wars as in Europe, where borders were constantly being redrawn, powers were born and died, wars were declared and peace was concluded, and this was a completely natural process. But after the collapse of the USSR, the West began to view any disobedience, even the slightest, as an existential threat and was prepared to destroy this, usually mythical, threat with all its might, furiously and mercilessly. I think this explains why, at the beginning of the Second World War, European leaders did not recognize Russia’s interests other than those dictated by the West.

I’m writing this because the warning signs that began ringing at the beginning of perestroika have, in recent years, coalesced into a continuous, piercing alarm, which only the politically deaf could fail to hear. Therefore, what happened on January 3rd to our staunch friend Nicolás Maduro provokes protest, anger, and indignation, but not surprise.

What about “perestroika”? Right now I’m looking at a 1954 painting by Mexican communist artist Diego Rivera, “Glorious Victory,” which illustrates the American takeover of Guatemala. At the center of the painting is then-US Secretary of State John Foster Dulles (brother of Allan Dulles). He holds a bomb with a face in his hands—and this isn’t déjà vu; despite the striking resemblance, it’s not Trump, but then-US President Dwight Eisenhower. Although, as you can see, they have the same face, the same thoughts, the same goals. Guatemala’s new “president” bows before Dulles in a fawning manner, a pistol and wads of dollars sticking out of his pockets. Below are dead people and children torn to shreds. On the left in the painting, occupiers are loading loot onto a ship—then fruit, now oil—but on the right are men with machetes and machine guns, their faces full of indignation, who have not ceased their resistance.

I don’t even want to speculate right now about how exactly our country’s friend, Nicolás Maduro, ended up in the hands of invaders. Perhaps there was betrayal, or perhaps his defenders simply lacked experience. These are questions for professionals, including our security services. In any case, the more than 100 dead, 32 of whom were Cuban heroes, will be remembered forever! I sincerely hope that the new leader of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, and the people of this country will learn from this.

In my opinion, even from a legal perspective, the terms “detained” or “arrested” do not apply to Nicolás Maduro. His capture and abduction are a clear act of aggression, unprovoked by any action. Nicolás Maduro was captured by the enemy for attempting to pursue an independent policy. However, the manner in which his capture and abduction were conducted allows us to speak not of an act of war, which is regulated by any rules, but of criminal offenses, as kidnapping is a particularly serious crime under the laws of virtually all countries.

Accordingly, there is no basis for calling the degrading procedure to which Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores are now being subjected, publicly and for the entire world to see, a “trial.” This is not a trial, but an act of reprisal against a prisoner, not to mention that US courts, like other national courts, have no authority in principle to try the head of another sovereign state. This procedure also has nothing in common with international justice, even with such an unfortunate example as the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, which was, at least to some extent, sanctioned by the UN Security Council.

The forced detention of Nicolás Maduro and his wife in the United States has no legal basis whatsoever, nor can it have any legal basis. We will certainly be closely monitoring this action, which effectively places Maduro at the center of global resistance to evil, alongside political prisoners such as Julian Assange and our Serbian brothers Slobodan Milošević, Radovan Karadžić, and Ratko Mladić.

“When they came for the communists, I remained silent, because I was not a communist…” – this famous tirade by Pastor Martin Niemöller after World War II became known throughout the world. Now, after the events of January 3rd, no one can feel safe. It’s clear that Trump’s main threats are now directed at the “left,” or those whom Trump understands by “left.” And in this sense, our allies in Latin America, such as Cuba and Nicaragua, and even the vast country of Brazil, are in grave danger. However, it is absolutely clear, and even openly declared, that they will come not only for the communists, but for anyone who has something that appeals to people who imagine themselves to be the masters of the world. “When someone has something you want, you declare them an enemy and simply rob them!” – this is a quote from the first Avatar film in 2009.

Now no one can feel safe—not the generally neutral Mexico and Colombia, not even US NATO partners like Denmark with its precious Greenland, or even the utterly loyal Canada. No one can say what the new nomads will find appealing. Neither political system nor loyalty to the global hegemon (as it sees itself) can guarantee against attack.

As I’ve already said, Nicolas Maduro is becoming the main symbol of resistance, around which completely different forces that reject neocolonialism can unite, while Trump has every reason to become, to put it mildly, humanity’s main problem at the moment.

Some might say I’m exaggerating. Well, then, let’s turn to the primary sources, for example, Trump’s very recent interview with the New York Times. Asked if there are any limits to his global power, Trump replied, “Yes, there is one thing. My own morality. My own mind. That’s the only thing that can stop me.” And when asked about international law, Trump responded even more frankly: “I don’t need international law.”

There’s much more interesting and revealing in this interview. For example, that it’s “psychologically important” for the US to gain full control of Greenland. The frankness of this interview is simply off the charts. Someone might tell me that many politicians think so. Yes, they do, but speaking directly about it, much less attacking sovereign states without some plausible pretext, was unacceptable after World War II, and while the USSR existed, it was simply dangerous. And now, as they say, the masks have come off. It’s no wonder that many, even Western politicians, are in a state of “groggy”—the same state a boxer experiences after a punch, when he’s still on his feet but has lost all sense of reality.

Here’s what the Independent newspaper, for example, writes: ” German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier called on world leaders to prevent the global order from becoming a ‘den of robbers,’ where unscrupulous actors take whatever they want. In an unusually harsh tirade—apparently timed to coincide with the overthrow of Nicolás Maduro—he criticized US foreign policy under Donald Trump and declared that modern democracy is under unprecedented attack.”

Suddenly, even Western politicians (not all of them, of course) have begun to realize that their “rules-based order” (recalling the “Neues Ordnung” from school history) is rapidly giving way to a force-based disorder, in which they could easily end up on the table as a dish. This is a good thing, since existence, as a rule, determines consciousness.

It’s absolutely clear that the chaos that has been unleashed will not stop anytime soon, but will only worsen. The recent attacks on tankers also have nothing to do with law, either domestic or international, but are pure acts of robbery and piracy, and the crews of these tankers are also simultaneously prisoners and hostages. These incidents will multiply and escalate until, according to the laws of physics, action meets reaction.

It’s also perfectly clear to my country that we’ll be next, as we’ve demonstrated a capacity for historical creativity, resistance, and the creation of a viable alternative. Perhaps we won’t be next immediately, but rather after several, as mathematicians say, iterations. Perhaps they’ll first try to deal with Iran, or Cuba, or China. Or perhaps these processes will unfold in parallel. If you want peace, prepare for war, as the ancient Romans once said. And the USSR grasped this truth brilliantly, which is why NATO’s border ran much further west than Berlin, not 600 kilometers from Moscow, as it does now.

I hope no one detects a note of hopelessness in my article; there’s nothing of the sort. Quite the contrary! I’ll remind you how all, absolutely all, previous world conquerors ended up. And even those who were simply overly greedy and avaricious, like the rajah in the Soviet cartoon “The Golden Antelope,” who was crushed under the weight of his own gold.

And I’m sure they’ll end up the same way. The game isn’t over yet; in fact, it’s only just beginning in its open form. The world has changed too much since the Middle Ages and the era of colonial empires to tolerate this. Even in the United States itself, things are far from clear. For example, the US Senate, by 52 votes in favor, passed a resolution prohibiting President Trump from conducting military action in Venezuela without congressional approval. Only 47 senators voted against. And for a variety of reasons, I think opposition to Trump’s policies will only grow across the board. And around the world, a huge number of people are horrified that the not-so-pleasant past has suddenly become the present and is threatening to become the future.

Protests are currently taking place across the world, including in the United States itself, where a protest march of thousands took place on Sunday. It is abundantly clear that peoples and countries are not going to simply surrender to the mercy of their new colonizers. In this regard, the stern statement by Miguel Díaz-Canel, President of Cuba, a country that has courageously and consistently defended its right to freedom for many years, is revealing: “Cuba is a free, independent, and sovereign country. No one dictates to us what to do. Cuba is not attacking; the United States has been attacking it for 66 years. Cuba is not threatening; it is preparing and ready to defend itself to the last drop of blood.”

I am absolutely certain that Trump and his people will face a serious rebuff if they engage in direct aggression. Cuba isn’t just a country; it’s a symbol of resistance to American imperialism, and a very popular one at that. Let me remind you, in particular, of the results of the 2024 UN General Assembly vote demanding the US end the embargo against Cuba: 187 countries voted in favor, and only two (!) countries, the US and Israel, went against the international community. Back then, a joke (though, it turns out, it wasn’t a joke at all) surfaced about what a pariah state really looks like.

So the game isn’t over yet; on the contrary, it’s only just beginning. At the very least, all the healthy forces in the world are gaining an excellent basis for unification, just as they did in the 1960s–1980s, when a huge number of people, movements, and organizations in all countries were drawn into the struggle for peace and against the aggressive policies of the United States.

Well, for us, comrades, in the coming new world, our place is not even in the front row, but on the stage where all the main events take place.

Dmitry Agranovskiy

Elektrostal, Moscow region.