War drums are changing the course of history

Across the Western world, hundreds of millions of people are enjoying the holiday season as if nothing is wrong. But behind the festive lights and distractions, the war drums are growing louder by the day.

If the world continues down this path, next year’s holidays could look nothing like the ones we are celebrating now. Yet most people seem to assume that everything will somehow work itself out. That assumption is dangerously naïve. Ignoring the reality of the crisis unfolding before us does not make it disappear—it guarantees that it will get worse.

If ordinary citizens in the Western world truly understood what is at stake, they would already be in the streets. A global war is rapidly approaching, yet the overwhelming majority of our entertainment-addicted population appears oblivious. Over the weekend alone, several developments occurred that should deeply alarm anyone paying attention.

The United States seizes another Venezuelan oil tanker

On Saturday morning, U.S. forces seized yet another oil tanker connected to Venezuela.

In an early-morning operation, the U.S. Coast Guard intercepted a ship sailing under the Panamanian flag named Centuries. A U.S. official told CBS News that the interception followed the same pattern as a previous seizure of an oil tanker near Venezuela.

Anna Kelly, deputy press secretary at the White House, stated on social media that the ship was “a falsely flagged vessel that was part of Venezuela’s shadow fleet used to transport stolen oil and finance Maduro’s narco-terrorist regime.”

Predictably, Venezuela reacted with fury.

Venezuela accuses the U.S. of piracy

In an official statement released Saturday, the Venezuelan government condemned the seizure and called it “a serious act of piracy.”

“The colonialist model that the U.S. government seeks to impose through such practices will fail and will be defeated by the Venezuelan people,” the statement declared. But now that this escalation has begun, the United States shows no intention of stopping.

A second tanker is being pursued

On Sunday, reports emerged that U.S. forces were pursuing yet another oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela—just one day after the previous seizure—amid a rapid U.S. military buildup in the region.

If this tanker is seized, it would mark the third U.S. interception of an oil tanker in less than two weeks. A source told Reuters on December 21 that the tanker was under sanctions, although it had not yet been boarded.

Officials declined to disclose the ship’s name or the exact location of the operation. Bloomberg was among the first outlets to report the pursuit.

This escalation comes less than a week after President Donald Trump ordered a “blockade” of all sanctioned vessels entering or leaving Venezuela, further strangling the oil-dependent nation’s economy. Senator Rand Paul has accurately described these tanker seizures as a “harbinger of war.”

He is absolutely correct.

Armed confrontation is now a real possibility

Venezuela has now ordered its navy to escort oil tankers departing from its ports. According to reporting by The New York Times, several vessels left Venezuela’s eastern coast under naval protection on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning.

Last week, U.S. forces boarded and seized a tanker with the intention of confiscating its cargo. If the United States attempts to seize another tanker now, it could result in a direct military clash with the Venezuelan navy. At that point, shots could be fired at any moment.

And Venezuela is not the only country affected.

Cuba and China are directly impacted

Approximately 40 percent of Cuba’s imported oil comes from Venezuela. Analysts warn that if those supplies are cut off, Cuba’s economy could collapse entirely.

Venezuela remains Cuba’s primary energy supplier, despite declining shipments in recent years. Any further disruption could have catastrophic consequences. Energy experts warn that a sharp decline in Venezuelan crude could trigger a full-scale economic breakdown on the island.

Meanwhile, China imports more oil from Venezuela than the rest of the world combined.

This blockade will severely damage U.S.–China relations, and the consequences of that deterioration will not be minor. They will reverberate globally—and affect every one of us.

Russia continues advancing in Ukraine

At the same time, Russian forces continue to gain ground in Ukraine.

According to Russia’s Ministry of Defense, Russian troops have taken control of the settlements of Vysoke in the Sumy region and Svitloe in the Donetsk People’s Republic. Svitloe lies between Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad, while Vysoke is near the border with Russia’s Belgorod region.

The Russian Defense Ministry reports new territorial gains almost daily. In the week leading up to December 12, eight settlements reportedly fell under Russian control. On December 17, Russia also announced the capture of the village of Herasymivka in the Dnipropetrovsk region.

Every Russian advance pushes Europe closer to desperation. And the uncomfortable truth is this: Ukraine cannot win this war without direct Western military involvement.

Direct war with Russia is the end goal

According to Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, that is precisely what the European Union and NATO ultimately want.

She has accused the EU and NATO of attempting to drag the United States into a direct confrontation with Russia. “Deep-state actors are spreading fear and hysteria to justify prolonging the war and undermining President Trump’s peace efforts,” Gabbard stated. “In this case, they are doing so to pull the U.S. military into direct conflict with Russia, which is ultimately what the EU and NATO want.”

“We cannot allow this to happen,” she warned.

At present, Ukrainian and European leaders are working on a so-called “deal” that they know with absolute certainty Russia will reject. When Russia inevitably refuses, that rejection will be used as justification for the next phase of escalation.

And what comes next is no mystery. They have been preparing for it feverishly.

The war drums are no longer distant. They are beating right now—and they are getting louder.