Summary
- The war in Ukraine and the dynamics of diplomatic negotiations towards a potential agreement with Russia, as well as the tensions associated with the U.S. president’s interest in Greenland and their implications for the transatlantic relationship, were dominant topics in January, generating mentions and visibility for the majority of the international actors analysed. The U.S. operation in Venezuela represented a distinct theme, with an impact on the visibility of monitored actors.
- Other relevant subjects included developments in the realm of security policy, strategic trade and economic policy statements (such as the interception and seizure of Russian tankers, the World Economic Forum in Davos, and debates on the EU-Mercosur trade agreement), social policy topics with international resonance (initiatives on restricting minors’ access to social media), as well as incidents that received media attention (road accidents involving foreign citizens).
- The United States tops the list of mentions, followed at some distance by Ukraine. In third place is the EU, with Russia very close behind. The positioning of the U.S. indicates high visibility for the White House’s new foreign policy approach, defined by the reconfiguration of international relations and a transactional, pragmatic, and personalised leadership logic.
- The U.S. also ranks first in the top of visualisations (estimated impact of mentions). Behind it are Ukraine and Russia, with similar values. The EU is in fourth position.
- The beginning of the year (re)confirms the role of online press as the main source of mentions for all monitored actors. This dynamic is reflected both in the volume of mentions and in the evolution of estimated impact, and highlights the role of the media agenda in shaping online visibility..
- The contribution of local sources to the total number of mentions ranges from 9 – 10% (China, Russia, Israel) up to 17% (France), 18% (EU), and even 19% (Germany).