On Sunday, a day after the events in Venezuela, renewed his advocacy for the United States to acquire the Danish territory of , citing U.S. security interests. Simultaneously, his top diplomat stated that the communist government in is “in a lot of trouble.”
The remarks from Trump and , following the action against Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro, emphasize the U.S. administration’s commitment to assuming a broader role in the Western Hemisphere.
Through thinly disguised threats, Trump is unsettling both allies and adversaries in the region, prompting a direct question worldwide: Who is next?
“We do need Greenland, absolutely,” Trump stated in an interview with The Atlantic, characterizing the strategically positioned Arctic island as being “surrounded by Russian and Chinese ships.”
When questioned about what the U.S. military intervention in Venezuela might imply for Greenland, Trump answered: “They are going to have to view it themselves. I really don’t know.” The White House offered no comment on the matter.
In his administration’s policy document released last month, Trump established the restoration of “American preeminence in the Western Hemisphere” as a key objective for his second term.
Trump has also referenced , which opposes European colonialism, along with the — a rationale the U.S. used to back Panama’s secession from Colombia, facilitating American control of the Panama Canal Zone — to argue for a forceful stance toward neighboring countries and others.
Trump has even joked that some people now call the foundational doctrine of the fifth U.S. president the “Don-roe Doctrine.”
The overnight operation conducted by U.S. forces in Caracas on Saturday, combined with Trump’s interview with The Atlantic, increased alarm in Denmark, which governs the mineral-rich island of Greenland.
In a statement responding to Trump’s recent comments on Greenland, declared that he has “no right to annex” the territory. She also noted that Denmark, a fellow NATO member, already grants the U.S. extensive access to Greenland under current security pacts.
“I would therefore strongly urge the U.S. to stop threatening a historically close ally and another country and people who have made it very clear that they are not for sale,” Frederiksen said.
Denmark also endorsed a European Union statement on Sunday stressing that “the right of the Venezuelan people to determine their future must be respected,” as Trump has pledged to “run” Venezuela and pressured the acting president, .
Greenlanders and Danes were additionally irritated by a social media post from Katie Miller, a former Trump administration official turned podcaster, following the raid. The post featured an illustrated map of Greenland colored in the Stars and Stripes with the caption: “SOON.”
“And yes, we expect full respect for the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark,” stated Amb. Jesper Møller Sørensen, Denmark’s top diplomat in Washington, in a response to Miller, who is married to Trump’s influential deputy chief of staff, Stephen Miller.
Throughout and during the initial months of his return to the White House, Trump has frequently demanded U.S. control over Greenland and has explicitly suggested taking command of the mineral-rich, strategically important Arctic island, which is part of an allied nation.
The topic had mostly faded from public attention in recent months. However, Trump redirected focus to Greenland less than two weeks ago by announcing his intention to appoint Republican as his special envoy to the territory.
The Louisiana governor stated that in his volunteer role, he would assist Trump in his goal to “make Greenland a part of the U.S.”
A stern warning to Cuba
At the same time, unease grew in Cuba, a key ally and trading partner of Venezuela, as Rubio delivered a new warning to the Cuban government. Relations between the U.S. and Cuba have been antagonistic since the 1959 revolution.
Rubio, during an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” claimed that Cuban officials were alongside Maduro in Venezuela prior to his capture.
“It was Cubans that guarded Maduro,” Rubio said. “He was not guarded by Venezuelan bodyguards. He had Cuban bodyguards.” The secretary of state further added that Cuban bodyguards managed “internal intelligence” within Maduro’s government, including monitoring “who spies on who inside to make sure there are no traitors.”
On Saturday, Trump told reporters that he considers the Cuban government “very similar” to that of Venezuela.
“I think Cuba is going to be something we’ll end up talking about, because Cuba is a failing nation right now, a very badly failing nation, and we want to help the people,” Trump said.
Cuban authorities organized a rally backing Venezuela’s government and condemned the U.S. military action, declaring in a statement: “All the nations of the region must remain alert, because the threat hangs over all of us.”
Rubio, a former Florida senator and the son of Cuban immigrants, has consistently argued that Cuba is a dictatorship that oppresses its citizens.
“This is the Western Hemisphere. This is where we live — and we’re not going to allow the Western Hemisphere to be a base of operation for adversaries, competitors, and rivals of the United States,” Rubio said.
Cubans such as 55-year-old biochemical laboratory worker Bárbara Rodríguez were monitoring the situation in Venezuela. She expressed concern about what she termed an “aggression against a sovereign state.”
“It can happen in any country, it can happen right here. We have always been in the crosshairs,” Rodríguez said.