At the same time, she claims that Venezuela is not “subordinated or conquered”. She announced this during a ceremony in honor of hundreds of Venezuelans who, according to her government, died during the American attack in Caracas. “No one gave up. There were fights for our homeland,” she added.
However, in connection with cooperation, Donald Trump has already announced that he called off the second wave of attacks on Venezuela. According to him, Caracas is cooperating, releasing political prisoners and helping to restore the oil industry. According to Trump, these people “give them everything they think is necessary”.
But this pragmatic approach provokes criticism from American Democrats, who warn against long-term intervention without a clear legal framework. The latter leaves Venezuelans in uncertainty as to when and whether they will see the promised free elections. Meanwhile, American ships remain in the area for “security reasons”.
The military action itself that captured Maduro and his wife is seen as a triumph in the White House and among Trump supporters. The operation also allegedly intimidated other leaders in the region. This can be seen, for example, with Colombian President Gustavo Petr. Although Trump initially threatened him because of the cocaine routes, and Petro did not rule out an armed conflict in response, after a recent phone call, tensions eased and the Colombian president was even invited to Washington.
Trump also announced that he will host María Corina Machado next week. However, his statement about the Nobel Peace Prize, which Machadová won last year, attracted attention. The American president claims that the opposition leader promised to give it to him, which he himself would consider a “great honor”.
However, the situation in Venezuela remains tense, despite the self-confidence of the US administration. For now, American oil managers are holding back and will not rush into Venezuela’s oil fields. They fear that the situation will change after Trump leaves office, or that their efforts will be sabotaged by local intelligence services that have lost their profits. The restoration of the neglected oil industry will thus take years – but so will the American presence in the country.
After Venezuela, it’s Greenland’s turn: Trump wants to buy the island, but an invasion is also on the cards
And if anyone thought that the US military operation in Venezuela was a one-off fad of the old-new administration, the White House was quick to disabuse them. President Donald Trump is now turning his eyes to the north, and the pressure to acquire Greenland is rising again. Until now, his words on the subject may have been taken lightly, but after the capture of Nicolás Maduro, the mood is changing.
The situation escalated after US Vice President JD Vance openly accused Denmark and the rest of Europe of failing to protect Greenland from Russia and China. “My advice to European leaders and anyone else would be to take the president of the United States seriously,” he was heard saying.
Vance added that if Europe doesn’t start taking the security of this territory more seriously, “the United States is going to have to do something about it.” The White House, meanwhile, insists it needs the island for its missile defense and strategic dominance in the Arctic.
Ownership is more than a contract
At the same time, the United States has a strong position in Greenland for a long time. Under a 1951 treaty, they operate the Pituffik space base there and have the right to establish additional military bases with Denmark’s consent. But that’s not enough for Donald Trump.
“Ownership gives you things and features that you can’t get by just signing a document,” Trump claims. His administration has already taken action, with the Danish ambassador and Greenland’s representative summoned to meetings at the White House, and talks with Secretary of State Marco Rubio are also expected. For now, Danish officials are trying to calm the situation and talk about a “necessary dialogue”, but there is nervousness behind the scenes.
Why Greenland? Ego, raw materials and fear
According to analyst and Americanist Jan Hornát, Trump “went into a loop” on the issue of Greenland. After his success in Venezuela, he cannot afford to back down without looking weak to his voters. According to Hornát, the motivation to acquire the world’s largest island has several levels:
First, it is about symbolic power – Trump’s doctrine of “peace through strength” requires a demonstration of power. The expansion of the US territory would be a historical record that would place Trump in the role of an imperial leader who “corrected” the passivity of previous governments.
The second is about raw materials and the economy. Greenland is rich in precious metals and minerals, which are key to modern technology and whose mining is dominated by China. Trump wants the US to use its own resources and not depend on rivals.
Read the interview with him:
“Even if America argues in terms of security, the ambition to own prevails,” explains Hornát. “Trump perceives that Europe is weak at the moment and cannot stand up to the United States. He sees an opportunity to expand American territory, so why not?”
Plan A and Plan B: Purchase or Invasion?
Experts agree that “Plan A” is to buy the island. However, if Denmark sets a price that Trump is unwilling or unable to pay (and which would have to be approved by Congress), the situation could escalate. Hornát points out that after Venezuela, all scenarios are on the table, including the military one.
“Trump has gotten so involved in the affairs of Greenland that he can no longer resign completely. He would be perceived as a weakling,” says Hornát.
Nightmare for Europe: Are we sacrificing Denmark?
A possible American aggression against Greenland would put the European Union and NATO in front of an insoluble dilemma, which could lead to a split in the alliance. Especially the states of Eastern Europe, including Slovakia and the Czech Republic, would find themselves in an unenviable situation.
On the one hand, there is solidarity with Denmark as a member of the EU and NATO. On the other hand, however, there is the vital need for American protection against Russia on the eastern border.
“Eastern Europe needs America engaged in relation to Ukraine,” analyzes Hornát. “Each country will begin to calculate: What is more important for us? Solidarity with Denmark, or that we will tolerate the actions of the Americans in Greenland in exchange for the fact that they will continue to stand against the Russian threat?” he asks.
There is a risk of a scenario where Europe would quietly “throw Denmark overboard” so as not to provoke Trump at a time when the war is raging in Ukraine. The Trump administration is aware of this split and is likely to exploit it in negotiations. So far, only one thing is certain: after Caracas, Washington’s eyes are on Nuuk, and for Donald Trump, the answer “no” means almost nothing.
Agents with absolute immunity
Meanwhile, the US is also struggling with domestic unrest. They came after 37-year-old Renee Nicole Macklin Good was shot and killed by an ICE agent in Minneapolis. ICE agents then prevented a doctor who was on the scene from providing her with immediate medical attention and pointed their guns at him- Instead of government officials condemning the attack, many surprisingly stood up for the agent.
There are several videos of the tragic event that record it in its entirety. Nevertheless, for the second day, Trump and his people are trying to distort reality, which has several witnesses in addition to video recordings.
American Vice President JD Vance called the raid a legitimate operation, and the agent had reason to fear for his life, according to him. Vance characterized the incident as a manifestation of “classic terrorism” and called the shot woman a “victim of left-wing ideology” that allegedly brainwashed her so much that she decided to use her car to threaten federal officials doing their jobs. Vance emphasized that federal agents have “absolute immunity” in the performance of their duties and described the efforts of local authorities to prosecute them as unprecedented.
The event took place in the same city where George Floyd was killed by police in 2020.
Photo of the week:
What else awaits us?
- Ambassadors of EU member states will vote on a trade agreement between the 27-member bloc and Mercosur, which consists of Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Venezuela and Paraguay.
- European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa will visit Syria and Lebanon.
- Remembering the victims of the fire at the Constellation bar in the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana. French President Emmanuel Macron will also take part in it.
- US President Donald Trump will receive representatives of the oil industry at the White House. Representatives of companies such as Chevron, Exxon Mobil, ConocoPhillips and others are expected to attend the meeting.
- Polish President Karol Nawrocki will meet Prime Minister Donald Tusk. The discussion will concern the positions of both constitutional officials in matters of security policy and support for Ukraine.
