Trump, Greenland and the Maduro Raid: What Happened and Why It Matters
After the stunning military raid to extract Nicolas Maduro from Caracas, the subject of Greenland snapped back into the spotlight. Trump has not forgotten about Greenland and has doubled down on his pledge to get it somehow away from Denmark. Military force hasn’t been ruled out.
The President told The Atlantic, “We do need Greenland, absolutely,” and repeated the security argument that the territory is “surrounded by Russian and Chinese ships”. He said officials in his administration would decide what happened to Greenland, which he has claimed the US must annex for its security. “We need it for defence,” he said of Greenland.
European capitals responded quickly. Mette Frederiksen urged Mr Trump to “stop the threats”, adding that Greenland is “not for sale”. She also warned: “The US has no right to annex any of the three nations in the Danish kingdom,” pointing out Denmark already has a defence agreement with America that gives it access to Greenland and that Copenhagen had boosted its investment in Arctic security.
Jens-Frederik Nielsen, the prime minister of Greenland, rebuked the Trump administration as “disrespectful” and reiterated the territory was “not for sale”. The reaction spiked after a social media image showed a map of Greenland painted with the US flag and captioned “SOON”. Public pressure in the region pushed allied governments into quick public rebukes.
Ulf Kirtsersson wrote on X: “It’s only Denmark and Greenland that have the right to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland. Sweden fully stands up for our neighbouring country.” Analysts stress an outright invasion of Greenland is unlikely because it is part of Nato alongside the United States, but the rhetoric is worrying. The episode highlights a growing transatlantic split as Washington pursues harder lines in its hemisphere.
The raid that captured Mr Maduro has raised fresh questions about further US military action in the Western hemisphere. The Trump administration frames the region as America’s sphere of influence and has signalled it will act decisively to stop threats and criminal networks. Officials say the operation aimed to curb drug trafficking and secure access to Venezuela’s vast oil reserves, the largest in the world.
Mr Trump warned Delcy RodrĂguez, who was sworn in as interim president by Venezuela’s supreme court, that “If she doesn’t do what’s right, she is going to pay a very big price, probably bigger than Maduro.” He also told reporters, “We’re dealing with the people who just got sworn in. Don’t ask me who’s in charge because I’ll give you an answer and it’ll be very controversial.” Pressed, he said: “It means we’re in charge.”
Mr Trump raised the prospect of further strikes and even suggested Colombia and Mexico could face military action if they did not reduce the flow of illicit drugs into the US. “Operation Colombia sounds good to me,” he said, and he added that Cuba “looks like it’s ready to fall” on its own. The administration has framed these threats as part of a crackdown on narcotrafficking into America.
Mr Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were moved to New York where they face a 25-page indictment accusing them of narco-terrorism, possession of machine guns, kidnap, beatings and murder tied to a drug-trafficking network. Ms Flores was photographed in a green hoodie and white trousers being escorted by an American police officer. Officials say a cyber attack helped enable helicopters to fly in and capture Mr Maduro.
At least 80 people, including civilians and security personnel, were killed in accompanying air strikes, a senior Venezuelan official told The New York Times. JD Vance defended the mission: “I understand the anxiety over the use of military force, but are we just supposed to allow a communist to steal our stuff in our hemisphere and do nothing? Great powers don’t act like that.” That line captures the administration’s posture.
Markets were rattled. Saudi Arabia’s main stock index fell 1.8 percent on Sunday, the biggest pullback since last spring’s tariff shock, and oil traders prepared for volatility. Meanwhile, US officials promise that American companies will invest billions to develop Venezuela’s oil fields, while saying the goal is to stop rivals from benefiting: “Why does China need Venezuelan oil? Why does Russia? Why does Iran?”
Questions surfaced about Delcy RodrĂguez’s ties to Moscow after reports she had been in Russia during the operation and because she has signed multiple cooperation agreements with Moscow in the past. The military move drew condemnation from China, North Korea and Russia, though some European capitals reacted more cautiously. Mr Maduro’s public “perp walk” showed him smiling and giving thumbs up as he wished DEA officers a “good night” and a “Happy New Year” while being escorted to jail.