WASHINGTON (AP) — A day after the United States carried out a dramatic military operation that led to the removal of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, President Donald Trump on Sunday made a series of comments that intensified speculation about whether other countries could face similar pressure from Washington.
Trump renewed his calls for U.S. control of Greenland, threatened potential military action against Colombia over drug trafficking, and, alongside his top diplomat, issued stark warnings to Cuba. The remarks have unsettled allies and adversaries alike, raising questions about how far the administration intends to expand its influence across the Western Hemisphere.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One as he returned to Washington from Florida, Trump argued that Greenland — an autonomous territory of Denmark — is vital to U.S. national security.
“Greenland is covered with Russian and Chinese ships all over the place,” Trump said. “We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security, and Denmark is not going to be able to do it.”
In an interview with The Atlantic earlier Sunday, Trump declined to clarify whether the U.S. military action in Venezuela signaled a similar approach toward Greenland, saying only that others would have to “view it themselves.”
Trump’s comments align with his administration’s National Security Strategy, released last month, which emphasizes restoring what it calls “American preeminence in the Western Hemisphere.” The president has repeatedly invoked the Monroe Doctrine and the Roosevelt Corollary — historical frameworks used to justify U.S. intervention in the region — as the basis for a more assertive foreign policy.
Denmark pushes back
The remarks and the U.S. operation in Venezuela prompted swift responses in Denmark. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Trump had “no right to annex” Greenland and stressed that Denmark already provides the United States with broad military access under existing NATO and bilateral security agreements.
“I would 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 in a statement.
Denmark also joined a European Union declaration reaffirming that the Venezuelan people have the right to determine their future without external interference.
Tensions were further heightened by a social media post from Katie Miller, a former Trump administration official, showing an image of Greenland overlaid with the U.S. flag and captioned “SOON.” Denmark’s ambassador to the United States, Jesper Møller Sørensen, responded by calling for full respect for Denmark’s territorial integrity.
Trump has previously declined to rule out the use of military force to take control of Greenland and recently said he would appoint Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry as a special envoy to the territory. Landry said he would help Trump “make Greenland a part of the U.S.”
Warnings directed at Cuba
Concerns also escalated in Cuba, a close ally of Venezuela, after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Cuban government was deeply involved in supporting Maduro.
Appearing on NBC’s Meet the Press, Rubio claimed Cuban personnel were responsible for Maduro’s personal security and internal intelligence operations. The Cuban government said 32 of its officers were killed during the U.S. military action in Venezuela.
Trump suggested that Cuba’s already fragile economy — weakened by decades of U.S. sanctions — would deteriorate further following Maduro’s removal, which could cut off subsidized oil supplies to the island.
“It’s going down,” Trump said. “It’s going down for the count.”
Colombia also in Trump’s sights
Trump also issued sharp remarks about Colombia and its president, Gustavo Petro, accusing the country of fueling the global cocaine trade. He described Colombia as being run by “a sick man” and suggested Petro would not remain in power for long.
The Trump administration imposed sanctions in October on Petro, members of his family and a senior official over alleged links to drug trafficking — accusations Colombia has rejected. The U.S. has also reduced aid to Colombia after designating it last year as failing to adequately cooperate in counter-narcotics efforts for the first time in nearly three decades.
Asked whether he would consider a military operation against Colombia, Trump replied, “It sounds good to me.”
Growing uncertainty
Trump’s statements have added to unease across the Western Hemisphere and among U.S. allies, coming just days after the unprecedented operation in Venezuela. While supporters see the remarks as part of a hardline approach to security and drug trafficking, critics warn they risk destabilizing long-standing diplomatic relationships and undermining international norms.
As governments assess Washington’s next moves, the question raised by Trump’s own rhetoric — “who’s next?” — continues to reverberate well beyond Venezuela.