WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� A day after the in Venezuela, on Sunday renewed his calls for an American takeover of the Danish territory of for the sake of U.S. security interests and threatened military action on Colombia for facilitating the global sale of cocaine, while his top diplomat declared the communist government in is 鈥渋n a lot of trouble.鈥�
The comments from Trump and after Venezuela’s Nicol谩s Maduro underscore that the U.S. administration is serious about taking a more expansive role in the Western Hemisphere.
With thinly veiled threats, Trump is rattling hemispheric friends and foes alike, spurring a pointed question around the globe: Who’s next?
鈥淚t鈥檚 so strategic right now. Greenland is covered with Russian and Chinese ships all over the place,” Trump told reporters as he flew back to Washington from his home in Florida. “We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security, and Denmark is not going to be able to do it.鈥�
Asked during an interview with The Atlantic earlier on Sunday what the U.S.-military action in Venezuela could portend for Greenland, Trump replied: 鈥淭hey are going to have to view it themselves. I really don鈥檛 know.鈥�
Trump, in his administration’s published last month, laid out restoring 鈥淎merican preeminence in the Western Hemisphere鈥� as a central guidepost for his second go-around in the White House.
Trump has also pointed to , which rejects European colonialism, as well as the 鈥� a justification invoked by the U.S. in supporting Panama鈥檚 secession from Colombia, which helped secure the Panama Canal Zone for the U.S. 鈥� as he’s made his case for an assertive approach to American neighbors and beyond.
Trump has even quipped that some now refer to the fifth U.S. president’s foundational document as the 鈥淒on-roe Doctrine.鈥�
Causing unease in Denmark
Saturday’s dead-of-night operation by U.S. forces in Caracas and Trump鈥檚 comments on Sunday heightened concerns in Denmark, which has jurisdiction over the vast mineral-rich island of Greenland.
in a statement that Trump has “no right to annex” the territory. She also reminded Trump that Denmark already provides the United States, a fellow member of NATO, broad access to Greenland through existing security agreements.
鈥淚 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,鈥� Frederiksen said.
Denmark on Sunday also signed onto a European Union statement underscoring that 鈥渢he right of the Venezuelan people to determine their future must be respected鈥� as Trump has vowed to 鈥渞un鈥� Venezuela and pressed the acting president,
Social media posting angers Danes
Trump on Sunday mocked Denmark鈥檚 efforts at boosting Greenland鈥檚 national security posture, saying the Danes have added 鈥渙ne more dog sled鈥� to the Arctic territory鈥檚 arsenal.
Greenlanders and Danes were further rankled by a social media post following the raid by a former Trump administration official turned podcaster, Katie Miller. The post shows an illustrated map of Greenland in the colors of the Stars and Stripes accompanied by the caption: 鈥淪OON.”
鈥淎nd yes, we expect full respect for the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark,鈥� Amb. Jesper M酶ller S酶rensen, Denmark’s chief envoy to Washington, said in a post responding to Miller, who is married to Trump’s influential deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller.
During and in the early months of his return to the White House, Trump repeatedly called for U.S. jurisdiction over Greenland, and has pointedly to take control of the mineral-rich, strategically located Arctic island that belongs to an ally.
The issue had largely drifted out of the headlines in recent months. Then Trump put the spotlight back on Greenland less than two weeks ago when he said he would appoint Republican as his special envoy to Greenland.
The Louisiana governor said in his volunteer position he would help Trump 鈥渕ake Greenland a part of the U.S.鈥�
A stern warning to Cuba
Meanwhile, concern is simmering in Cuba, one of Venezuela鈥檚 most important allies and trading partners, as Rubio issued a new to the Cuban government. U.S.-Cuba relations have been hostile since the 1959 Cuban revolution.
Rubio, in an appearance on NBC’s 鈥淢eet the Press,鈥� said Cuban officials were with Maduro in Venezuela ahead of his capture.
鈥淚t was Cubans that guarded Maduro,鈥� Rubio said. 鈥淗e was not guarded by Venezuelan bodyguards. He had Cuban bodyguards.鈥� The secretary of state added that Cuban bodyguards were also in charge of 鈥渋nternal intelligence鈥� in Maduro鈥檚 government, including 鈥渨ho spies on who inside, to make sure there are no traitors.鈥�
The Cuban government said in a statement read on state television on Sunday evening that in the U.S. military operation.
Trump said that the Cuban economy, battered by years of a U.S. embargo, is in tatters and will slide further now with the ouster of Maduro, who provided the Caribbean island subsidized oil.
鈥淚t’s going down,鈥� Trump said of Cuba. 鈥淚t’s going down for the count.鈥�
Warning delivered to Colombia
Trump, as he made his way back to Washington on Sunday evening, also put Venezuela’s neighbor, Colombia, and its leftist president, Gustavo Petro, on notice.
Trump in a back-and-forth with reporters said Colombia is 鈥渞un by a sick man who likes making cocaine and selling it to the United States.鈥�
The Trump administration imposed sanctions in October on , his family and a member of his government over accusations of involvement in the global drug trade. Colombia is considered the epicenter of the world’s cocaine trade.
Trump began his monthslong pressure campaign on Maduro by ordering dozens of lethal strikes on alleged drug smuggling boats launched from Venezuela in the Caribbean. He eventually expanded the operations to also target suspected vessels in the eastern Pacific that came from Colombia.
The U.S. in September also added Colombia, the top recipient of American assistance in the region, to a list of nations for the first time in almost 30 years. The designation led to a slashing of U.S. assistance to the country.
鈥淗e鈥檚 not going to be doing it for very long,鈥� Trump said of Petro on Sunday. 鈥淗e has cocaine mills and cocaine factories. He鈥檚 not going to be doing it.鈥�
Asked whether he might order the U.S. to conduct an operation against Colombia, Trump replied, 鈥淚t sounds good to me.鈥�
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AP writers Andrea Rodriguez in Havana, Cuba, and Darlene Superville traveling aboard Air Force One contributed reporting.
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