Trump puts more countries in his sights after Venezuela

Now, the precision of America's military extraction of ex-president Maduro stands in stark contrast to events since then. The regime is still in place and in charge, cracking down on the opposition, while the American fleet is mored, locked, and loaded off Venezuela's shores. At home, Donald Trump's approval ratings continue to plummet over his performance on the economy.

While abroad, his taste for raw American power only appears to grow. In the last week alone, Mr Trump has put a series of countries in his sights. At the press conference about the Maduro capture, he said he liked the sound of Operation Colombia and warned its president he should watch his ass.

He said something is going to have to be done with Mexico. He described Cuba as ready to fail and going down. On Friday, after recent protests in Iran, he claimed the US was locked and loaded and ready to go.

And on Sunday, he said he needed Greenland for defense. Our US editor Anushka Estana now reports. Mr >> President, >> what's the group you mentioned that would run Venezuela?

Well, >> it's largely going to be the people that are standing right behind me. >> And Cuba literally is ready to fall. We need Greenland.

I think we're going to get it one way or the other. We're going to get it. >> They may have laughed then, but no one is laughing now.

10 months after this address to Congress, the chilling lesson that America and the world is learning is to take Donald Trump seriously. A worrying thought for the tiny nation of Greenland. The US didn't just talk about Venezuela, it captured its president in the dead of night.

So, it's hard to dismiss as rhetoric this from one of Trump's closest advisers. The United States should have Greenland as part of the United States. There's no need to even think or talk about this in the context that you're asking of a military operation.

Nobody's going to fight the United States militarily over the future of Greenland. >> Steven Miller's wife, Katie Miller, wrote the word soon over an image of Greenland swathed in an American flag just hours after the Venezuela operation. her husband made clear that the US would exert its influence across the region.

>> We're a superpower and under President Trump, we are going to conduct ourselves as a superpower. >> As the White House and State Department issued this post, Miller said the real world was governed by strength, force, and power. her position set out in last month's national security strategy which said the United States will reassert and enforce the Monroe Doctrine to restore American preeminence in the Western Hemisphere with a goal summarized as to enlist and expand.

Greenland is a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, a NATO member, but in the Western Hemisphere, it is closer to the US. Today, Steven Miller asked what right Denmark had over it. The nation's prime minister tried to calm concerns.

>> We want to reestablish the cooperation we previously had with the United States, especially the good cooperation to restore that. The situation is not such that the United States can simply conquer Greenland. [music] In Washington DC, Donald Trump did not sound like a man wanting to negotiate.

A swaggering president addressed Republicans for an hour and 20 minutes, boasting about US success in Venezuela. >> We have the most powerful, most lethal, most sophisticated, and most fearsome. It's a fearsome military on planet Earth.

on Venezuela, Cuba, Greenland, and this more muscular stance. Republicans in Congress reacted in a range of ways, some tub thumping. >> What Trump has done here, he's looked at the economic potential in our backyard.

And uh Cuba, the communist dictatorship in Cuba is literally on life support. >> Some cautious. I can see how this will destroy goodwill in Venezuela the same way in Greenland and Canada has destroyed goodwill.

>> And one former congressman appalled. >> The Greenland thing is nuts. And just to be clear, that's not up for anybody to take.

It's owned by Denmark. That would ruin NATO. And I hope actually more members of the House and Senate speak up now and say that'd be unacceptable.

>> But do you think that this is a sign we need to take Donald Trump quite seriously when he talks about things like this? I mean, I'd love to say no, >> but the answer appears to be increasingly yes. Donald Trump spoke earlier at Washington DC's iconic art center, built in memory of a US president who called imperialism the great enemy of freedom.

But the Kennedy Center has been renamed by a president who appears to be chasing a very different legacy. >> And Anushka is here with me now. Look, the White House wants America to be the boss of the Western Hemisphere.

Why? I think there are a number of things going on here. One of them is defense.

And actually, that's where Greenland becomes quite important because most of it is in the Arctic Circle. The president might say that climate change is not happening, but it is. And interestingly, that's opening up more roots in the Arctic, making it a more strategically important area for defense and for trade.

Then there's politics. We've talked about how they're targeting left-wing countries in Latin America, not rightwing. And then there's resources.

Donald Trump totally explicit that. Then in Venezuela, it's about the oil. And interestingly, Greenland actually has a rich source of rare earth minerals.

So, they're creating a new world order, a strange one. I was watching Donald Trump speak today. He was saying the Russian and the Chinese Kennedy Center, by the way, >> in the Trump Kennedy Center.

Um, he was saying the, you know, Chinese and Russian leaders give him respect. And then he openly mocked Emanuel Macarron, the French president, mimicking his accent. But Greenland brings this to a whole new level in terms of the challenge for Europe.

They have spent months bending over backwards to suck up to Donald Trump. Now, if America brings NATO to the brink, they're going to have to change how they react. >> Brave New World and Castana, thank you very much indeed.

Well, in the last few minutes, the Ukrainian President Vladimir Zalinski has been speaking in Paris on progress made at the so-called coalition of the willing summit. He said details of a deterrence force had been agreed. While Sir Kama said in the event of a ceasefire deal with Russia, the UK and France would set up military hubs inside Ukraine and declared we are closer to peace than ever.

Well, let's go now to Paul McNamara who's live for us tonight in Paris. Paul. Yeah, whether it's Ukraine or Venezuela or indeed now Greenland, all geopolitical fault lines meet in a frozen Parisian epicenter today.

Every response from European leaders on Venezuela over the last few days has been shaped by this summit in Ukraine and and the president's intentions on Ukraine. And then the very unwelcome shadow hanging over all of this today has been Trump's rhetoric on Greenland. As one diplomat said to me today, this is near faracical.

We're meant to be here trying to persuade the Americans to give us guarantees that will prevent Russia invading a European nation. And we've had to start the whole thing by issuing a statement essentially telling America not to invade us too. This is the Trump conundrum since the beginning of his second term.

When it comes to Donald Trump, how do you deal with a friendmy? It was meant to be his nation's borders. They were here to discuss the warm embrace of European support.

The diplomatic arm around Ukraine's shoulder. Members of the Coalition of the Willing descended on Paris today for intense talks aiming to agree security guarantees for Kev in the event of a ceasefire with Russia. But while European leaders linger, the US special envoy Steve Wickoff's hello was fleeting and his eyes elsewhere, perhaps on Danish territory.

Even before this meeting got underway, European leaders had to issue a statement meant for American ears. Greenland belongs to its people and only Denmark and Greenland can decide on matters concerning their relations. >> I would like to be clear in Washington that any attempts to break up or undermine the essence of NATO, the North Atlantic Alliance, will probably not be accepted in any European country.

At least that's my hope. Hope, it has been said though, is not a strategy. and the actual strategies for how to respond to Trump's tie raids on Greenland and night raids on Venezuela are all being viewed through a Ukrainian prism, says the vice chair of the French Foreign Affairs Committee.

How much of a tight rope are they walking? >> Well, extremely tight. Uh, and it's all linked.

I mean, the the reactions would have been totally different if there wasn't a war in Ukraine. Up for discussion right now, some believe isn't just the future of Ukraine or Greenland, but NATO itself. In the age of strongman politics, though, naked self-interest and economics may be the coalition's best hope of survival.

But we're meant to be here for a meeting with NATO nations, which is meant to be the ultimate security guarantee for Europe. And instead, a lot of the talk has been about Greenland and the possibility of another NATO nation invading one of the NATO nations. How does that sit?

>> It doesn't. [laughter] >> No, it doesn't. So, you could say, okay, >> so is NATO kaput?

is that it >> I know we could be very pessimistic and say that's the end of it or we can say we still need it because it is the only military organization that we have that works that has a structure >> but do you think President Trump still believes that? Do you think he still cares about it? >> No, he doesn't care about it.

I mean commercially really NATO is a huge market for the Americans and I do not believe for one moment that Donald Trump will give that up. I mean if we stop and that's one weapon that we have >> buying his weapons. >> Yes.

>> The focus for Steve Wickoff on the left followed by President Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner is meant to be a deal to end the war with Russia. A deal Zalinsky says is 90% done. but in desperate need of US guarantees say analysts.

>> It is the 10% that matters which again it's out of Europeans control. So Europeans can do the planning but effectively in military operations you need the mission and Europeans don't have the mission. So you can do planning to a certain extent but really you know and if President Trump does come to an agreement and Putin does agree to it the actual issue then is getting Europeans to stump up.

There is one other player in this game though missing from the family photo and whatever may be agreed in France faces an even greater effort of diplomacy in Russia. Well, like it was delayed and then delayed again. But in the last little while, we have actually heard from but from President Zilinski, from Emanuel Mrn, from Steve Wickoff, and from Kier Stalmer about the outcome of what they've been talking about, and it does sound like there have been some tangible things agreed to.

We've just heard from Kier Stalmer. Listen to what he said. Now, >> this is a vital part of our Ironcast commitment to stand with Ukraine for the long term.

It paves the way for the legal framework under which British, French, and partner forces could operate on Ukrainian soil, securing Ukraine's skies and seas, and regenerating Ukraine's armed forces for the future. We discussed these issues in detail today and so I can say that following a ceasefire, the UK and France will establish military hubs across Ukraine and build protected facilities for weapons and military equipment to support Ukraine's defensive needs. >> Now that every single word that was uttered by all of those leads were dripping in diplomacy.

We are still waiting to hear real detail from what they've agreed to. But there was one key phrase there that Kia Star said. He said it paves the way for the legal framework under which British, French, and partner forces could operate on Ukrainian soil.

That is key. It's key for the US. President Trump has been adamant the whole way through this.

He doesn't want to commit US troops onto Ukrainian soil. He'll give other assets. Intelligence is key.

The intelligence the US can provide that is key. The military might that they can provide even if it's from afar is key. But he doesn't want to commit he doesn't want to commit soldiers to Ukrainian soil.

So for the Europeans to stump up and do that he will be happy. But that is also a point that will resonate in Russia because the one thing Russians have been keen have been have said the whole way through this process they do not want NATO forces on Ukrainian soil. So, it's great they've come to this agreement today.

All of these leaders saying, "Yes, this is what we've signed up to. " How that goes down in Russia, though, will be key, and I suspect it's not going to go down well. >> Paul in Paris, thank you very much indeed.

Well, more developments tonight. US and UK military aircraft are currently shot in an oil tanker off the Irish coast, which fled the Caribbean last month, reportedly to escape a US blockade on Venezuela. The vessel has now painted a Russian flag on its side.

Can't make this up and renamed itself the Mariner. There's speculation that US forces could attempt to board the tanker, accused of being part of Venezuela's sanctions busting shadow fleet. Well, in Venezuela itself, armed police have been seen patrolling on the streets of the capital Karakas.

While there have been reports of journalists being temporarily detained along with anyone accused of supporting the US military operation. Our international editor, Lindseay Hilam, is in Kutuka on the Colombia Venezuela border. Lindsay, what is the latest?

>> Well, what I'm hearing is that many of those police are in plain clothes. People are very scared because they're looking for traitors. We know of at least one couple who've been arrested for allegedly celebrating the US capture of President Nicholas Maduro and his wife.

Now, in the last hour or so, there have been pictures of a pro-regime demonstration in the center of Karakas. Now, these would be the people who support Maduro and also the remnants of the regime, including the new president. But very interestingly, one of those filmed dancing right in the center of the crowd was the interior minister, Deos Dardo Cabo.

Now, President Maduro was very fond of dancing on television. That is apparently one of the things that really annoyed Donald Trump. And so, this is quite a bold move by Cababeo, who is seen as one of the most powerful men in the regime.

He's sending a message that he is there now. He controls the collectivos. Those are the paramilitaries of the revolution and also the police.

But last night, Venezuelans in Karaka suddenly heard a cacophony of shooting shooting into the air. Apparently, you can hear it now. Apparently, what happened was that drones were cited above Miraafra Flores.

That's the seat of government. And then the collectivos, the paramilitarist started firing at the drones. Then the police started firing at the collectivos.

So I think that that shows you just how volatile the situation is. >> And of course uh there's that very bellose provocative dancing. But what about the Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Korina Machara?

What happened to her? >> Well, of course she thought that she was the one who would ride in triumph on the coattails of the Americans and that is not at all what has happened. Now, she was appeared on Fox News last night where she said that she would go back to Venezuela very soon.

>> January 3rd will go down in history as the day justice defeated a tyranny. It's a milestone and it's not only huge for the Venew people on our future. I think it's a huge step for humanity, for freedom and human dignity.

Well, she may praise Trump, but Trump does not praise her. And there is no sign that she is in his plans for the future of Venezuela at all. >> Lindsay, thank you very much indeed.

Well, joining me now here on the roof is Brian Finuka, senior adviser for the US program at the Crisis Group and former attorney adviser at the State Department under Presidents Obama and Trump. and Peter Ruff, a senior fellow at the national security think tank the Hudson Institute and former director of research in the office of one George W. Bush.

Welcome to you both. Peter, let me start with you then. Um Greenland, what on earth is going on?

Why, you know, why is he threatening to to break apart the alliances has kept Europe safe since 1949 because of Greenland? >> Well, clearly President Trump covets Greenland. I think we can say that at this point.

At the same time, I don't think there's anything new in the American position. The churn in the water, so to speak, over the last few days is a result of journalists asking him by drawing a connection between the Venezuela raid and Greenland about the Greenland issue. And so then he's reiterating a position which I think he's held for several months.

>> Steven Miller's wife put a thing on on social media last night, the map of Greenland in American colors with a caption soon. So it's not just about journalists asking questions, is it? >> Well, she's the wife of a senior official.

She's >> We doubled down on that last night on CNN. Steve Miller was very clear. We want Greenland.

We're going to get Greenland. >> Well, I the president does covet Greenland. I agree with that.

But I don't think this is restating a new position that the United States has held now given that President Trump for months has said that he covets Greenland. It would surprise me though, borderline shock me if anyone in the White House is drawing up military plans. Allah the Venezuela raid.

And so there's a gap I think between coveting Greenland and military operation in Venezuela. >> Right. Are you okay?

Are you a sanguinist, Peter, about this? Well, I think the the uh public statements in the president in themselves are damaging and obviously they're concerning to uh Greenland, Denmark, and NATO members. But I do agree that it's entirely possible that members of his administration will channel the Greenland fixation in a less destructive direction.

As Peter mentioned, the president has been going on about Greenland for several months now. um senior figures in the administration likely the secretary of state included have managed to divert this and translate this in less destructive manner >> right I mean it is possible that if the people of Greenland offered a ton of money you know for in return for the mineral resources that are still lurking under the ice this could be a big win for them and who are they to say actually we'd rather stay with Denmark >> well that would be a decision for the people of Denmark and people of Greenland not to be unilaterally dictated by the United States >> and isn't that the problem here that the president is basically rearranging the furniture in such a way that the only people who are really enjoying this are presidents Putin and she >> well perhaps also the people of Greenland given that when two countries covet you it's easy to let the bidding commence the people >> but they weren't yearning to be taken over by America and that was never on the agenda. >> Well, I'm not suggesting as much but the Danes have put more money on the table for greenish development for defense matters in Greenland.

That's something that I think is solitary positive and something that the people of Greenland can help spark and and and push forward some of their economic development. So across the board, I don't think it's necessarily a bad uh development for greenish economic uh uh futures. >> What I'm getting at is the bigger picture here.

If you know, one NATO country, the biggest NATO country, acquires either through force or persuasion or money, you know, a bit of territory from another NATO country that doesn't want to give it up, who's to say that NATO will intervene on behalf of Lithuania or Estonia if Russian tanks should roll in? Well, the President Trump both in his first term and this term have has given numerous reasons for NATO members to call into question US commitments under article 5 of the NATO treaty. Okay.

And this isn't a particularly extreme example the sort of not so veiled threats to take over the territory of a NATO ally. Okay. And that's why I'm hopeful that members of administration will redirect this in you know less destructive direction.

Um and the president will back off this rhetoric about green limit. Peter, I mean, we've just heard in the last few minutes from European NATO leaders who frankly can barely disguise their panic about what's going on at the moment, and they're trying desperately to please Donald Trump with more commitments for defense, that they are prepared to put boots on the ground in Ukraine should there be a peace deal. Now, we know the Russians won't like it.

What about the people in that building? >> Whether or not they'll like a European deployment, well, it seems like a lot of this has been coordinated with Washington. The Americans have been in the thick of the negotiations with the Europeans, led by the French and the British.

And clearly, as the last few weeks and months of diplomacy has shown, the Americans would like some sort of European troop presence on the ground as part of a post ceasefire stabilization forge. I don't think there's much disagreement between >> sure about that because Trump in the past has said he doesn't want to see European boots on the ground in Ukraine. >> Well, the negotiations though and statements that have been made in the past few months seem to bend in a different direction, which is maybe no American troops on the ground, but that the European should play a big role in Ukraine, I think, is basically beyond dispute at this point.

I mean, you know, for better or for worse, this alliance, the NATO alliance, the Western Alliance has held pretty well, you know, since 1945, since the Second World War, you know, is all this moving around of the global furniture, you know, it is it necessary? Is there a good result at the end of it or is there a genuine danger that all of it could be shredded? >> Well, I think it depends on the specifics of what you're talking about in terms of moving around to the the global furniture.

If you're talking about undermining the US built international legal order uh from post World War II, yes, that's that's incredibly dangerous. If you're undermining the prohibition, the use of force, acquisition of territory through the use of force, that's dangerous. But you know, the US lives in a different world than it did in 1945 and and certain adjustments make sense.

>> I mean, Peter, if you look at the way Venezuela's been handled, this isn't about regime change, is it? It's about rebooting the existing regime in order to get a decent oil deal going and some continuity. >> I think it's more than that.

Uh for one, it's about booting out the Iranians who with Hezbollah have operatives on the ground. It's about countering the Chinese who seem to be uh really in the operations of critical rare earth extraction processing active in Venezuela. It's about countering the Russians who have generals on the ground and military advisers.

I think it's about defending American interests, but it's not so far as to promoting democracy, which would require a different level of force, a different level of American intervention, which I don't think President Trump is interested in or the American people really have signed up for, quite frankly. >> Okay, interesting times. Buckle up, gentlemen, for 2026.

Peter Ruff, Brian Kane, thank you very much to both of you. >> Thank you. >> Okay, let's go to more on Greenland from Kieran Elites.

Kieran, over to you. So, President Trump says the US needs Greenland right now. And no doubt, this is the map President Trump would like to see come about.

Greenland has a population of 56,000, but it's the 12th largest territory in the world by land mass, although flat maps of the globe do make it look even bigger. And he says he needs Greenland for national security reasons. And since the 1950s, the US has had a military base on Greenland.

Strategically important, of course, because of its location between the US and its old foe, Russia. Crucially, it's also home to some of the world's largest reserves of rare earth minerals outside of China, vital for the tech, EV, and defense industries where the US wants global dominance. 300 years ago, the Danes fancied Greenland's natural resources, too, and went looking for useful minerals as well, making it a Danish colony in 1721.

So, Greenland has been Danish longer than the United States has even existed. But the relationship has evolved. Greenland voted for self-government in 2008, although with foreign policy and defense still controlled by Denmark.

So it is Danish sovereign territory. What about NATO then? Denmark is in NATO.

So is the US. Article five of NATO means an attack on one is supposed to be treated as an attack on all. But when the aggressor is the dominant member of NATO itself, well, the Danish prime minister makes the point that NATO would probably fall apart.

And has anyone actually asked the people of Greenland what they want? 93% of Greenlanders voted for independence parties in March elections. The winning party favoring a more gradual than rapid journey to independence from Denmark.

So they want to control themselves when the time is right. As for the US, one poll in January showed 85% of Greenlanders reject becoming part of the United States. Well, reports today suggest Mr Trump is planning to go over Denmark and the EU's head off for Greenlanders continued self-government but with the US in charge of defense and also promises of economic enrichment.

But his advisers have also not ruled out military intervention meaning the fate of Greenland could yet decide the future of NATO as well as the West as we know it. Well, the former Greenlandic politician Tilly Martin joins me now from the capital nuke. Uh, Tilly, President Trump has made it absolutely clear he wants Greenland.

Is there anything you can do in Greenland, anything at all meaningfully to stop him? >> Well, I don't know if anyone has explained to Mr Trump that he already has almost unrestricted access to uh install whatever security measures that he wants to. And uh I think Greenlanders are very despondent and and very angry about him keeping talking about us like we are common prostitute like we are uh what did one of his former advisers say a s whole country.

Um and we're not. We're a sovereign nation. Uh we're working towards independence.

We're very happy with the Commonwealth. Um we're working to gradual slow independence just like Iceland and everyone else has. And um there's a lot of anger here in Greenland, all over Greenland, not just in the capital, but everywhere.

>> And his his key advisor, Steven Miller, who has the president's ear, said in the last day, "Nobody's going to fight the US over the future of Greenland. " He's right, isn't he? European leaders, they may have written a strongly worded letter, but they're not going to put boots on the ground to support you, to defend you.

I can't even imagine that if US military would put boots on the ground in Greenland. We have been an ally for ever together with Denmark with us. How come uh Mr Trump is coming in and acting like he's a dictator from a third world country?

This is outrageous. He's trying to legitimize himself uh by going into Venezuela and telling his own people that uh Greenland wants this and it would be better for Greenland and it would be better for the world. But the truth is he already can do whatever he wants security-wise.

So understandably um he wants control with rare earth minerals that we do have in Greenland probably. And uh he could just say the truth about that. There's a lot of American companies who are trying to take over every mineral license company that we have here in Greenland and he should just be honest about that.

I >> Is that what it's really about? the rare earth minerals or you know he he we've seen him before in the White House and he he rather likes the look of the map because Greenland is rather large on the map and it would the United States would be a big power compared to Russia, you know, physically on the map. Well, I don't know if what he knows or doesn't know about Greenland, but he should have been warned when Dy Vance and his wife was up here and the biggest demonstrations Greenland has ever seen uh were against them coming here um being disrespectful.

Our premier has said a lot of times now, uh this is not how you treat friends. This is not how you treat allies. >> But we do know, don't we, that we do know, I'm sorry if I hope you can hear me still, but we we we do know.

I mean, Marco Ruby, the Secretary of State, said it the other day when he was talking about Venezuela. When President Trump tells you he's going to do something, he means it. So, let's assume that he means it.

What are you in Greenland going to do? >> Well, there has been a lot of protest. One of the suggestions was to make a video.

Greenlanders are very, very peaceful people, but one of them was to make a video with the the snipers that we have uh here because of the violence that was in the language. Of course, nobody did it, but they were kind of joking around with all of the hunters that we have here. We've been hunters hunters for hundreds of years to make a video and say that we are precise.

Uh, and uh, if he bombs Greenland, he won't have access to the rare earth. So, um, but of course, they were only kidding. Um, the European unions, and I can't imagine that America and American soldiers and military would go to war with everyone they've been an ally to forever.

uh because Trump thinks uh that he that he wants access to to the rare uh earths and minerals here. Um it's not about security. He can almost do anything he wants security wise.

So it's not about that. >> And Greenlanders know that. >> Yeah.

And and and you know, in your discussions there in in Greenland, you know, with with fellow Greenlanders, how aware are you of the magnitude of of what is happening that you know, the future of Greenland could decide the fate of NATO? Um we are aware however we we are I think even in more disbelief than maybe the European countries are that uh that US is threatening its allies through since World War II where they were the heroes. I mean every movie that ever came out of that country America is the hero and all of a sudden they're now the villain.

Um we just can't believe that Greenlanders talk amongst each other some are frightened. Most are so angry I can't even tell you the choice language that they use on social media. Uh demagogue is probably one of the nicer words that they use about him.

Um treating us like prostitutes and something we can just take over. Um is also some of the nicer words that have been used about it. Um it's very disheartening that that a country I have been to and been traveling to so many times for occasion.

I think 13 16 times. I love America. um all of a sudden is not our friend but but uh an opposing force that is wild.

How can we live in this world? Yeah, >> we're out of time. Tilly Martinez, thank you ever so much.

Matt, back to you in DC. Show up.