Trump’s power play risks global blowback

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. “Venezuela is under my control and soon we’ll get Greenland. It’s necessary for the US." This is not a threat issued by a 16th century tyrant but a chilling statement by US President Donald Trump.

He often calls Canada the 51st state of the US. But will he send boots on Canadian soil too? Is it that easy? The answer is hidden in the events of the last week. Let’s look at how other nations reacted to the US invasion of Venezuela.

After the US attacked Venezuela and abducted its President Maduro, Beijing imposed a ban on many US products and its banks sped up the process of shifting to Yuan instead of dollars for trade. Xi Jinping warned that if the situation didn’t improve, US companies would face increased curbs. As a result, firms doing business with China saw their shares plunge on Wall Street.

Russia on the other hand started ‘repositioning’ its deadliest weapons and its strongest nuclear submarines near Venezuela. Despite being bogged down by internal strife, Iran has already threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz. Meanwhile, hackers attacked electricity, communications, transportation networks and hospitals in some US cities.

The US blamed it on China, which it denied. Before the proposed meeting with the US secretary of state Marco Rubio, the Danish defence ministry gave a sensational statement. According to the defence spokesperson, troops have been ordered to shoot any attackers who set foot on Greenland, asking questions later.

The Trump administration is planning to offer heavy compensation to Greenland residents in lieu of their wealth. This is a new version of the divide and rule policy. If that were not enough, Trump has cleared the way—through a bill—to impose tariffs