Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1542413
JAMES DEBONO jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt 6 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 7 JANUARY 2026 NEWS Deciphering Donald Trump's approach to Venezuela reads like a gangster's playbook: Threats, abductions, and deals enforced at gunpoint, with oil and power taking precedence over international law VENEZUELAN President Nicolás Maduro was kidnapped by US forces and taken to the United States to face trial on drug-trafficking charges. This came just weeks after Donald Trump pardoned Or- lando Hernández, the former Honduran president between 2014 and 2022 and was serving a 45-year jail term in a US fed- eral prison after being found guilty of drug trafficking and weapons charges. The contrast in the fate of these two presidents alone suggests that drug trafficking is not what is at stake. More- over, previous US intelligence assessments did not find solid evidence that Maduro person- ally directs or controls cocaine trafficking. Nor was the restoration of de- mocracy and freedom the mo- tivating factor for the Amer- ican military operation that captured Maduro. While insisting that he will effectively be "running Ven- ezuela," Trump has made it clear that interim president Delcy Rodríguez—a loyal dep- uty to Maduro—is best posi- tioned to maintain stability in the country. He even went as far as suggesting that, despite being "a nice lady," opposition leader María Corina Machado lacks the support and authority needed to govern. Unlike previous US presi- dents, who sought to justify in- terventions through lofty rhet- oric, Trump has been unusually frank about his motives: Secur- ing access to Venezuela's oil reserves for US companies. He has framed this openly within the Monroe Doctrine—a cor- LEADERS from major European powers on Tues- day expressed support for Denmark and Green- land in a joint statement, saying the Arctic island belongs to its people, following renewed interest by US President Donald Trump in taking over the Danish territory. "Greenland belongs to its people. It is for Den- mark and Greenland, and them only, to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland," said the statement by leaders of France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, Britain and Denmark. The leaders said that security in the Arctic must be achieved collectively with NATO allies, includ- ing the United States. "NATO has made clear that the Arctic region is a priority and European Allies are stepping up," the statement said. "We and many other Allies have increased our presence, activities and investments, to keep the Arctic safe and to deter adversaries." The Danish prime minister has delivered a stark warning to the White House. In nationally televised remarks, Mette Frederik- sen reminded Danes that she had already "made it very clear where the Kingdom of Denmark stands, and that Greenland has repeatedly said that it does not want to be part of the United States." But she also warned of the consequences of US military action to seize Greenland – something US President Donald Trump has pointedly refused to rule out. "First of all, I think you have to take the US pres- ident seriously when he says he wants Greenland," Frederiksen said, reflecting heightened anxiety about Trump's intentions in the aftermath of his extraordinary military action in Venezuela. "But I also want to make it clear that if the US chooses to attack another NATO country militari- ly, everything stops, including NATO and thus the security that has been provided since the end of World War II," she added. Trump has said repeatedly he wants to take over Greenland and told The Atlantic magazine on Sunday: "We do need Greenland, absolutely. We need it for defense." A US military operation at the weekend, which led to the capture of Venezuela's President Nico- las Maduro has further rekindled concerns among Washington's NATO allies that Greenland might face a similar scenario. Why Trump may want Greenland Donald Trump's overnight warning to Green- land that he wants to take the territory is just his latest. He has consistently talked about the island since as far back as his first term. There is very strong resistance from Denmark - which owns the land - and it would be certain to concern allies. National security Greenland is the world's largest island and a sem- iautonomous territory of Denmark. With a popu- lation of 57,000, it has been part of Denmark for 600 years. It is also a founding member of NATO and home to a large US military base. Straddling the Arctic circle between the US, Rus- sia and Europe, the island offers a unique geopolit- ical advantage the US has eyed for more than 150 years. It's even more valuable as the Arctic opens up more to shipping and trade. The idea of purchasing Greenland is not a new one for Trump, who raised it as a possibility during his first term in office. But he has since reiterated the benefit it could have for US national security. Natural resources As well as its location, Greenland holds rich de- posits of various natural resources. Locked inside the island are valuable rare earth minerals needed for telecommunications, as well as uranium, billions of untapped barrels of oil and a vast supply of natural gas that used to be inacces- sible but is becoming less so. Many of the same minerals are currently mostly supplied by China, so other countries such as the US are interested in tapping into available resourc- es closer to home. European powers support Greenland and Denmark after Donald Trump insists US needs the Arctic island Jens-Frederik Nielsen, prime minister of Greenland, told Donald Trump he can't take over the territory "because you want to"