US President Donald Trump has taken a series of controversial moves that have shaken the world order, including launching a military operation to overthrow the Venezuelan leader and making new threats to annex Greenland.
Trump, whose campaign platform under the slogan "America First" was considered isolationist, justifies his policy as protecting American interests in the field of economy and security. For many experts, however, his moves are reminiscent of the actions of colonial powers in the 19th century.
Here are some of the most significant and controversial international moves of the Trump administration, accompanied by comments from experts:
GAZA GOVERNANCE PROPOSAL
In February 2025, Trump said the US would take over Gaza, but over time he gradually abandoned that position, which was condemned by the UN as a proposal for “ethnic cleansing“.
Trump then floated another idea that led to a fragile truce in the enclave in October: that the Gaza administration take over a body called a “Peace Council“, with Trump himself as chairman. Israel and Hamas signed on to the plan, and a UN Security Council resolution authorized the Peace Council to establish a temporary international force in Gaza.
Many experts said it resembled a colonial structure, with Trump presiding over a council that would govern a foreign territory. UN Special Adviser on Sustainable Development Jeffrey Sachs called it “imperialism disguised as a peace process,” and many UN experts have described the approach as “reminiscent of colonial practices.”
THE ACTION IN VENEZUELA AND THE INTEREST IN OIL
In early January, Trump ordered a U.S. military operation in Venezuela, which resulted in the arrest of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and his wife, who were later taken to New York to stand trial. Trump said that Washington would “run” Venezuela, and Maduro’s former vice president, Delcy Rodriguez, became interim president and ruled the country under U.S. tutelage. Trump also said that major U.S. oil companies would enter Venezuela, which has the world’s largest oil reserves.
Critics said that Trump's focus on developing Venezuelan oil has cast doubt on his administration's attempts to portray Maduro's capture as a law enforcement measure aimed at reducing drug trafficking. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has said that US actions in Venezuela are a violation of international law that makes the world a more dangerous place.
“In practice, the president's policies smack of neo-imperialism, not neo-isolationism,“ wrote Charles Kupchan, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and a professor at Georgetown University. He also pointed to Trump's threats against Mexico, Colombia and Greenland after the military action in Venezuela.
THE GREENLAND THREAT
Trump has repeatedly said that Washington should own Greenland, an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark that hosts a US air base, to prevent Russia and China to occupy the strategically located and mineral-rich Arctic island.
He argues that it is not enough for the United States to have a military presence there.
Greenland and Denmark have said that Greenland is not for sale, but Trump does not rule out the possibility of taking it by force. Washington and Copenhagen are members of NATO.
“By withdrawing from this consensus, the United States risks becoming a pariah in the system of international relations,“ said Mark Weller, director of the international law program at the British think tank “Chatham House“.
Trump has also threatened to make Canada the 51st state of the United States, but has stopped mentioning it in recent months.
Translation from English: Elena Indjeva, BTA