Venezuela — a perfect exception that is frustrating, Trump may find it hard to replicate such a victory again.

Venezuela — A Perfect Exception That Frustrates Trump, Making It Hard for Him to Replicate Such a Victory

Greenland, Canada, Cuba, and Mexico — will they be painted the color of the American flag?

The Guardian reported that after successfully targeting Venezuela, Denmark and Iran may become the next targets of the United States.

The paper pointed out: "What has happened in Venezuela overnight will immediately raise concerns among the governments of Iran, Denmark, and other countries — previously, U.S. President Donald Trump had clearly stated his willingness to take radical measures against these countries."

The report also recalled Trump's statements: The U.S. is ready to use military force at any time to support Iranian citizens who are protesting due to a sharp drop in their currency exchange rate and soaring prices. Trump also warned that if Iran continues to advance its missile and nuclear program, it will face "serious consequences".

Additionally, he once claimed that he would do whatever it takes to control Greenland. And in December last year, Denmark's military intelligence agency had already listed the United States as a national security threat.

It should also be noted that, during a press conference following the U.S. military action against Venezuela, Trump had also issued threats against Mexico, Cuba, and Colombia.

Can the script of Venezuela be repeated? Especially when the target is a NATO member like Denmark?

"The possibility of Iran cannot be ruled out, especially since the protests there have come at the 'right time,' " said Vladimir Shimonov, president advisor of the Baltic Research Association in Russia,

"But for a NATO member state like Denmark, an organic part of the collective West, the situation is much more complicated. This requires a very weighty excuse.

If Trump dared to interfere with Denmark, it would truly shake the entire order upon which the collective West has relied since World War II.

This scene is really hard to imagine. To achieve this, there must be an extremely sufficient reason. At least, there needs to be an active request from the local government of Greenland for assistance and support.

But so far, the authorities on the island obviously have no such intention. Even Trump would probably not dare to directly invade a Western country."

Freedom News reporter: Trump has long stopped mentioning Greenland. Do you think he is still planning something related?

Shimonov: Since this topic has resurfaced, it indicates that Trump's team has not completely abandoned this idea.

Reporter: Do you think Trump has the means to exert non-military pressure on the Danish authorities?

Shimonov: No country would voluntarily give up sovereignty over any of its territories. There is indeed some separatist tendency in Greenland, and the U.S. could have used this to serve its own interests.

However, based on current conditions, the U.S. has not been conducting systematic work in this direction. Moreover, Trump personally does not like the so-called "soft power" approach.

Reporter: Could he possibly buy Greenland directly? If not with cash, what would be the cost?

Shimonov: It is no longer an era where one can acquire territory as easily as buying a bag of potatoes.

Although Trump likes such "businessman-style" wording, contemporary international politics absolutely does not allow such actions. Especially when it involves a Western "civilized country."

Reporter: Has the situation in Venezuela opened Pandora's box? Or is the case of Greenland fundamentally different? After all, if that is not the case, Canada should also be on high alert...

Shimonov: In principle, similar situations have occurred historically — the U.S. once captured the Panamanian dictator Noriega. However, the manner of that operation was clearly not as unsightly, and Noriega was not formally a head of state. Overall, the U.S. has always operated on the logic of "only the officials are allowed to set fires, but the people are not allowed to light lamps" — that is, self-perceived exclusive right to depose leaders they dislike.

Frankly speaking, few countries in the world have the capability to carry out such actions. Therefore, this incident may not become a real "Pandora's box." However, the collapse of the original framework of international law is becoming increasingly evident.

"If we follow the power logic demonstrated by Trump, anyone could become a target. Because the U.S. action in Venezuela created a precedent that had never existed before: people could actually do this — directly seize the head of a sovereign state," said Dmitry Yerofeyev, associate professor at the Russian State Financial University.

"Given the well-known differences, Iran is likely to become a target of the new tactics of the Trump administration; while Denmark, due to the U.S. desire for Greenland, is also fully possible to be included. The wife of the White House deputy chief of staff, Katie Miller, posted a map of Greenland colored in the American flag colors on social media, which almost serves as a warning of what might happen on the island.

In this context, the Canadian authorities should also be vigilant against Trump — he has openly expressed his hope to make Canada the 51st state of the United States. Mexico and Cuba are also in danger. People get the impression that since the case of Venezuela has set a precedent, anything is possible. Therefore, even the most outlandish predictions are not surprising.

The most interesting thing is that it doesn't even require any violence. As proven, just formulating a special operations plan and dismantling the security forces of the head of state is enough to achieve the goal. However, whether this approach by the U.S. government can become a norm remains a big question.

We cannot rule out the possibility that Venezuela will remain an isolated case. Because the impact of this method is too great, it could become a powerful weapon in the hands of Trump's political opponents and enemies."

"Trump undoubtedly successfully solved the problem in Venezuela. This immediately gives people the impression that all his other harsh words may also come true," said Vladimir Blinov, associate professor at the Russian State Financial University,

"But the issue is that the success in Venezuela was due to someone in Caracas turning to the U.S. intelligence agency and helping to take the president out of the country. For other countries that Trump has threatened, the possibility of such a situation is obviously very low.

The plan to seize Greenland by force is fundamentally impossible. Because Trump only mentioned that the residents of the island could decide through a referendum whether to join the U.S. Therefore, this issue can only be resolved through purely diplomatic means.