Trump's intentions are no longer hidden. On July 14, he took to social media and dropped an AI-generated "office photo" of the White House, showing him holding a round-table meeting with von der Leyen, Macron, Starmer, and Zelenskyy. In the background, the world map on the wall has Greenland, Canada, and Venezuela all colored in American hues.
It’s the same old tactic—but each territory has its own backstory:
Greenland is his obsession; he’s long wanted to buy it from Denmark. Back then, Prime Minister Frederiksen dismissed the idea as "absurd." Now, coloring it on the map is essentially reviving that dream.
Canada is even more familiar—Trump once joked about making it the "51st state," and that joke never really stopped. Venezuela, meanwhile, is no mere jest: Maduro was actually seized, and the Trump administration had indeed placed Venezuela on its "backyard cleanup list."
Coincidentally, the four top figures seated around the table—von der Leyen (EU), Macron (France, which has overseas territories linked to Greenland), Starmer (UK, following the U.S. and Canada), and Zelenskyy (watching from the sidelines)—are all leaders tied to the so-called "targeted annexation list." Their presence at this map-centered meeting cranks up the irony to maximum levels.
AI-generated images aside, Trump’s "expansionist shopping cart" has never been just a joke. Who wouldn’t covet Greenland’s rare earth minerals, Canada’s vast resources, or Venezuela’s oil?
The timing of this post—during the NATO summit season—was clearly intentional, sending a message to Europe and North America: don’t just expect me to pay for defense, my pen is still sitting right here on the table. This also reveals Europe’s double standards. When Russia acts against Ukraine, Europe strongly objects. But when America does similar things, Europe stays silent. As Brazilian President Lula correctly put it: the U.S. used to fight pirates, but now it’s become one itself.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1870786394719240/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.