分类： politics

In a significant development following the military operation that ousted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, former U.S. President Donald Trump has articulated an ambitious vision for American petroleum companies to rapidly revitalize Venezuela’s oil industry within an 18-month timeframe. Trump revealed in an exclusive NBC News interview that substantial investments would be required from energy corporations, suggesting they would eventually be reimbursed either through direct government compensation or future revenue streams.

The announcement comes amid reported planning meetings between major U.S. petroleum representatives and Trump administration officials this week. Trump emphasized the strategic importance of Venezuelan oil production for American interests, stating that “Having a Venezuela that’s an oil producer is good for the United States because it keeps the price of oil down.”

However, energy analysts express skepticism regarding Trump’s accelerated timeline, previously telling BBC that restoring Venezuela’s oil infrastructure could require tens of billions of dollars and potentially a decade-long effort. Venezuela possesses the world’s largest proven oil reserves at approximately 303 million barrels, but current production represents only a fraction of this capacity due to decades of decline and underinvestment.

The complexity of Venezuelan oil operations presents additional challenges. The country’s heavy crude requires specialized refining capabilities, with Chevron standing as the sole U.S. company currently operating in Venezuela. When contacted for comment, Chevron spokesman Bill Turenne indicated the company remains “focused on the safety and wellbeing of our employees, as well as the integrity of our assets,” while operating in compliance with all relevant regulations.

The political context remains charged, with Trump and Vice President JD Vance asserting that Venezuela had previously “stolen American oil” through nationalization efforts. Historical records show Venezuela nationalized its oil industry in 1976, with increased state control over foreign-owned assets occurring in 2007 under President Hugo Chavez. A World Bank tribunal subsequently ordered Venezuela to pay $8.7 billion in compensation to ConocoPhillips for the 2007 actions, a debt that remains outstanding.

BBC Verify analysis suggests the characterization of oil “theft” oversimplifies the complex historical relationship between Venezuela and international oil companies, noting that the oil itself was never actually owned by anyone except Venezuela, with companies operating under licensing agreements.

The Trump administration has ignited a significant diplomatic confrontation with European allies by formally asserting the United States’ sovereign claim over Greenland. Senior presidential advisor Stephen Miller declared in a CNN interview that “the formal position of the US government is that Greenland should be part of the United States,” explicitly refusing to rule out potential military annexation of the semi-autonomous Danish territory.

Miller’s provocative statements questioned Denmark’s historical authority over Greenland, asking “By what right does Denmark assert control over Greenland? What is their basis of claiming Greenland as a colony of Denmark?” He further asserted that “nobody’s going to fight the US over the future of Greenland,” despite the territory’s status within NATO and its constitutional relationship with Denmark.

This territorial ambition was personally endorsed by President Trump, who stated “We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security,” citing its strategic Arctic positioning and valuable mineral resources as critical American interests. These declarations prompted immediate condemnation from Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who warned that any American attack on Greenland would effectively terminate the NATO alliance.

The administration’s position has created unprecedented division within the Western military alliance, with six European powers—the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, and Spain—issuing a joint statement with Denmark affirming that “Greenland belongs to its people, and only Denmark and Greenland can decide on matters concerning their relations.” The European leaders emphasized that Arctic security must be achieved collectively through NATO while “upholding the principles of the UN Charter, including sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders.”

This geopolitical controversy emerges amid heightened concerns about American interventionism following recent military operations in Venezuela, where US forces captured President Nicolás Maduro. Trump’s announcement that the US would temporarily “run” Venezuela and his revival of 19th-century hemispheric dominance doctrines have amplified anxieties about additional territorial ambitions.

The administration had previously signaled its Greenland interests by appointing a special envoy to the territory, a move that provoked diplomatic protests from Denmark. Despite Greenland’s extensive self-governance since 1979 (with foreign policy and defense remaining under Danish control), and overwhelming opposition among its 57,000 residents to American annexation, the Trump administration continues to pursue its territorial claims based on strategic and resource considerations.

The United Nations Security Council convened its inaugural session of 2026 amid unprecedented diplomatic turmoil, as a overwhelming majority of member states delivered scathing condemnations of United States military operations in Venezuela. The emergency meeting, called in response to what numerous diplomats labeled a flagrant violation of international law, revealed deep fractures within the international community regarding unilateral interventionism.

China’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, Sun Lei, articulated what he characterized as the international community’s “overwhelming voice” demanding Washington cease actions infringing upon Venezuelan sovereignty. In a forceful address, Sun condemned the US strike that resulted in the capture and extradition of President Nicolás Maduro as “unilateral, illegal and bullying acts” that trample upon fundamental principles of the UN Charter. The Chinese diplomat warned that such actions pose grave threats to regional and global security while drawing historical parallels to previous US military interventions that caused “persistent conflict, instability and immense suffering.”

The session gained additional scholarly weight when Jeffrey Sachs, President of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, presented a legal analysis concluding that US actions violated Article 2, Section 4 of the UN Charter. Sachs characterized the operation as part of a longstanding pattern of “covert regime change” operations and issued a stark warning about the survival of international law itself.

Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia joined the condemnation, denouncing the operation as a “crime cynically perpetrated” that heralds a return to lawlessness. European and Latin American voices echoed these concerns, with Spain’s representative noting that “force never brings more democracy” and Mexico warning that regime change by external actors historically exacerbates conflicts and weakens national institutions.

While the US and Argentina defended the operation as a surgical anti-narco-terrorism measure, even traditionally aligned nations expressed reservations. Denmark emphasized that Venezuelans retain the right to self-determination “without coercion, pressure or manipulation by external actors,” while Brazil rejected the intervention as crossing “an unacceptable line” that violates mandatory international norms.

The extraordinary session concluded with broad consensus that the unilateral military action constitutes a fundamental breach of the United Nations Charter, with France’s representative noting that when a permanent Security Council member violates the Charter, it “chips away at the very foundation of the international order.”