US Hegemony Under Attack from Within and Without: Venezuela, Greenland Crises, and Trade Alerts
2026-01-08 15:19:36
These two actions, spanning the Americas and Europe, not only highlight America's strategic ambitions but also trigger strong backlash both domestically and internationally, and are facing multiple practical constraints.
The Trump administration, under the pretext of combating drug trafficking, took unauthorized military action against Venezuela, directly detaining the country's leader, Nicolás Maduro, and bringing him to the United States to face charges.
Vice President JD Vance has publicly stated that controlling oil revenues is an important means for the United States to exert pressure on Venezuela. At the same time, Trump announced that Venezuela would sell 150 million barrels of oil to the United States, worth approximately $2.8 billion.
Following its actions in Venezuela, the Trump administration turned its attention to Greenland, the world's largest island, clearly expressing its willingness to acquire it, stating that the island has key strategic value.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio revealed that Trump has long been interested in purchasing Greenland and plans to meet with Danish officials to advance the matter.
To achieve this goal, White House Press Secretary Carolyn Levitt even hinted at possible military action against Greenland, a statement that directly exacerbated tensions between the United States and Denmark and Greenland.
From a strategic perspective, Greenland is located at a key point in the Arctic. As its glaciers melt, its navigation value continues to increase. In addition, the island is rich in key raw materials such as rare earth elements, exceeding 30 million tons, making its geopolitical importance increasingly prominent.
The United States established military bases in the Arctic region as early as World War II. Now, it is trying to incorporate it into its territory. In essence, it wants to establish its strategic advantage in the Arctic region and strengthen its control over resources in the Western camp.
Domestically, Trump's radical policies have sparked fierce political maneuvering, with the Democratic Party using financial controls as a core means of checks and balances, and introducing a series of restrictive measures.
Democratic Senators Tim Kaine and Jeff Merkley plan to propose amendments to the defense funding bill, which expires on January 30, to prohibit funds from being used for military operations in countries such as Venezuela.
The bill involves two-thirds of the federal government's budget. If Republicans block the passage of the relevant provisions, Democrats may risk a government shutdown by blocking the budget.
Furthermore, the Trump administration's decision to bypass Congress and use force has been met with skepticism from various sectors of the American political community. Utah Republican Senator Mike Lee publicly questioned the constitutional legitimacy of the action, while New York Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez went so far as to suggest that the real purpose of the United States was to compete for oil and promote regime change, rather than to combat drugs.
At the international level, these two actions by the United States have met with widespread resistance.
Regarding the Greenland issue, the leaders of Denmark and Greenland urgently requested a meeting with the US Secretary of State, and several European countries, including France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, also publicly expressed their support for Greenland's sovereignty.
Analysts point out that if the United States forcibly takes over Greenland, it could lead to the risk of NATO splitting up, and the rifts within the Western camp will further widen.
In addition, several Latin American countries have called for the peaceful resolution of disputes and opposed external interference in the internal affairs of other countries.
For Venezuela, the core dilemma lies in the imbalance between resources and development.
As the country with the world's largest crude oil reserves, the oil industry was once the pillar of the country's economy. However, the long-term nationalization policy has led to the withdrawal of foreign capital and the loss of technology. Coupled with years of US sanctions, oil production capacity has continued to shrink, from a peak of 3 million barrels per day to less than 1 million barrels per day today.
The United States' military intervention and control of oil have further exacerbated the country's economic predicament, posing serious challenges to people's livelihoods and social stability. The intervention of external forces has also made the resolution of Venezuela's internal problems more complicated.
Greenland, meanwhile, is caught in a strategic dilemma amid a sovereignty dispute. The island enjoys a high degree of autonomy, and calls for independence have been growing stronger in recent years. Its relationship with Denmark is also in a delicate and complex state, a situation that the Trump administration sees as an opportunity to exploit.
Greenland is located at a key node in the Arctic region, caught between the strategic rivalry between the United States and Europe. On the one hand, it needs to safeguard its sovereignty and independence, and on the other hand, it has to deal with the strong pressure from the United States.
While the support from European countries has given Greenland some confidence, internal divisions within Europe on strategic autonomy have made it difficult to form a unified and firm stance, which makes Greenland's future development uncertain.
The Trump administration's military intervention in Venezuela and its territorial claims to Greenland are essentially manifestations of unilateralism and hegemonic thinking.
However, domestic political checks and balances, international opposition, legal deficiencies, and constraints on strategic resources have made it difficult for these actions to proceed smoothly. Whether it is Venezuela's resource predicament or the sovereignty dispute over Greenland, the ultimate solution lies in respecting national sovereignty and territorial integrity and achieving this through multilateral consultation rather than unilateral coercive measures.
This strategic game spanning two continents will not only affect the fate of the countries involved, but will also reshape the future global geopolitical landscape.
After the escalation of the Venezuelan situation a few days ago, the market has begun to calm down. Currently, the United States faces many restrictions on further actions against Venezuela and other regions. As a result, precious metals have generally begun to decline recently. Traders need to pay close attention to the 5-day moving average of gold, silver, and copper, which is a watershed for the strength or weakness of precious metals in the near term.
Meanwhile, from an industrial perspective, the recent decline in gold, silver, and copper has resonated with the decline in US stocks. It is necessary to closely monitor whether any commodities will strengthen ahead of time. If not, the precious metals sector and US stocks may face a synchronized correction.
(Spot silver daily chart)
(Mini Dow Jones futures daily chart, source: EasyForex)
Aiming at Venezuela: Military intervention and the struggle for control of oil
The Trump administration, under the pretext of combating drug trafficking, took unauthorized military action against Venezuela, directly detaining the country's leader, Nicolás Maduro, and bringing him to the United States to face charges.
Behind the military action was the United States' covetousness of Venezuela's oil resources and its desire to contain Cuba. After the operation, the United States quickly gained control of Venezuela's oil resources, and Trump stated that he planned to use the oil sales revenue to purchase American products.
Vice President JD Vance has publicly stated that controlling oil revenues is an important means for the United States to exert pressure on Venezuela. At the same time, Trump announced that Venezuela would sell 150 million barrels of oil to the United States, worth approximately $2.8 billion.
It is worth noting that Venezuela possesses the world's largest crude oil reserves, but its oil industry has been in continuous decline in recent years due to factors such as insufficient investment, aging infrastructure, and long-term sanctions. In 2024, its daily crude oil production was only 914,000 barrels, accounting for only 1.1% of global production. The intervention of the United States has further tightened its grip on the economic lifeline of this oil-rich nation.
Coveting Greenland: Territorial Disputes Driven by Strategic Ambitions
Following its actions in Venezuela, the Trump administration turned its attention to Greenland, the world's largest island, clearly expressing its willingness to acquire it, stating that the island has key strategic value.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio revealed that Trump has long been interested in purchasing Greenland and plans to meet with Danish officials to advance the matter.
To achieve this goal, White House Press Secretary Carolyn Levitt even hinted at possible military action against Greenland, a statement that directly exacerbated tensions between the United States and Denmark and Greenland.
From a strategic perspective, Greenland is located at a key point in the Arctic. As its glaciers melt, its navigation value continues to increase. In addition, the island is rich in key raw materials such as rare earth elements, exceeding 30 million tons, making its geopolitical importance increasingly prominent.
The United States established military bases in the Arctic region as early as World War II. Now, it is trying to incorporate it into its territory. In essence, it wants to establish its strategic advantage in the Arctic region and strengthen its control over resources in the Western camp.
Caught in a pincer movement: Multiple constraints on U.S. actions
Domestically, Trump's radical policies have sparked fierce political maneuvering, with the Democratic Party using financial controls as a core means of checks and balances, and introducing a series of restrictive measures.
Democratic Senators Tim Kaine and Jeff Merkley plan to propose amendments to the defense funding bill, which expires on January 30, to prohibit funds from being used for military operations in countries such as Venezuela.
The bill involves two-thirds of the federal government's budget. If Republicans block the passage of the relevant provisions, Democrats may risk a government shutdown by blocking the budget.
Furthermore, the Trump administration's decision to bypass Congress and use force has been met with skepticism from various sectors of the American political community. Utah Republican Senator Mike Lee publicly questioned the constitutional legitimacy of the action, while New York Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez went so far as to suggest that the real purpose of the United States was to compete for oil and promote regime change, rather than to combat drugs.
At the international level, these two actions by the United States have met with widespread resistance.
Regarding the Greenland issue, the leaders of Denmark and Greenland urgently requested a meeting with the US Secretary of State, and several European countries, including France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, also publicly expressed their support for Greenland's sovereignty.
Analysts point out that if the United States forcibly takes over Greenland, it could lead to the risk of NATO splitting up, and the rifts within the Western camp will further widen.
In addition, several Latin American countries have called for the peaceful resolution of disputes and opposed external interference in the internal affairs of other countries.
The Dilemma of the Parties: The Predicament of Venezuela and Greenland
For Venezuela, the core dilemma lies in the imbalance between resources and development.
As the country with the world's largest crude oil reserves, the oil industry was once the pillar of the country's economy. However, the long-term nationalization policy has led to the withdrawal of foreign capital and the loss of technology. Coupled with years of US sanctions, oil production capacity has continued to shrink, from a peak of 3 million barrels per day to less than 1 million barrels per day today.
The United States' military intervention and control of oil have further exacerbated the country's economic predicament, posing serious challenges to people's livelihoods and social stability. The intervention of external forces has also made the resolution of Venezuela's internal problems more complicated.
Greenland, meanwhile, is caught in a strategic dilemma amid a sovereignty dispute. The island enjoys a high degree of autonomy, and calls for independence have been growing stronger in recent years. Its relationship with Denmark is also in a delicate and complex state, a situation that the Trump administration sees as an opportunity to exploit.
Greenland is located at a key node in the Arctic region, caught between the strategic rivalry between the United States and Europe. On the one hand, it needs to safeguard its sovereignty and independence, and on the other hand, it has to deal with the strong pressure from the United States.
While the support from European countries has given Greenland some confidence, internal divisions within Europe on strategic autonomy have made it difficult to form a unified and firm stance, which makes Greenland's future development uncertain.
The Trump administration's military intervention in Venezuela and its territorial claims to Greenland are essentially manifestations of unilateralism and hegemonic thinking.
However, domestic political checks and balances, international opposition, legal deficiencies, and constraints on strategic resources have made it difficult for these actions to proceed smoothly. Whether it is Venezuela's resource predicament or the sovereignty dispute over Greenland, the ultimate solution lies in respecting national sovereignty and territorial integrity and achieving this through multilateral consultation rather than unilateral coercive measures.
This strategic game spanning two continents will not only affect the fate of the countries involved, but will also reshape the future global geopolitical landscape.
Summary and Trading Reminders:
After the escalation of the Venezuelan situation a few days ago, the market has begun to calm down. Currently, the United States faces many restrictions on further actions against Venezuela and other regions. As a result, precious metals have generally begun to decline recently. Traders need to pay close attention to the 5-day moving average of gold, silver, and copper, which is a watershed for the strength or weakness of precious metals in the near term.
Meanwhile, from an industrial perspective, the recent decline in gold, silver, and copper has resonated with the decline in US stocks. It is necessary to closely monitor whether any commodities will strengthen ahead of time. If not, the precious metals sector and US stocks may face a synchronized correction.
(Spot silver daily chart)
(Mini Dow Jones futures daily chart, source: EasyForex)
- Risk Warning and Disclaimer
- The market involves risk, and trading may not be suitable for all investors. This article is for reference only and does not constitute personal investment advice, nor does it take into account certain users’ specific investment objectives, financial situation, or other needs. Any investment decisions made based on this information are at your own risk.
