Trump’s first foreign policy moves of the new year included invading Venezuela, threatening to coerce Greenland into becoming a US territory, and withdrawing the US from 66 international organizations.
The US capture of Venezuela’s Maduro echoed intents outlined by Trump in the 2025 National Security Strategy. While the action might have appealed to his Republican base, the strategy’s principles are mostly out of step with US public opinion on America’s engagement in the world.
"The person that is probably benefiting the most right now is Vladimir Putin," Nonresident Senior Fellow Bruce Jentleson says. "'What's yours in mine' is what he said to Ukraine."
"Whether one loves Donald Trump or hates him, this daring operation shows what leadership in the executive branch looks like," Council Board Member Richard Porter writes following the US intervention in Venezuela.
"This administration wants to enlist its friends to help secure its dominance in the Western Hemisphere," Leslie Vinjamuri says. "It's also willing to push the boundaries of what we have come to see as normal, expected, legitimate, international behavior in order to secure that dominance."
The US military captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro during a large-scale strike. Experts assess what the unprecedented US intervention means for Venezuela, US foreign policy, and regional and global stability.
