Donald Trump has never been subtle in the exercise of power. But his latest moves on the world stage have pushed even long-standing allies to openly question his methods, motives and the limits of American authority. As leaked messages, tariff threats and provocative imagery collide, one senior British politician has summed up the growing unease with a stark label, “international gangster”.
At the centre of the storm is Greenland. Trump has declared that bringing the vast Arctic territory under US control is “non-negotiable”, framing the ambition as a matter of global security. Experts, however, as per the reports, see something more troubling — a campaign that blends economic pressure, public intimidation and digital theatrics to force outcomes once settled by diplomacy.
Greenland is not the only front. Gaza has been drawn into Trump’s widening foreign policy agenda, alongside a more confrontational stance towards Europe and a renewed willingness to test the patience of NATO partners.
In his second term, the former property developer and reality television figure has adopted a harder edge. This follows Washington’s recent military-backed intervention in Venezuela, which led to the removal of President Nicolas Maduro. Trump is now openly challenging Danish sovereignty over Greenland, while pressing European leaders to fall in line with his plans for Gaza and the wider Middle East.
Tensions sharpened after France signalled it was unlikely to join Trump’s proposed “Board of Peace” for Gaza. His relationship with President Emmanuel Macron deteriorated further when Trump released a private text message from the French leader, expressing confusion over Washington’s Greenland ambitions. French officials later confirmed the message was genuine and consistent with Macron’s public position.
Despite alarm spreading through diplomatic circles as leaders gathered at the World Economic Forum in Davos, the White House has played down the fallout. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent dismissed international concern as exaggerated, while Trump refused to rule out the use of force to secure what he sees as strategic interests.
Trump insists Greenland is essential to US and global security, pointing to rising competition with China and Russia in the Arctic. After talks with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, he posted that America’s need for Greenland was “beyond debate”. Behind the scenes, his rhetoric appears to have hardened further. In private correspondence to Norway, Trump reportedly linked his long-held frustration at never receiving the Nobel Peace Prize to a loss of interest in diplomatic restraint.
Although Venezuela’s opposition leader, Maria Corina Machado, the 2025 Nobel laureate, has symbolically offered her medal to Trump, the Nobel Foundation has underlined that prizes cannot be transferred.
Symbolism has played a central role in Trump’s approach. He has shared AI-generated images of himself planting a US flag on Greenland, alongside a redesigned Oval Office map showing Greenland and Canada absorbed into American territory. His repeated suggestion that Canada could become the “51st state” has drawn firm rebuttals from Ottawa and added to concerns about his disregard for diplomatic norms.
Economic pressure remains Trump’s favoured tool. He has announced tariffs of between 10 and 25 per cent on imports from eight European countries that support Denmark’s refusal to discuss Greenland’s sale. Due to take effect in February, the measures were explicitly linked to European troop deployments on the island.
Similar tactics have been deployed elsewhere. India has faced pressure over its energy ties with Russia, while France was threatened with a 200 per cent tariff on wine and champagne after Macron hesitated over joining the Gaza “Board of Peace”. Trump brushed aside the French president’s political future as he made the warning.
The proposed board itself has raised eyebrows. Member states would be required to contribute $1 billion to retain their status beyond three years, with invitations reportedly sent to more than 60 countries, including India, Pakistan and Russia.
In Britain, the response has been unusually blunt. Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey used the Commons to accuse Trump of coercion, corruption and weakening NATO by turning tariffs against allied nations. He argued that years of trying to placate Trump had failed, warning that the so-called “special relationship” was nearing breaking point. In his view, the real beneficiaries of Trump’s approach were authoritarian leaders such as Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping.
Across the Channel, preparations are underway for retaliation. EU officials are weighing countermeasures worth up to €93 billion, including the possible use of the bloc’s Anti-Coercion Instrument. That could open the door to sanctions, limits on investment and restrictions on access to Europe’s digital markets.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has described the moment as a wake-up call, urging the continent to become more self-reliant and strategically independent. Washington, however, remains defiant. Speaking in Davos, Bessent insisted that transatlantic ties had “never been stronger”.
Whether allies agree may depend on what comes next. For now, Trump’s mix of pressure, spectacle and brinkmanship has left Europe bracing for economic pain and diplomatic strain and has earned him a nickname that speaks volumes about how his leadership is increasingly seen beyond America’s borders.
