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Despite Donald Trump’s repeated assurances that American oil companies are eager to move into Venezuela and rebuild its energy sector, industry reaction has been far more muted since the U.S. launched its attack on the country and captured President Nicolás Maduro and his wife.

Trump has publicly insisted that U.S. firms would lead the effort to restore Venezuela’s oil industry, declaring «We’re going to have our very large United States oil companies, the biggest anywhere in the world, go in, spend billions of dollars, fix the badly broken infrastructure — the oil infrastructure — and start making money for the country». Yet executives and industry figures have shown little of the enthusiasm expressed by the president, signaling caution rather than excitement about investing in a country emerging from military intervention, political uncertainty and years of deterioration in its oil facilities.

According to CNN, U.S. oil companies cite a combination of structural, financial and political factors for their reluctance to reinvest in Venezuela, pushing back against the White House’s expectations. Industry executives point first to the state of the country’s oil sector, describing an industry in near collapse, with production facilities, pipelines and refineries severely degraded after years of mismanagement and sanctions. Rebuilding that infrastructure would require billions of dollars in upfront investment at a time when global oil prices remain relatively low, making the economic case difficult to justify. Executives have also stressed that Venezuela’s past actions weigh heavily on their calculations, noting that U.S. companies were expelled from the country roughly two decades ago and that Caracas has a history of seizing foreign oil assets. Taken together, those risks have led many firms to conclude that the potential returns do not outweigh the costs and uncertainties, despite pressure from the Trump administration to re-enter the Venezuelan market.

The White House has pushed back against claims of industry resistance, offering a sharply different account of how U.S. oil companies view the administration’s controversial move against Venezuela. Administration officials insist that energy executives are broadly supportive of the plan and prepared to participate in rebuilding the country’s oil sector, arguing that opposition has been overstated. « All of our oil companies are ready and willing to make big investments in Venezuela that will rebuild their oil infrastructure », a White House official said, framing the initiative as an opportunity rather than a liability. Senior administration figures are expected to hold meetings with industry leaders in the coming week to press that case, even as some U.S. companies privately describe the proposal as «a very high risk», citing political instability, legal uncertainty and the legacy of past expropriations.

According to The New York Times, Donald Trump’s decision to move against Nicolás Maduro came after he watched a viral video showing the Venezuelan president dancing, a moment that reportedly irritated him rather than amused him. The footage was seen inside the White House as a display of defiance at a time when the Trump administration was deliberately seeking to increase pressure on Caracas, and Trump was said to be visibly triggered by what aides described as Maduro’s nonchalance toward the mounting tensions. Those tensions had been building since September, as the United States began attacking Venezuelan boats it accused of transporting fentanyl bound for the U.S. market.

In the weeks leading up to the operation, Venezuela had been placed under intense and growing pressure by Washington, increasingly isolated diplomatically and economically as its airspace was restricted and U.S. military activity signaled that options were narrowing. According to The New York Times, Donald Trump and his advisers had issued an ultimatum to Nicolás Maduro, urging him to step down and accept a negotiated exile abroad, a proposal that was framed as a way to avoid a direct confrontation. Maduro refused, leaving his government under mounting strain and expectations in Washington that capitulation was imminent. It was in this tense context that an unexpected episode proved decisive: U.S. officials said Trump watched footage of Maduro dancing publicly at an event just days after a U.S. strike on a Venezuelan dock, a display that was interpreted inside the White House as open mockery of American threats. That perceived defiance, more than any immediate security concern, helped tip the administration toward action, reinforcing the view that U.S. credibility was being challenged and that the ultimatum had failed.

«He gets up there and he tries to imitate my dance a little bit.»

Donald Trump

At a recent rally in Caracas, Venezuelan state media broadcast footage of Nicolás Maduro swaying, jumping and waving his arms energetically to an electronic remix built around his slogan, «No War, Yes Peace», with his recorded voice repeating phrases such as «no war, no crazy war» in time with the music, a performance designed to project defiance and energize supporters despite mounting pressure from Washington. In the aftermath of the U.S. intervention in Venezuela, Donald Trump accused Nicolás Maduro of trying to imitate his own dance moves weeks earlier, a remark he used to express open contempt for the Venezuelan leader and that, according to accounts of internal discussions, helped trigger the decision to launch the operation.

The images later drew a pointed reaction from Donald Trump, who, speaking at a press conference the day after the U.S. military intervention in Venezuela that led to Maduro’s capture, singled out the dance moves themselves. Trump dismissed the display as mockery and personal provocation, saying «He’s a bad guy.» and adding «He gets up there and he tries to imitate my dance a little bit. But he’s a violent guy and he’s killed millions of people.», remarks that underscored how the footage had resonated inside the White House in the immediate aftermath of the operation.

Quelques heures à peine après que Donald Trump et son administration aient lancé une attaque au Venezuela qui a conduit à la capture du président du pays et de son épouse, accompagnée d’affirmations selon lesquelles les États-Unis allaient désormais prendre le contrôle du pays, Trump a élargi sa rhétorique offensive à d’autres nations. Il s’en est pris verbalement à des pays comme Cuba, l’Iran et le Mexique, tout en réactivant une position qu’il avait avancée pour la première fois au début de son second mandat : l’idée d’une prise de contrôle totale du Groenland par les États-Unis. Cette nouvelle position a suscité une réaction immédiate et ferme de la part de l’Europe, dont les dirigeants se sont opposés aux remarques de Trump et ont averti le président américain que le Groenland, qui fait partie du royaume danois, est protégé par l’OTAN, traçant une ligne claire contre toute tentative de remise en cause du cadre de sécurité de l’alliance.

À la suite de l’opération militaire américaine au Venezuela qui a abouti à la capture de Nicolás Maduro et de son épouse, Donald Trump a de nouveau attiré l’attention de la communauté internationale – et suscité l’inquiétude – avec ses commentaires sur la valeur stratégique du Groenland. Selon des rapports récents, Trump a réitéré l’intérêt de longue date des États-Unis pour le territoire arctique et a suggéré un calendrier spécifique pour réexaminer la question, déclarant qu’il « s’inquiéterait du Groenland dans environ deux mois » et qu’il était prêt à discuter de la question « dans 20 jours », des remarques qui ont résonné comme une suite directe à l’épisode du Venezuela et ont intensifié les inquiétudes des dirigeants européens quant aux intentions des États-Unis à l’égard d’un allié de l’OTAN.

Alors que les dirigeants européens se réunissaient à Paris pour s’entretenir avec un envoyé américain sur le processus de paix en Ukraine, le centre d’intérêt de la réunion s’est nettement déplacé vers les nouvelles menaces de Donald Trump à l’encontre d’un allié de l’OTAN et sa rhétorique entourant une potentielle prise de contrôle du Groenland par les États-Unis. Les dirigeants de la France, de l’Allemagne, de la Grande-Bretagne, de l’Italie, de la Pologne, de l’Espagne et du Danemark ont conjointement réfuté l’idée qu’un allié puisse remettre en cause unilatéralement la sécurité d’un autre allié, en publiant une déclaration qui ne laisse guère de place à l’ambiguïté. Ils ont souligné que « le Royaume du Danemark – y compris le Groenland – fait partie de l’OTAN » et que « la sécurité dans l’Arctique doit donc être assurée collectivement », contredisant directement les affirmations de Trump et réaffirmant le principe de défense partagée de l’alliance à un moment où les tensions géopolitiques sont exacerbées.

Les dirigeants européens ont en outre souligné que « les États-Unis sont un partenaire essentiel dans cette entreprise, en tant qu’allié de l’OTAN », tout en insistant sur le fait que Washington doit respecter le droit des peuples du Groenland et du Danemark à « décider des questions concernant le Danemark et le Groenland ». Leur message s’oppose directement à l’argument de l’administration Trump selon lequel l’importance géostratégique du Groenland justifie une revendication plus forte des États-Unis dans le cadre de leur rôle au sein de l’OTAN, une position qui a déstabilisé les alliés à travers l’Europe. Derrière le langage diplomatique se cache une inquiétude plus profonde : toute tentative des États-Unis de contraindre ou de menacer un autre membre de l’OTAN représenterait une rupture historique de l’ordre international de l’après-Seconde Guerre mondiale. Ces craintes se sont intensifiées après que Stephen Miller a déclaré sur CNN que « personne ne se battra militairement contre les États-Unis au sujet du Groenland », une remarque largement interprétée dans les capitales européennes comme un mépris des principes de l’alliance et renforçant les inquiétudes quant à la mesure dans laquelle Washington pourrait être prêt à pousser sa position.

Barely hours after Donald Trump and his administration launched an attack in Venezuela that led to the capture of the country’s president and his wife, accompanied by claims that the United States would now take control of the country, Trump widened his offensive rhetoric to other nations. He verbally targeted countries including Cuba, Iran and Mexico, while also reviving a position he first advanced at the beginning of his second term: the idea of a complete U.S. takeover of Greenland. That renewed stance prompted an immediate and firm response from Europe, where leaders pushed back against Trump’s remarks and warned the American president that Greenland, as part of the Danish realm, is protected under NATO, drawing a clear line against any attempt to challenge the alliance’s security framework.

In the wake of the U.S. military operation in Venezuela that resulted in the capture of Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Donald Trump drew renewed international attention — and alarm — with his comments about Greenland’s strategic value. According to recent reports, Trump reiterated long-standing U.S. interest in the Arctic territory and suggested a specific timeframe for revisiting the issue, saying he would «worry about Greenland in about two months» and was prepared to discuss the matter «in 20 days», remarks that resonated as a direct follow-up to the Venezuela episode and intensified concerns among European leaders about U.S. intentions toward a NATO ally.

As European leaders gathered in Paris for talks with a U.S. envoy on the Ukraine peace process, the focus of the meeting shifted sharply to Donald Trump’s renewed threats against a NATO ally and his rhetoric surrounding a potential U.S. takeover of Greenland. Leaders from France, Germany, Britain, Italy, Poland, Spain and Denmark jointly rebuked the premise that one ally could unilaterally challenge the security of another, issuing a statement that left little room for ambiguity. They stressed that «The Kingdom of Denmark — including Greenland — is part of NATO» and underlined that «Security in the Arctic must therefore be achieved collectively», directly countering Trump’s assertions and reaffirming the alliance’s principle of shared defense at a moment of heightened geopolitical tension.

European leaders further emphasized that «the United States is an essential partner in this endeavor, as a NATO ally», while insisting that Washington must respect the right of the people of Greenland and Denmark to «decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland». Their message directly counters the Trump administration’s argument that Greenland’s geostrategic importance justifies a stronger U.S. claim as part of its role within NATO, a stance that has unsettled allies across Europe. Behind the diplomatic language lies a deeper concern that any attempt by the United States to coerce or threaten a fellow NATO member would represent a historic rupture of the post-World War II international order. Those fears intensified after Stephen Miller said on CNN that «Nobody is going to fight the United States militarily over Greenland,» a remark widely interpreted in European capitals as dismissive of alliance principles and reinforcing anxieties about how far Washington might be willing to push its position.