NEW YORK: President Donald Trump’s increasingly unilateral approach to global power — openly dismissive of international law and grounded instead in what he describes as his personal moral judgement — is unsettling allies and rivals alike, as Washington expands military, political and economic interventions across multiple regions.
In an interview with The New York Times published Thursday, Trump said his authority as US commander-in-chief was restrained only by his own sense of morality. “My own morality. My own mind. It’s the only thing that can stop me,” he said, adding that he did not see international law as a binding constraint.
Asked whether his administration was bound by international legal norms, Trump replied, “It depends what your definition of international law is.” His remarks come as the United States has acknowledged military strikes or operations during the first year of his second term in countries including Venezuela, Yemen, Syria, Somalia, Nigeria, Iraq and Iran.
Trump also downplayed the significance of the New START nuclear arms control treaty with Russia, which is set to expire on February 5. “If it expires, it expires,” he said, adding that Washington would pursue a “better agreement” that includes China.
The comments coincided with major developments in Venezuela, where Trump said he halted a planned second wave of US military action after the country’s new leadership began releasing political prisoners. Writing on his Truth Social platform, Trump said the releases signalled that Caracas was “seeking peace”.
The decision followed a January 3 US special forces operation, supported by airstrikes, in which Washington captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, and transferred them to the United States to face drug trafficking charges. Venezuelan authorities claim around 100 people were killed during the operation.
Maduro’s deputy, Delcy Rodriguez, assumed interim leadership, while parliament speaker Jorge Rodriguez announced the release of a “large number” of detainees to promote “peaceful coexistence”. Rights groups estimate that more than 800 political prisoners had been held prior to the releases.
The White House took credit for the move, though Trump played down democracy promotion as a motivation for the intervention. He said US oil companies had pledged up to $100 billion in investment as Washington moves to oversee a transitional period and gain access to Venezuela’s vast oil reserves. US authorities also confirmed the seizure of another tanker attempting to breach an American naval blockade, the fifth such vessel detained in recent weeks.
International reaction has been sharply critical. Leaders in Canada and Brazil called for a peaceful, Venezuelan-led transition that respects sovereignty and international law. Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva warned that Washington had crossed an “unacceptable line”, while the United Nations human rights office said the intervention violated international law and increased global instability.
Trump’s comments have also raised concerns in Mexico after he suggested potential US ground operations against drug cartels. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said she had instructed her foreign minister to intensify diplomatic engagement with Washington to prevent escalation.
In Europe, unease is growing over Trump’s posture, particularly his renewed threats regarding Greenland. NATO’s top military commander in Europe said the alliance remains committed to defending its territory, though Trump’s remarks have heightened concerns.
France took a firm stance, with Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot warning that Europe’s political order was under threat and insisting that allies had the right to reject US proposals that violate shared principles. Germany announced that senior ministers would travel to Washington next week amid mounting transatlantic tensions over security, arms control and strategic resources.
As Trump continues to redefine US power on his own terms, allies across the globe are grappling with what his approach means for international law, global stability and long-standing diplomatic norms.