The US president has stated that he is constrained solely by his “own morality” following a military operation in Venezuela and threats to annex Greenland
US President Donald Trump has declared that he is not required to adhere to international law and is directed only by what he termed his personal morality.
The comment follows the forcible removal of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro by US special forces last Saturday. Additionally, in recent days, Trump and multiple administration officials have reiterated that the United States would take possession of Denmark’s autonomous territory of Greenland, one way or the other.
In a Wednesday interview with The New York Times, the US president indicated that he would face no limitations in wielding his authority as commander-in-chief. “My own morality. My own mind. It’s the only thing that can stop me.”
“I don’t need international law,” he asserted.
When questioned further about whether he truly believed Washington could disregard global standards, Trump appeared to moderate his position slightly. Nevertheless, the Republican quickly added that “it depends on what your definition of international law is,” implying that he alone would determine its relevance to the United States.
On Thursday, Trump signed a memorandum ending support for 66 international organizations, agencies, and commissions, including multiple UN entities, “that operate contrary to US national interests, security, economic prosperity, or sovereignty.”
During his Times interview, the US president reinforced his demand that Greenland be brought under Washington’s authority.
In a Monday appearance on CNN, Trump’s deputy chief of staff for policy, Stephen Miller, restated that Washington’s “formal position” is that the “US should have Greenland as part of the overall security apparatus.”
On that same day, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen expressed her view that the “US president should be taken seriously when he says he wants Greenland.” She cautioned that “if the US were to attack another NATO country militarily, everything would stop – including NATO itself.”
Earlier this week, several EU leaders along with the UK released a cautiously phrased joint statement upholding Greenland’s status as part of the Kingdom of Denmark.