International Relations in the Crosshairs of Trump's Adventures

The kidnapping of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has highlighted the theory of American hegemony under President Donald Trump and his view of international relations under his leadership, or under the slogan "America First", disregarding international law and bolstering economic interests with military might. It revives the policy of the big stick for the United States to breathe life into the Monroe Doctrine as a governing principle of American policy in the Western Hemisphere, a principle declared in 1823 to prevent European intervention in the affairs of the American continent; which has historically transformed from a defensive stance to a political cover for intervention and dominance. Trump's second term is no longer just a warning to external powers; it has become an explicit justification for rearranging conditions within the region if Washington sees that the balance of interests or national security demands it.
 
Evidence throughout the first year of Trump’s second term shows that he does not respect the established rules and accepted traditions in American politics that have delineated the boundaries of American intervention or United States interests for the past eighty years “since the end of World War II”; such as the direct communication with the Hamas movement by his envoys, and he shows no concern for international law with his statements regarding the displacement of Palestinians from Gaza in the early days of his administration last year. The unusual violent verbal exchange that took place in the White House with Ukrainian President Zelensky indicates his disregard for U.S. allies (as is the case with Ukraine, let alone the European continent and NATO).

The political behavior of U.S. President Donald Trump in the military-security operation in Venezuela and then his announcement of managing the country and dominating Venezuelan oil, the plan to displace Palestinians or attempt to impose a ceasefire with Russia, and the agreement regarding the seizure of Ukraine's minerals, along with his other statements about Panama Canal, Greenland, Canada, and the Gulf of Mexico, and finally the direct threat to Nicaragua and Cuba, confirms a wide and deep change in the principles of international law, the rules of international relations, and of course, the behavior of the United States of America.

Understanding what happened in Venezuela, with the kidnapping of President Maduro through a military-security operation, stems from the governing rules of US President Donald Trump's behavior, which is shaped by a mix of rules. Some are personal, related to Trump’s own narcissism and volatility, and his love for fame, which he desires to show to the American public that he is different from the American presidents who preceded him. He applies a trading style to political work, trying to pay the least amount of money for the best specifications "real estate". This Machiavellian personality, which believes that the end justifies the means, is clearly evident in his political behavior in both the first and second terms, as well as in his belief in the principle of using force to achieve peace "surrender".

Additionally, he believes in the principle of establishing or transforming the status quo "military occupation" that violates international law and the aims of the United Nations Charter into a legitimate framework that should receive benefits and prices from the seized "property" that is, recognizing the regional gains obtained through military force "such as the Israeli military occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip and the seizure of Palestinian lands and the city of Jerusalem by settlers, or the Russian military control over regions in Eastern Ukraine".
 
This situation is accompanied by the arrogant nature of the American "white man" character who believes that America governs the world or is the only overwhelming power in the world that no one dares to oppose; as happened in the press conference announcing the results of the military operation in Venezuela. In addition to his slogan America First, calling for a halt to U.S. external financial spending or international commitments that may not bring direct benefits to the U.S., viewing them as a financial burden on the American treasury and taxpayers, juxtaposed with maximizing financial gains for the U.S. by obtaining Ukraine's minerals and Venezuelan oil and its minerals, and investments in the United States from wealthy countries in exchange for building a military alliance. Not to mention being surrounded by a team of advisors/ministers who adopt extremist right-wing ideas.