'Might makes right': Brahma Chellaney decodes Trump's foreign policy without limits amid tensions with Venezuela, Greenland

Geostrategist Brahma Chellaney took to social media to decode US President Donald Trump's erratic foreign policy amid the ongoing tensions with Venezuela and the back-and-forth with Denmark over Greenland. Calling it a "might makes right" foreign policy, Chellaney wrote on X that Trump's recent interview revealed his openness about the limits of American power or the lack thereof. 

"Trump said he felt constrained by no international law, no norms and no system of checks and balances. Asked what, if anything, could restrain his use of US military force, he answered: 'My own morality. My own mind. It's the only thing can stop me.' 'I don't need international law,' he added." 

The geostrategist added that for Trump, "sovereignty belongs not to states or peoples, but to whoever is strong enough to seize it."

 What did Trump say? 

In an interview with The New York Times on Wednesday, Trump said that his powers are constrained not by international treaties but by his "own morality". 

“Yeah, there is one thing. My own morality. My own mind. It’s the only thing that can stop me," he told the publication. He added, "I'm not looking to hurt people." 

When asked about whether his administration needed to abide by international law, Donald Trump said, "I do." He, however, made it crystal clear that when such constraints applied to the US, he would be the arbiter. 

"It depends on what your definition of international law is." On the question of acquiring Greenland vs preserving NATO, he did not answer directly but said, "it may be a choice." Trump said that NATO was essentially useless without the US. 

US Senate on military action in Venezuela

Trump’s remarks followed a rare Senate rebuke, as lawmakers voted 52–47 to advance a resolution restricting military action against Venezuela without congressional approval. Five Republicans backed Democrats. Though Trump would likely veto it, the vote underscored Congress’s constitutional authority after the US capture of Maduro.

Why does Trump want Greenland?

President Trump insists that the US needs the Arctic island for national security purposes and has not ruled out using military force to acquire it. Greenland is the world's largest island at around 2.2 million sq km, around 6 times the size of Germany. 

It is the most sparsely populated global territory, with a population of around 56,000 people, mostly indigenous Inuits. Greenland's location between North America and the Arctic makes it a perfect site for early warning systems in case of missile attacks and for monitoring vessels in the region. 

Formerly known as the Thule Air Base, the Pituffik Space Base has been operated in Greenland by the US since World War II, and it currently monitors for missiles.