President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday evening that interim leaders in Venezuela are set to transfer between 30 million and 50 million barrels of crude oil to the United States.
According to a post on his social media platform, Trump stated that the oil will be sold at market rates, with the proceeds to be administered by himself as the President of the U.S. to ensure the funds support both Venezuelan and American interests.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump is scheduled to host executives from Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Exxon Mobil, and additional U.S. energy companies at the White House this Friday. The meeting will revolve around potential large-scale investment in Venezuela’s petroleum sector.
Meanwhile, Russia on Tuesday welcomed Delcy Rodriguez’s appointment as interim president of Venezuela. Moscow described the move as crucial for maintaining stability and averting blatant neocolonial threats and foreign armed aggression.
The Trump administration is also weighing a variety of approaches toward acquiring Greenland, potentially involving the use of the U.S. Military, according to White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt to CNBC on Tuesday.
This statement further intensifies Washington’s rhetoric concerning the territory, which President Trump has repeatedly cited as vital for U.S. national security, especially in light of Russian and Chinese activities in the Arctic.
Greenland, a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, is a member of NATO alongside the United States. This could make Trump’s approach much harder than his operation in Venezuela.
Earlier on Tuesday, leaders from Denmark and other European NATO members released a unified statement opposing Trump’s mounting interest in Greenland, rejecting any suggestion that the island could be transferred to U.S. control.
According to The Wall Street Journal, The United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Trump wants to buy Greenland, and the recent threats were meant to push Denmark into a negotiation with the U.S.
