Trump Rejects International Law, Claims U.S. Control Over 55 Percent of Global Oil
US President openly dismisses international law, claims sole moral authority, and links Venezuela’s oil to Washington’s global domination ambitions following the abduction of President Nicolás Maduro
VENEZUELA | PUREWILAYAH.COM — The United States president, Donald Trump, has openly declared that he does not need to follow international law and is restrained only by what he described as his own morality, a statement that has triggered widespread alarm amid escalating U.S. aggression against Venezuela and renewed threats to seize foreign territories.
Trump Rejects International Law
In an interview with The New York Times, Trump stated bluntly that international law does not bind him, asserting that his actions as commander-in-chief are governed solely by his personal judgment.
“My own morality. My own mind. It’s the only thing that can stop me,” Trump said. “I don’t need international law.”
When pressed on whether the United States must abide by global legal norms, Trump partially walked back the statement, arguing that the definition of international law itself is subjective and ultimately subject to his interpretation.
These remarks came days after U.S. special forces abducted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in Caracas, an act Venezuelan officials have denounced as a flagrant violation of sovereignty and international law.
Open Threats Against Greenland and Global Order
Trump’s dismissal of international law coincided with renewed U.S. threats to seize Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark. Senior officials in his administration reiterated that Washington considers control of Greenland essential to its security apparatus.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warned that any U.S. military action against another NATO member would effectively dismantle the alliance. Several European leaders, along with the United Kingdom, issued a joint statement reaffirming Greenland’s status as part of the Kingdom of Denmark.
Washington Withdraws from International Institutions
Further underscoring Washington’s unilateral posture, Trump signed a memorandum suspending U.S. support for 66 international organizations, including multiple United Nations bodies, accusing them of operating contrary to American interests, sovereignty, and security.
Venezuela’s Oil at the Center of U.S. Ambitions
In a separate statement, Trump claimed that the United States would control 55 percent of the world’s oil production if American companies regained access to Venezuela’s energy sector.
Speaking at the White House alongside executives from ExxonMobil, Chevron, and ConocoPhillips, Trump said U.S. corporations would “rebuild” Venezuela’s oil infrastructure and boost production beyond historic levels.
“When you add Venezuela and the United States together, we have 55% of the oil in the world,” Trump declared.
Trump openly linked this ambition to the earlier nationalization of U.S. oil assets under former Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez, calling it “unfair” and citing it as justification for last week’s military operation against Maduro.
Corporate Interests and Planned Oil Takeover
Trump announced that American companies would invest at least $100 billion in Venezuela’s oil industry. However, ExxonMobil CEO Darren Woods admitted that Venezuela remains “uninvestable” without sweeping regulatory changes and a restructuring of its energy sector.
While Washington promotes its plans as economic cooperation, Venezuelan officials have denounced them as an attempt to plunder national resources under military coercion.
Caracas Responds: Sovereignty Is Not for Sale
Although the Venezuelan government has not confirmed granting access to U.S. companies, Delcy Rodríguez, who was sworn in as acting president following Maduro’s abduction, stated earlier this week that Venezuela remains open to energy cooperation with all parties—provided its sovereignty is respected.
Venezuelan authorities have strongly condemned Trump’s statements, describing his plans as a neo-colonial project aimed at looting Venezuela’s resources. They have also rejected the charges brought against Maduro in the United States, calling them politically motivated fabrications.
Maduro pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking and weapons charges when presented before a U.S. court, as Caracas continues to pursue diplomatic and legal avenues to confront what it describes as U.S. state piracy and imperial aggression.
Trump’s declarations — rejecting international law, threatening territorial seizure, withdrawing from global institutions, and boasting of controlling the majority of the world’s oil — have reinforced growing concerns that Washington is abandoning even the pretense of rules-based order in favor of open imperial domination.
For Venezuela, these statements confirm long-standing warnings: the aggression it faces is not about democracy or human rights, but about resources, control, and submission. (PW)