With Donald J. Trump’s inauguration as the 47th President of the United States, it became evident that one of his administration’s priorities was to assert and protect America’s sphere of influence. Americans closely observed the bold strategies employed to address key domestic and international issues, including measures to curb illegal immigration across the Mexican and Canadian borders and implementing tariffs on imports, particularly from China.
However, the world’s strategic thinkers were surprised by Trump’s inaugural speech, where he declared his intent to designate drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. This classification would permit the U.S. to take direct action against such entities, even without the consent of the countries in which they operate. Notably, this statement targeted Latin American cartels, especially those in Mexico, rather than those in Southeast Asia. In a subsequent Oval Office press conference, Trump did not rule out deploying American Special Forces to dismantle Mexican drug cartels, showcasing his administration’s readiness for unilateral action.
Trump’s plans extended beyond countering drug cartels. His controversial declaration to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America” and his musings about annexing Greenland and reclaiming the Panama Canal further highlighted a broader strategy to reinforce American dominance. While some of these remarks amused political observers, they underscored the administration’s intent to demarcate a vast zone of influence stretching from Latin America in the southern hemisphere to Greenland in the Arctic Circle.
The US interest in Greenland is strategic. The Arctic region, increasingly accessible due to climate change, offers lucrative new sea routes and untapped resources. Both Russia and China have been eyeing these opportunities, but Trump’s rhetoric signals America’s intent to dominate the Arctic. Alaska, a U.S. state well within the Arctic Circle, further bolsters this claim.
Reclaiming the Panama Canal, on the other hand, aligns with Trump’s goal of ensuring American control over critical infrastructure. The canal faces operational challenges due to reduced freshwater availability from nearby lakes, for filling its locks and thus affecting transit times and shipping costs. Trump accused the Panamanian government of prioritizing Chinese interests over American vessels, using this as a justification to demand the canal’s return to U.S. control.
This approach signals a potential new world order, with the three military superpowers—the United States, Russia, and China—vying to secure and expand their respective spheres of influence. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine reflects its attempt to reclaim control over Eastern Europe, a region steadily slipping into NATO’s orbit. Similarly, China’s sweeping claims over the South China Sea reveal its strategy to solidify dominance in its neighbouring waters. Trump’s moves, including his calls for annexing Greenland and reclaiming the Panama Canal, mirror these expansionist tendencies and challenge the notion that only Russia and China engage in such practices.
The actions of these superpowers reflect a broader trend: a willingness to disregard international norms to secure geopolitical and economic advantages. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine flagrantly violates United Nations laws, while China’s claims over the South China Sea contravene the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Similarly, Trump’s proposals to annex Greenland and reclaim the Panama Canal suggest a willingness to bypass international agreements to secure American interests.
As these three nations carve out their domains of influence, their actions underscore a diminishing respect for global rules and institutions, including the United Nations. The result is a world increasingly divided into spheres of influence dominated by the U.S., Russia, and China, leaving the remaining nations to navigate their place within this emerging order.
