Against friend and foe

Supporting the AfD and other hard-right parties, calling for annexation of allied territories – the US tries to maintain global dominance with brute force. While resistance stirs in Latin America, Berlin is so far compliant.

WASHINGTON/BERLIN (own report) – Now in power, the Trump team continues to support the AfD and other far-right parties across Europe. And the new administration in Washington is openly threatening to annex territory belonging to Denmark, an EU member state. While tech oligarch Elon Musk, a close backer of US President Donald Trump, was cheering on the AfD’s election campaign at the party’s kick-off event on Saturday, news spread that Trump has already warned Copenhagen of concrete coercive measures if it does not voluntarily cede Greenland to the United States. Trump has also floated the idea of mass deportations to “clean out” the Gaza Strip. The territory would then be open to integration into a “Greater Israel”. Resistance by Colombia to receiving mass deportations of Latin American refugees fleeing poverty was quelled by Trump, at least temporarily, after he threatened to ruin the Colombian economy by imposing coercive measures. However, an emergency Latin American summit has been convened for Thursday to discuss possible countermeasures. Germany, economically now highly dependent on the US export market, is so far signalling compliance. Washington’s policy of brute force against friend and foe alike is driven by the desire to maintain its dwindling global dominance.

‘Party of hope’ AfD

The Trump administration is openly interfering in the internal affairs of even close allies. Indeed, it is doing so on behalf of domestic political forces on the extreme right. Tech oligarch Elon Musk, for example, has now become head of the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Yet even as a government official he continues to speak out in support of the AfD party (Alternative for Germany) with interventions on his X platform. He had already put the AfD in the international spotlight by holding a public video chat with its leader Alice Weidel, who is standing for the role of federal chancellor in the upcoming election.[1] And, last Saturday, he gave a live on-screen address in Halle to the AfD’s campaign kick-off event, calling on Germans to vote for the party. Musk expressly stated that the AfD was Germany’s “best hope”, adding that it was “very important to be proud of Germany and to be German.” Efforts to support far-right forces in Germany were already evident during Trump’s first term in office (german-foreign-policy.com reported [2]). This backing for right-wing forces is now being given at the highest level and in full public gaze. It is only reasonable to conclude that Washington wants the AfD to be part of a German government that will expedite US goals in Europe – goals that include massive rearmament [3] and abolition of regulations governing business, especially the US-dominated tech sector.

Annexing allies

The open attempts to push even close allies in a hard-right direction – and Germany is not the only example [4] – is accompanied by unprecedented attacks on the territorial sovereignty of allies and neighbours. It seems, for instance, that the Trump administration is serious about Denmark ceding Greenland to the United States. Reports emerged at the end of last week of a telephone call between Denmark’s Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen, and the US President which dashed initial hopes that Trump’s demand was tactically motivated and aimed at gaining some other concessions from Copenhagen. The situation is “serious”, perhaps even “very dangerous”, one insider was quoted as saying. Trump has already made very specific threats to Frederiksen.[5] The US president has also repeatedly called on Canada to join the United States and become its 51st state. The idea most again voiced at the weekend.[6] Trump has also directed similar threats at Panama, demanding that the country hand over the Panama Canal to the US. Panama’s President, José Raúl Mulino, had previously made every effort to prevent refugees from crossing his country on their journey northwards. Despite doing Washington a favour, it seems these actions were to no avail.

‘Greater Israel’

The new US administration does not shy away from demanding unilateral border changes in the Middle East and mass deportations. This is demonstrated by Trump’s latest proposal that the whole population of the Gaza Strip should be expelled from their homeland. The US President said on Saturday, “You’re talking about probably a million and a half people, and we just clean out that whole thing.” The Palestinians should, he proposed, be moved to Egypt and Jordan. It was anyway, he said, “literally a demolition site.”[7] Israel’s extreme right-wing Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich immediately announced that steps would be taken to implement the plan.[8] Smotrich’s role within the Israeli cabinet includes responsibility for civil administration in the West Bank, with a remit for approving new settlements. These illegal settlements have reached record levels since 2023.[9] Adding to this land grab, the mass expulsion of the Gaza population and the incorporation of their territory into Israel would bring the creation of a “Greater Israel” a major step closer. Smotrich caused a scandal in March 2023 when, while delivering a speech at an event in Paris, he stood in front of a map on which not only the West Bank but also Jordan was shown as part of Israel.[10]

Humiliating conditions

While the Trump administration threatens to annex territories of allies and near neighbours and to initiate mass deportations in the Middle East, it seeks to crush resistance to the mass deportation of Latin American migrants fleeing poverty. Its politics of brute force are unprecedented policy. Washington successfully threatened to slap down Colombia with drastic sanctions and an immediate 25 per cent tariff, soon to be raised to 50 per cent, after President Gustavo Petro refused to allow US military aircraft filled with deportees to land. Expulsions under humiliating conditions have been set in motion. Shortly before, Brazil reported that the US had deported Brazilian refugees in shackles on a plane without air conditioning. Deportees were given no water and refused access to the toilets.[11] Washington’s threats to ruin the Colombian economy by launching a crippling economic attack sets an ominous precedent. Bogotá had to give in, at least for the time being.[12]

Options for resistance

However, it is unclear whether Washington’s policy of intimidation will go unanswered. The Honduran President Xiomara Castro has called an emergency meeting of the CELAC alliance of states for this Thursday to discuss the widening impact of mass deportation from the US and Washington’s dealings with the countries of Latin America. CELAC (Comunidad de Estados Latinoamericanos y Caribeños), which was founded in 2010, is made up of all Latin American and Caribbean nations and excludes the US and Canada, unlike the older Washington-based OAS (Organisation of American States). Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum has already confirmed her attendance at the CELAC emergency meeting.[13] Mexico faces not only the onset of a mass deportation from the US of Mexican migrants who have fled poverty but also a damaging trade war. The imposition of 25 per cent tariffs on Mexican exports could bring the country’s economy, which is highly dependent on the US, to its knees. Undeterred, Sheinbaum is looking for ways to defend her country. She met with Brazil’s President Luis Inácio Lula da Silva on Friday and discussed with him how Latin America could gain greater independence, not least with the help of CELAC.[14] Honduras’ President, Castro, has already stated that she is considering the expulsion of US soldiers from their military base in Honduras as an antidote to US threats.[15]

‘Sinking into barbarism’

The United States’ efforts to consolidate its crumbling global dominance with a policy of brute force are also confronting Germany with a difficult decision: to support or to oppose Washington. Economically, Germany is highly dependent on US business relations. Since it decided to reject the continued purchase of cheap Russian gas and join in attempts to squeeze trade with China through tariffs and sanctions, Germany has lacked alternatives. It is effectively trapped (german-foreign-policy.com reported [16]). With the partial exception of the Iraq war, Berlin has in fact consistently sided with Washington, at times with brutal consequences. For example, the so-called “War on Terror”, initiated under George W Bush, saw German agencies participating in clandestine deportations of terror suspects, known as “extraordinary renditions”, to US torture chambers, some of which the CIA even set up in today’s EU states. The Swiss liberal Dick Marty, a state prosecutor, tried to shed light on the events in 2006 and 2007 on behalf of the Council of Europe, but the investigation failed due to obstruction by a number of European states, including Germany. At the time, Marty issued a prescient warning against “sinking into barbarism”.[17] This did not stop Berlin from continuing its support for Washington’s “War on Terror”.

 

[1], [2] See: An oligarch for the AfD and Ein Oligarch für die AfD (II).

[3] See also: Widersprüchliche Annäherung.

[4] See also: The transatlantic far right.

[5] Richard Milne, Gideon Rachman, James Politi: Donald Trump in fiery call with Denmark’s prime minister over Greenland. ft.com 24.01.2025.

[6] Joe Hernandez: Trump says he still wants to buy Greenland, suggests Canada could become a U.S. state. npr.org 26.01.2025.

[7] Dov Lieber, Carrie Keller-Lynn, Saleh al-Batati, Summer Said: Trump Says He Wants to ‘Clean Out’ Gaza, Send Refugees to Egypt and Jordan. wsj.com 26.01.2025.

[8] Sam Sokol: Smotrich says he’s working to turn Trump idea of resettling Gazans into policy. timesofisrael.com 27.01.2025.

[9] Mareike Enghusen: Wie israelische Politiker „Großisrael“ planen. diepresse.com 18.07.2024.

[10] Barak Ravid: Jordan condemns far-right Israeli minister over “Greater Israel” map. axios.com 20.03.2023.

[11] Brazil slams US after dozens of deportees arrive handcuffed. france24.com 26.01.2025.

[12] Phil Stewart, Oliver Griffin: US, Colombia reach deal on deportations; tariffs, sanctions put on hold. reuters.com 27.01.2025.

[13] Emir Olivares, Alonso Urrutia: Participará Sheinbaum en la reunión urgente de la Celac. jornada.com.mx 27.01.2025.

[14] Sheinbaum agradece a Lula por su solidaridad con mexicanos que viven en EU. forbes.com.mx 24.01.2025.

[15] Annie Correal: Honduras Says Trump’s Deportation Plan Could Push It Closer to China. nytimes.com 24.01.2025.

[16] See: Fallen in the trap.

[17] See: Abgleiten in die Barbarei (II).


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