• Donald Trump’s warnings and threats span continents, reshaping Washington’s relations from Africa to the Arctic

ISTANBUL

Returning to the global stage in his second presidency with trademark assertiveness, US President Donald Trump is once again wielding sanctions, tariffs, and military threats as instruments of diplomacy, extending his confrontational approach across a wider range of countries.

🇺🇸 A presidency that promises peace, but thrives on confrontation

➡️ US President Donald Trump says he is ending wars; yet from Nigeria to China, Venezuela to Russia, his second term has been defined by threats, tariffs, and talk of force https://t.co/cCKpBxXEa5 pic.twitter.com/F9eM41Wqnl

— Anadolu English (@anadoluagency) November 6, 2025

From Nigeria to China and Russia to Canada, Trump’s rhetoric has blurred the line between diplomacy and intimidation, leaving capitals scrambling to interpret Washington’s next move.

With threats spanning continents and subjects, the world is watching whether his second term will mark a new era of hardline transactional diplomacy or an escalation of global tension reminiscent of his first presidency.

Here are all the countries that have faced the US president’s warnings or threats:

'Guns-a-blazing' warning for Nigeria

Trump most recently aimed at Nigeria, where he warned of possible US airstrikes or troop deployment over what he called attacks on Christians.

He said that if the Nigerian government "continues to allow the killing of Christians," Washington would immediately cut all aid, adding that the US could “go into that now disgraced country, 'guns-a-blazing.’”

Trump's remarks echo rhetoric from right-wing lawmakers who portray Nigeria's violent conflicts as attacks on Christians.

Nigeria rejected the claims, saying that there can't be “religious persecution that can be supported in any way, shape, or form by the government of Nigeria.”

"At any level — be it federal, be it regional, be it local — it's impossible," said Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar.

Maduro's 'days are numbered'

Venezuela has become another focal point of confrontation.

Reviving his “maximum pressure” strategy, Trump declared that President Nicolas Maduro’s “days are numbered” if Caracas continued defying Washington, hinting at tighter oil sanctions and even a possible naval blockade.

Trump previously confirmed granting the CIA authority to conduct operations in Venezuela as part of his administration’s anti-narcotics campaign.

In recent months, the US deployed a naval force, including submarines and warships, off the Venezuelan coast under the directive.

Calling the US allegations “vulgar” and “totally fake,” Maduro insisted that Venezuela “does not produce cocaine leaves” and said US military movements near its coast signal plans for “a new, eternal war.”

Trade war talk returns with Beijing

Tensions with China have also flared once again.

Responding to Beijing’s new export controls on rare earth minerals, Trump threatened what he called a “massive increase of tariffs” on Chinese imports, a warning that reignited fears of a renewed trade war.

“China is becoming very hostile and is holding the world captive by restricting access to the metals and magnets we need,” the US president said.

Trump is using tariffs to hamper Beijing’s efforts to rise in the global economy, and sending a message to allies that trade with the US is safer, despite reciprocal tariffs.

Additionally, the US president warned that any country that aligns itself "with the anti-American policies” of the BRICS economic bloc will face an additional 10% tariff.

Trump and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, held a summit in October in South Korea, with the two sides deciding on a one-year deal in trade and tariffs.

'Severe consequences' await Moscow if Russia-Ukraine war continues

Even Russia, once treated with caution, was told to expect “severe consequences” should it expand military operations in Ukraine.

The warning underscored a sharper tone from a president who has actively pursued talks with Moscow in his second term.

When asked if Russia would face repercussions if Putin does not agree to end the conflict, Trump said: “Yes, they will … very severe consequences.”

In another instance, Trump threatened Russia with sanctions and secondary tariffs if it does not end the war in Ukraine in "about 10 or 12 days."

He last met Putin in August during a historic summit in the US state of Alaska, but diplomatic momentum to end the war in Ukraine has stalled in the ensuing roughly two months, while a planned Budapest summit was canceled in October.

Trade tensions with Canada

Turning north, Trump accused Canada of exploiting US trade deals and revived his old idea of treating it as America’s 51st state, a remark that stirred outrage across the border.

Trump’s on-again-off-again tariff on Canadian imports to the US has caused a major economic upheaval in America’s northern neighbor.

Trump even said in July that reaching a trade deal would be “very hard” after Ottawa voiced support for Palestinian statehood, later softening his tone by saying that although he “didn’t like” the move, it would not derail negotiations.

Trump has said time and again that he wants to annex Canada and make it the 51st state, saying that joining the US would bring it economic stability and protect against external threats like “Russian and Chinese ships.”

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said of ongoing trade negotiations last month that the two countries are “in the process of finding the right balance,” following a meeting with the US president.

Recently, Carney implied the opposite, saying that trade negotiations with the US had been “making progress” until a miffed Trump abruptly curtailed talks and hit Ottawa with another 10% tariff over an anti-tariff advertisement run in the US, sponsored by Ontario Premier Doug Ford.

Renewed threats for Iran

Trump's hardline posture extended to the Middle East as well.

In Iran, Trump revived the confrontational stance that defined his first term. After reports of Tehran accelerating its nuclear enrichment, he warned that “if they do not make peace, future attacks will be far greater and a lot easier,” following a new round of US airstrikes on Iranian-linked targets.

Trump said that Iran was “sending very bad signals, very nasty signals.”

“And they shouldn’t be doing that,” he said. “We wiped out their nuclear possibilities. They can start again. If they do, we’ll wipe it out faster than you can wave your finger at it.”

Panama: Canal dispute

The rhetoric did not stop there. In Panama, Trump questioned the country’s control of the Panama Canal, claiming that it was actually China that was running the key waterway and threatening to take it back from Panama – remarks widely viewed as a direct challenge to its sovereignty.

“China is operating the Panama Canal. And we didn’t give it to China, we gave it to Panama, and we’re taking it back,” he declared.

The US president also said that American vessels should travel through the Panama and Suez canals without paying fees, claiming that these strategic passages owe their existence to the US.

Trump wants Greenland 'one way or the other'

Similarly, he went for the Arctic, once again floating the idea of acquiring or controlling Greenland, calling it a matter of national security.

When Denmark rejected the notion outright, Trump responded by threatening tariffs on Danish goods.

“We're working with everybody involved to try and get it, but we need it really for international world security, and I think we're going to get it one way or the other; we're going to get it," Trump said.

'Drug den' accusations against Bogota

Further south, relations with Colombia have reached a new low.

Trump unleashed one of his most aggressive tirades, branding President Gustavo Petro “an illegal drug leader” imposing sanctions on him and his family, and accusing his government of turning the country into “a drug-manufacturing machine.”

He accused Colombia of being "a drug den, and it has been for a long time," and said the country produces "cocaine at levels that we've never seen before, and they sell it back."

Threatening to take action, he said the US is "not going to put up with it much longer. Colombia is very bad."

He then threatened to cut off all US aid, declaring that if Petro “doesn’t shut down the killing fields, the United States will do it for him, and it won’t be done nicely.”

Petro asserted that he has been actively fighting the flow of drugs, and accused Trump of being ignorant of Colombia’s realities. “Mr. Trump has no idea who I am, what I think, or anything about this country’s history.”

“He doesn’t even know exactly where Colombia is,” he said, asking: “Who increased the coca fields in this country? Who reduced them? Who declared war on drug cartels?”