Selective outrage and erosion of sovereignty

Sovereignty appears vigorously defended in Europe when violated by adversaries but ignored when challenged by allies

- Kweku Ampiah

Flashpoint: Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has urged the US to 'stop the threats' and asserting that Greenland is not for sale and the US has no right to annex any territory of the Danish kingdom.

Europe's collective response to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine has been hailed as one of the most decisive demonstrations of post-Cold War unity in defence of international law.

The United Kingdom, the European Union and individual states like Denmark classified Moscow's February 2022 offensive as an illegal, unprovoked assault on sovereignty, reinforcing Article 2(4) of the United Nations Charter and triggering extensive sanctions and military support for Kyiv.

Yet in the early weeks of 2026, a geopolitical contradiction has struck both observers and policymakers: while Europe's moral clarity remains robust toward Moscow's aggression, that same clarity is strikingly absent in the face of aggressive US actions against the republics of South America. This uneven application of legal and ethical principles risks eroding the very norms European capitals claim to uphold.

A Milestone and a crisis:The capture of Maduro

In an unprecedented military operation over the weekend, US forces struck deep within Venezuelan territory to seize President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in what the White House has described as a targeted strike against cartel-linked narco-terrorism.

Both were swiftly transported out of Caracas, ultimately reaching New York City for arraignment on federal charges related to drug trafficking, narco-terrorism conspiracy, bribery and machine-gun possession.

These are charges that carry potential life sentences if convictions are secured.