In recent days, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that he had instructed American troops to prepare plans for possible military strikes against Nigeria over what he described as the killing of Christians in the country.
Since Trump returned to the White House in January 2025, the United States has found itself at loggerheads with several countries around the world. In this article, we examine some of the nations President Trump has clashed with in recent months.
U.S.–Ukraine Tensions
During his 2024 election campaign, Trump repeatedly vowed to end the war in Ukraine. However, relations took a downturn after he openly rebuked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a meeting at the White House in February 2025.
In the heated encounter, Trump said Zelensky should be “thankful to God” for the support the U.S. provides and accused Ukraine of “gambling with World War Three” by rejecting a U.S.-led peace initiative. Trump later presented a draft peace plan that Ukraine said it was not consulted on.
U.S. Naval Deployment in Latin America
Earlier this week, the U.S. dispatched a major warship to Latin American waters to combat drug trafficking from the region into the United States. This marks the most significant U.S. military presence in the area since the 1989 invasion of Panama.
Just as Panama’s former leader Manuel Noriega was accused of drug trafficking three decades ago, Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro now faces similar allegations—claims his government strongly denies.
Although Washington has not clarified its intentions regarding the deployment near Venezuelan waters, tensions have escalated. Last week, Venezuela’s Defense Minister, Vladimir Padrino López, announced heightened military readiness, following Maduro’s directive for nearly 200,000 troops to remain on alert.
U.S. Anti-Drug Operations
On 28 October 2025, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that American forces killed 14 individuals in a strike on drug-smuggling vessels in the Pacific Ocean. Mexico’s navy reported that the incident occurred about 643 kilometers off the coast of Acapulco.
The U.S. has intensified its operations against suspected drug ships in the Pacific and Caribbean regions in recent months.
Trade Disputes with Canada
In early 2025, Trump imposed new tariffs on certain Canadian goods, prompting Canada to announce retaliatory measures. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau later suspended the counter-tariffs after phone negotiations with Trump in August.
In March 2025, Trump posted on social media that Canada could avoid U.S. tariffs only by becoming the 51st state of the union.
Clashes with South Africa
South Africa is also among the countries Trump has confronted. During President Cyril Ramaphosa’s visit to Washington in March 2025, Trump claimed that white South Africans were being oppressed and suggested granting them asylum in the United States.
He also boycotted the G20 summit held in South Africa later that year.
Strikes on Iran
On 22 June 2025, Trump announced that U.S. warplanes had bombed three Iranian nuclear facilities. The strikes followed days of escalating hostilities between Iran and Israel over allegations that Iran was advancing its nuclear weapons program.
Trump warned that the U.S. could strike more sites “quickly and precisely.”
Nigeria Added to U.S. Watchlist
Earlier this month, Trump said Nigeria had been placed on a list of countries of concern due to alleged killings of Christians. He stated that he had ordered the U.S. military to prepare plans for strikes on Nigeria if the Nigerian government failed to act.
Nigeria has denied the allegations, acknowledging security challenges but insisting the violence is not religiously motivated. This week, Nigeria’s Minister of Information confirmed that diplomatic talks with the United States are already underway.