US President Donald Trump has reignited debate over his efforts to control Canada and Greenland after posting a controversial image on his social media platform showing the two countries in the colors of the American flag.

Since returning to the White House, Trump has not hidden his desire to expand American influence, repeatedly describing Canada as the "51st state" and insisting that the United States needs to acquire Greenland, the Danish territory, for "national security purposes," as he put it.

On Tuesday, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform a doctored image of himself with European leaders at the White House, showing a map in the background that includes the United States, Canada, Greenland, and Venezuela, all covered in the colors of the American flag.

European Union countries rejected Trump's efforts to acquire Greenland, a self-governing Danish territory in the Arctic, stressing that any attempt to undermine its sovereignty constitutes a violation of international law.

At the height of Trump's threats to acquire Greenland in January, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney warned during a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, which received warm applause, against "major powers abandoning even the pretense of adhering to rules and values, pursuing their interests and influence without restraint."

Before Carney's speech, Trump threatened to impose 10% tariffs on goods imported from several NATO countries, including Denmark, until an agreement is reached on the "full and final purchase of Greenland."

But he later backed down from his tariff threats, saying at the time that he had "set the framework for a future deal on Greenland" with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.

After US forces arrested Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in January, Trump said the United States would take over management of Venezuela until a peaceful transition of power is carried out.

However, Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez quickly assumed leadership of the country and said that "Venezuela is a free nation."

Trump also threatened to try to regain control of the Panama Canal, through which ships pass between the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, calling it a "vital national asset for the United States." But Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino stressed that his country controls the canal and that Panama's sovereignty is "non-negotiable."