BRAVE MAG

China's Embassy in the US briefly shared an AI-generated video poking fun at US President Donald Trump's Shield of the Americas Summit on Wednesday, days after Trump took the stage at the Florida event to warn about "hostile foreign influence" in Latin America.

The video, published by the Chinese embassy on its X account and produced by the state news agency Xinhua News Agency, is titled "Shield of the Americas, or shackles of the Americas?"

The 18-second animation shows a bald eagle dressed in a suit presiding over a meeting of white doves that appear to represent Latin American countries.

The eagle presses a red button that initially deploys an atomic bomb blast before promising to "keep everyone safe" with a large red, white and blue shield. However, the shield soon turns into a cage that traps the frightened doves, while the Eagle says: "Relax, sometimes security comes with a little control."

By early Friday morning, the video was no longer on the embassy's X account.

CNN contacted the US State Department for comment on the video and is awaiting a response.

The video, released days after a meeting that brought together right-wing and center-right leaders from 12 Latin American countries, seems to question the proposal presented by Trump during the summit: the creation of a "regional military coalition."

Although the summit was mainly presented as a security initiative, Trump also took the opportunity to warn about China's growing presence in the region, as part of a broader plan by his administration to reaffirm the United States' "preeminence" over the Western Hemisphere.

"We will deny non-Hemispheric competitors the ability to position forces or other threatening capabilities, or to own or control strategically vital assets, in our Hemisphere," the administration declared in November 2025 while unveiling the "Trump Corollary" to the centuries-old Monroe Doctrine.

Advertisement

But while James Monroe ordered Europe to stay away from the Americas, Trump is keen on shooing China away. In his inaugural address in 2025, Trump claimed falsely that China is "operating" the Panama Canal.

In fact, a Hong Kong-based company owned two key terminals on either end of the canal at the time. Last month, Panama's high court ruled the arrangement illegal, a decision Beijing decried as "truly shameful and pathetic."

The ruling notwithstanding, Trump continues to raise the issue in public. At the summit, the president said that the US "will not allow hostile foreign influence to gain a foothold in this hemisphere – that includes the Panama canal."

For decades, Beijing has expanded its commercial, financial, and infrastructure ties in the region.

In recent years, China has become one of the main trading partners for several Latin American economies and has financed large strategic projects.

One of the most recent examples is the "mega-port of Chancay in Peru," inaugurated in 2024 with support from the Chinese shipping giant COSCO Shipping, which significantly reduces maritime transport times between South America and Asia.

Trade growth also reflects this closer relationship. Between January and November 2025, Chinese exports to Latin America increased by 9.3% compared to the same period in 2024, according to China's General Administration of Customs.

Even countries politically close to Washington maintain strong economic ties with China. In Argentina, for example, imports from China exceeded US$16 billion in 2025, a year-on-year increase of 57.1%, despite President Javier Milei being considered one of Trump's staunchest allies in the region.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account atCNN.com

COPENHAGEN, March 13 (Reuters) - Greenland's Siumut party has withdrawn from the coalition government, the prime minister said on ‌Friday, weakening efforts to present a united front against ‌U.S. President Donald Trump's campaign to take control of the Arctic island.

The ​departure follows Siumut chair Aleqa Hammond's warning that the party would leave after two Greenlandic ministers announced candidacies for Denmark's March 24 parliamentary election without prior leave.

Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen expressed ‌disappointment but said ⁠his government would carry on, emphasising the importance of governance during heightened global scrutiny.

"I think it's ⁠terribly bad timing and I'm very frustrated and disappointed that it's happening at a time when we should be standing together," ​he told ​reporters.

"Anything that might look like ​division in our country is ‌grist to the mill for foreigners and we should avoid that at all cost," he said.

Advertisement

The broad coalition had been a cornerstone of Nielsen's strategy to respond to what he has termed Greenland's most serious time in recent history.

Siumut's departure ‌means that Greenlandic Foreign Minister Vivian ​Motzfeldt, who has played a key ​role in diplomatic talks ​with the United States, is leaving her post, ‌according to broadcaster KNR.

The loss of ​Siumut's support, ​which holds four seats in Greenland's 31-seat Inatsisartut assembly, does not threaten the government's majority, as Nielsen's coalition retains ​control with its ‌remaining 19 seats.

Greenland will elect two members to Denmark's ​parliament later this month.

(Reporting by Stine Jacobsen and Louise ​Rasmussen, editing by Terje Solsvik)

IRBIL, Iraq (AP) — Iraq is getting caught in the crossfire ofthe Iran waras the only country facing strikes from both sides, and that threatens to drag the nation that has so far avoided two years of regional turmoil into a full-blown crisis.

Iraq Iran US Israel

As the war nears two full weeks, Iraq's situation is growing more desperate.Disruptions to Gulf shippingand strikes on oil fields and infrastructure have all but halted exports, jeopardizing a state that relies on such trade for the bulk of its revenue.

If the shutdown continues, Baghdad could be unable to meet its oversizedpublic‑sector payrollas soon as next month, risking widespread unrest, two Iraqi Kurdish officials said.

The federal government has appealed to northern Kurdish leaders to resume exports via a pipeline to Turkey, but talks remain deadlocked over longstanding domestic issues. The officials spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive political matters.

Advertisement

In the meantime, a parallel conflict to the wider war has escalated between Iran-backed Iraqi militia groups and the U.S. Near-daily drone strikes have targeted American interests across the country, while the U.S. has struck back against militia bases to defend its troops.

Since the war began Feb. 28 following a major U.S. and Israeli strike in Iran, drone and missile attacks have targeted American interests in Iraq, including military bases in the Baghdad and Irbil airports, and U.S. diplomatic facilities. Iran and its allied Iraqi militias also have struck oil fields and energy infrastructure to escalate the economic toll.

Unlike other Middle Eastern states touched by the war, Iraq hosts both entrenched Iran-aligned forces and significant U.S. interests. Its economy depends overwhelmingly on oil, so disruptions to production or exports through the Strait of Hormuz could sharply cut government revenue just as a fraughtpolitical transition grips Baghdad.

The longer the conflict lasts, the greater the risk that economic shocks, political paralysis and friction with Iran‑backed militias will combine to unravel Iraq's hard‑won relative stability.

Proxy battles

Leaders in Baghdad and Irbil continue to urge caution and insist the war must not be fought on their soil, but the conflict's trajectory is increasingly slipping beyond their control. The U.S. has communicated assurances to Iraqi leaders that the country won't be dragged into the regional war, according to the two Kurdish officials who spoke to AP.In the war's opening days, drone and rocket strikes by Iran and allied groups began targeting U.S. bases, diplomatic missions and oil facilities. In Irbil, the capital of Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region, near‑daily drone attacks have targeted not only U.S. military and allied interests but also commercial sites and even hotels.Iran-backed groups have also struck Kurdish groups based in northern Iraq after reports that Washington planned to arm some of themto press against Tehran.Some Iranian Kurdish leaders have signaled their willingness to mount cross-border operations into Iran if supported by the U.S..Iraq is operating under a caretaker government after the U.S. opposed the nomination of former Prime Minister Nouri al‑Maliki. Caretaker premier Mohammed Shia al‑Sudani, with even more limited powers, lacks the influence to rein in powerful militia groups.The U.S. has struck back, striking militia sites across the country, including in Jurf al-Sakhr, south of Baghdad, northern Iraq and in al-Qaim, along the Iraq-Syria border.As in past upheavals, Iraqis have learned to adapt to daily violence that intrudes on everyday life.At an Irbil cafe, patrons heard the whine of incoming drones, then a muffled explosion, before a plume of smoke rose on the horizon where it was shot down. A waiter urged calm, saying the strikes were aimed at the U.S. Consulate or airport and posed no direct threat to customers.Major fiscal shocksThe gravest threat to Iraq's stability is disrupted oil production, which could cripple government revenues. The Kurdish officials said Baghdad warned them that public-sector payrolls could be disrupted as soon as next month.To alleviate the pressure, Baghdad has asked for exports of at least 250,000 barrels per day of crude from fields in Kirkuk via the pipeline to Ceyhan in Turkey that runs across Kurdish territory. Talks have stalled, however, after Kurdish negotiators conditioned the move on lifting an existing U.S. dollar embargo and restoring economic benefits tied to trade.Iraq's government ordered production curtailed from oil fields in southern Iraq, where the majority of its 4.8 million barrels per day is produced, after the war all but stopped traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and militias attacked facilities. Sales from oil account for over 90% of state revenues.Iraq has one of the world's largest public‑sector workforces and pensioner rolls, and past payment delays have sparked mass protests.Production has been halted at oil fields hit by strikes. In the Kurdish region, Canada's ShaMaran Petroleum and U.S. private firm HKN have suspended output at the Sarsang and Atrush blocks."If oil exports are disrupted, the immediate impact would likely be a decline in the value of the Iraqi dinar. This would quickly trigger inflation, and within a short time the prices of basic goods could rise sharply," said Farhad Soleimanpour, an Iraqi Kurdish political analyst."For the Kurdistan region, the situation could be even more difficult because it does not have its own central bank or significant financial reserves. Iraq may be able to withstand the shock for several months, but the Kurdistan Region would likely face immediate financial pressure," he added.The war has also battered power supplies.The Khor Mor gas field in the autonomous Kurdish region is offline, cutting electricity generation by nearly two‑thirds. Where the region once provided 24‑hour power, households now receive just four to six hours a day, said Omed Ahmad, spokesperson for the Kurdistan Region's Ministry of Electricity.Political weaknessesSince the November 2025 election, Iraq has been without a government after the U.S. opposed the return of al‑Maliki, the former prime minister. The war complicates the fraught transition, forcing a caretaker administration with severely limited powers to manage the fallout.But that caretaker status also lets Iraqi leaders deflect responsibility by claiming they lack the authority to act, said Iraq analyst Tamer Badawi. "No one wants to take this big responsibility at the moment," he said.That would mean taking charge and reining in multiple armed groups, from Iran‑backed militias targeting U.S. interests to Kurdish‑Iranian opposition factions, whose actions deepen fault lines that could spark civil unrest.Even if some oil is exported via the pipeline, there is no way to assure the infrastructure will not come under attack by militia groups, officials have warned.Iraq has defied the odds so far, largely avoiding the regional upheaval from the war in Gaza that began in 2023. Political and religious leaders have remained committed to keeping the country out of wider conflict and preserving its stability."Iraq faces pressure to maintain neutrality while different political groups inside the country have opposing positions regarding the conflict," Soleimanpour said. "Some factions support closer relations with Iran, while others prefer stronger cooperation with the United States and Western countries. This internal division increases political tension."

Leaders in Baghdad and Irbil continue to urge caution and insist the war must not be fought on their soil, but the conflict's trajectory is increasingly slipping beyond their control. The U.S. has communicated assurances to Iraqi leaders that the country won't be dragged into the regional war, according to the two Kurdish officials who spoke to AP.

In the war's opening days, drone and rocket strikes by Iran and allied groups began targeting U.S. bases, diplomatic missions and oil facilities. In Irbil, the capital of Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region, near‑daily drone attacks have targeted not only U.S. military and allied interests but also commercial sites and even hotels.

Iran-backed groups have also struck Kurdish groups based in northern Iraq after reports that Washington planned to arm some of themto press against Tehran.Some Iranian Kurdish leaders have signaled their willingness to mount cross-border operations into Iran if supported by the U.S..

Iraq is operating under a caretaker government after the U.S. opposed the nomination of former Prime Minister Nouri al‑Maliki. Caretaker premier Mohammed Shia al‑Sudani, with even more limited powers, lacks the influence to rein in powerful militia groups.

The U.S. has struck back, striking militia sites across the country, including in Jurf al-Sakhr, south of Baghdad, northern Iraq and in al-Qaim, along the Iraq-Syria border.

As in past upheavals, Iraqis have learned to adapt to daily violence that intrudes on everyday life.

At an Irbil cafe, patrons heard the whine of incoming drones, then a muffled explosion, before a plume of smoke rose on the horizon where it was shot down. A waiter urged calm, saying the strikes were aimed at the U.S. Consulate or airport and posed no direct threat to customers.

Major fiscal shocks

The gravest threat to Iraq's stability is disrupted oil production, which could cripple government revenues. The Kurdish officials said Baghdad warned them that public-sector payrolls could be disrupted as soon as next month.

To alleviate the pressure, Baghdad has asked for exports of at least 250,000 barrels per day of crude from fields in Kirkuk via the pipeline to Ceyhan in Turkey that runs across Kurdish territory. Talks have stalled, however, after Kurdish negotiators conditioned the move on lifting an existing U.S. dollar embargo and restoring economic benefits tied to trade.

Iraq's government ordered production curtailed from oil fields in southern Iraq, where the majority of its 4.8 million barrels per day is produced, after the war all but stopped traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and militias attacked facilities. Sales from oil account for over 90% of state revenues.

Iraq has one of the world's largest public‑sector workforces and pensioner rolls, and past payment delays have sparked mass protests.

Production has been halted at oil fields hit by strikes. In the Kurdish region, Canada's ShaMaran Petroleum and U.S. private firm HKN have suspended output at the Sarsang and Atrush blocks.

"If oil exports are disrupted, the immediate impact would likely be a decline in the value of the Iraqi dinar. This would quickly trigger inflation, and within a short time the prices of basic goods could rise sharply," said Farhad Soleimanpour, an Iraqi Kurdish political analyst.

"For the Kurdistan region, the situation could be even more difficult because it does not have its own central bank or significant financial reserves. Iraq may be able to withstand the shock for several months, but the Kurdistan Region would likely face immediate financial pressure," he added.

The war has also battered power supplies.

The Khor Mor gas field in the autonomous Kurdish region is offline, cutting electricity generation by nearly two‑thirds. Where the region once provided 24‑hour power, households now receive just four to six hours a day, said Omed Ahmad, spokesperson for the Kurdistan Region's Ministry of Electricity.

Political weaknesses

Since the November 2025 election, Iraq has been without a government after the U.S. opposed the return of al‑Maliki, the former prime minister. The war complicates the fraught transition, forcing a caretaker administration with severely limited powers to manage the fallout.

But that caretaker status also lets Iraqi leaders deflect responsibility by claiming they lack the authority to act, said Iraq analyst Tamer Badawi. "No one wants to take this big responsibility at the moment," he said.

That would mean taking charge and reining in multiple armed groups, from Iran‑backed militias targeting U.S. interests to Kurdish‑Iranian opposition factions, whose actions deepen fault lines that could spark civil unrest.

Even if some oil is exported via the pipeline, there is no way to assure the infrastructure will not come under attack by militia groups, officials have warned.

Iraq has defied the odds so far, largely avoiding the regional upheaval from the war in Gaza that began in 2023. Political and religious leaders have remained committed to keeping the country out of wider conflict and preserving its stability.

"Iraq faces pressure to maintain neutrality while different political groups inside the country have opposing positions regarding the conflict," Soleimanpour said. "Some factions support closer relations with Iran, while others prefer stronger cooperation with the United States and Western countries. This internal division increases political tension."