“The Moon is ours now!”: Donald Trump makes a new territorial claim

US President Donald Trump has decided that his territorial and geopolitical claims are no longer limited to the borders of planet Earth, declaring that the Moon also belongs to the Americans. In his characteristic style, the White House chief conveyed this unexpected statement to the global community via his 'Truth Social' social network. He posted an image of Earth's natural satellite with an American flag planted on it, leaving the brief comment, 'The Moon is ours.'

Unexpected buzz on 'Truth Social' and public astonishment

Trump's post directed at space has sparked widespread discussion:

• Seemingly aimless timing: Network users are unable to understand why this post was published right now—as no significant anniversary or extraordinary event related to the Moon occurred in the history of US astronautics at the beginning of September;

• A signal in the space race: Experts assess this not merely as PR, but as a psychological signal aimed at demonstrating Washington's priority in the new space race against China and other competing nations for the mastery of the Moon;

• Network reactions: The image quickly garnered thousands of comments and shares, triggering a wave of jokes and serious debates.

Plan for a nuclear reactor and a permanent base by 2030

Behind the unexpected statement lie serious and strategic US space programs:

• Nuclear outpost on the Moon: It is known that the Trump administration is pushing forward large-scale plans for lunar exploration. According to these, the US aims to create a permanent base (outpost) on the Moon by 2030 and install a nuclear reactor to provide it with continuous energy;

• Struggle for resources: The vast water ice deposits believed to exist on the Moon and the rare Helium-3 isotope, considered a source of future energy, are becoming a new field of strategic interest for major powers.

A lunar crater named after Trump? The desire to immortalize his name

The White House chief is linking his cosmic ambitions to his own personality:

• Intention to remain in space history: The US President has stated that he is fully entitled to a permanent place in the pages of lunar history in exchange for his immense contribution to America's lunar program;

• A name on the Moon: Trump hopes that in the future, a geographical object, crater, or space station block on the Earth's satellite will be named after him;

• Conflict in international law: It should be noted that according to the UN's 1967 'Outer Space Treaty', the Moon and other celestial bodies are the common heritage of humanity, and no state has a legal basis to declare them as its national property.

Do you think the ongoing competition for lunar resources and territories will lead to new interplanetary political conflicts in the future, or should space remain open to all of humanity? Do you think a 'Trump' crater could actually appear on the Moon? Leave your thoughts in the comments!