Trump did not rule out the use of force to annex Greenland and the Panama Canal to the US

Newly elected US President Donald Trump on January 7 refused to rule out using military or economic measures to acquire the Panama Canal and Greenland, part of a broader expansionist agenda he has been pushing since winning the election on November 5, writes Reuters.

Photo: Shutterstock

Trump, who takes office on January 20, has floated the possibility of Canada becoming a US state, said he would demand significantly more defence spending from NATO allies and promised to rename the Gulf of Mexico the "American Gulf".

Two weeks before taking office, the newly elected president began to voice aggressive foreign policy plans with little regard for diplomatic considerations and the concerns of US allies.

When asked at a press conference at his Florida residence whether he could guarantee that he would not use military or economic means to gain control of the Panama Canal and Greenland, Trump replied: “No, I can’t guarantee that, but I will say: we need them for economic security.”

On the subject: What Americans Expect From Trump's Second Term: Not What They Wanted in 2016

He suggested he would impose tariffs on Denmark if it refused to accept his offer to buy Greenland, which he called vital to U.S. national security. Shortly before Trump's comments emerged, his son Donald Trump Jr. arrived in Greenland for a private visit.

Denmark has said Greenland, an autonomous part of its kingdom, is not for sale.

“I don’t think using financial pressure to fight each other is the right way to go, especially when we are close allies and partners,” Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said on January 7 in response to Trump’s comments.

Territorial expansion in the spirit of Putin

Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly wrote on Platform X: “President-elect Trump’s comments demonstrate a complete lack of understanding of what makes Canada strong. Our economy is strong. Our people are strong. We will never back down from threats.”

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wrote on his Facebook page: “There is no chance in the world that Canada will become part of the United States.
Working citizens and communities in both our countries benefit from being each other's largest trading and defence partners."

Panama's top diplomat has denied a threat by the future US leader to regain control of a key global waterway that the US built and owned before handing over control to Panama in 1999.

"The only hands that control the canal are Panamanian. And that will continue to be the case," Foreign Minister Javier Martinez-Acha said on January 7.

Ambassador Daniel Fried, a retired U.S. diplomat now at the Atlantic Council think tank, said Trump's comments reflected a view of national power as territorial expansion and compared him to a "19th-century imperialist."

Fried believes that seizing Greenland would destroy NATO because it would make us like Vladimir Putin.

Trump's pledge to rename the Gulf of Mexico echoes his previous statements about returning Denali, North America's highest peak, to its former name, Mount McKinley. The 44th President, Barack Obama, changed the mountain's name to Denali as a sign of respect for Native American people.

On January 7, Mexican Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard commented on Trump's announcement to rename the Gulf of Mexico.

"I can tell you today: if we meet in 30 years, the Gulf of Mexico will still be called the Gulf of Mexico," he said, noting that the Mexican government has no intention of getting involved in the debate.

The U.S. Geographic Board is generally responsible for establishing geographic names, but presidents can also rename geographic features through executive orders.

Traffic to NATO defense

Trump said NATO members should spend 5% of their gross domestic product on defense, a significant increase from the current 2% target: "They can all afford it and should be at 5%, not 2%."

The newly elected president has often complained that most NATO members do not pay their fair share, and during his election campaign he spoke of the need to increase defence contributions within the Alliance.

NATO estimates that 23 of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's 32 members have achieved the target of spending 2% of GDP in 2024.

According to NATO data, none of the Alliance members, including the United States, currently spends 5% of GDP on defense. Poland spends the most as a share of GDP – 4,12%, followed by Estonia (3,43%) and the United States (3,38%).

Trump repeated his threat that "all hell will break loose in the Middle East" if Palestinian militants Hamas do not release hostages kidnapped in Israel on October 7, 2023, and held in the Gaza Strip before he takes office.

His special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, told reporters that he hoped to have good news on the progress of negotiations between Israel and Hamas by Trump's inauguration.

Old claims

At a press conference at Mar-a-Lago (his second since winning the election), Donald Trump again aired familiar complaints similar to those he made during his presidential campaign.

The newly elected 47th president made his usual complaints about his criminal convictions, criticizing Judge Juan Merchan, who is scheduled to sentence Trump on Jan. 10 on charges of forgery related to hush money payments to a porn star.

A New York State appeals court has rejected a defendant's latest attempt to stay his sentencing after a news conference.

Additionally, while Trump was speaking to reporters, a federal judge temporarily blocked special counsel Jack Smith from releasing a report on investigations into Trump's alleged mishandling of classified documents and his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.

Judge Eileen Cannon previously dismissed a charge that Trump illegally held classified materials after leaving office.

The interview with reporters took place on January 7 in the luxurious living room of Mar-a-Lago, Trump's Palm Beach resort. Several of his senior advisers watched the press conference while guests dined on the terrace.

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Trump was asked, among other things, whether it was appropriate for Elon Musk to speak publicly on foreign policy issues. In recent weeks, the billionaire Trump supporter has used his X platform to comment on European politics, including expressing support for Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany party.

“I can say that Elon is doing a good job, he is a very smart person,” Trump concluded.

Read also on ForumDaily:

How Trump Will Change the US Economy on His First Day in the White House

The inauguration of the President of the United States: interesting facts and traditions

Trump is going to return the Panama Canal, buy Greenland and annex Canada to the US

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