Donald Trump refuses to rule out the use of American military force to regain control of the Panama Canal and seize Greenland, citing economic security as a determining factor.
Speaking at a press conference Tuesday at Mar-a-Lago, the new US president explicitly refused to give assurances against the use of military or economic coercion when asked about his plans for Panama and Greenland.
“I can’t guarantee either,” Trump said in response to a reporter’s question. “But I can say this: We need it for our economic security.”
The remarks were made during a rambling session with reporters at his Florida vacation home and will likely set off diplomatic alarms around the world as Trump prepares to return to the White House later this month with a program of muscular American nationalism.
Trump claimed that the Panama Canal, which was transferred to Panamanian control in 1999 under a 1977 treaty, was “operated by China,” a claim that comes amid his repeated calls for the waterway to be strategic return to American control.
“The Panama Canal was built for our military,” Trump said. “Look, the Panama Canal is vital to our country. It is operated by China. China! And we gave the Panama Canal to Panama, we didn’t give it to China.”
Regarding Greenland, Trump threatened economic retaliation against Denmark, stressing that if that country resisted his territorial ambitions, he would “impose very high tariffs on Denmark.”
His tough talk also extended north, as he reiterated his interest in using “economic force” to make Canada a U.S. state and criticized U.S. military support for one of its closest allies .
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau dismissed Trump’s comments, saying: “There is no way Canada will be part of the United States.”
Trump was speaking as his son, Donald Trump Jr, landed in Nuuk, Greenland’s capital, where he reportedly handed out “Make Greenland Great Again” hats despite claiming to be visiting only as a tourist.
Video footage showed the former US president addressing a group at lunch during a call on his son’s phone, saying: “We are going to treat you well.” »
The dual focus on Panama and Greenland represents a puzzling attempt to expand U.S. territorial control in the name of national and economic security. While the Panama Canal was previously under American control, Greenland remains an autonomous territory of Denmark which has repeatedly rejected American overtures.
Trump’s comments follow a series of increasingly divisive statements about the canal, including a recent threat that the United States would “demand that the Panama Canal be returned to the United States of America – in full , quickly and without asking questions.
Panama’s President José Raúl Mulino rejected Trump’s demands, saying “every square meter” of the canal would remain under Panamanian sovereignty.
The exchange marks a dramatic escalation in rhetoric over the crucial sea passage, which the United States initially built in 1914 and operated for most of the 20th century. This confrontational position echoes the tensions that led to the US invasion of Panama in 1989.
His comments raise particular concern given the history of U.S. military intervention in Panama.
In December 1989, the United States launched Operation Just Cause, deploying 9,000 troops to join the 12,000 American troops already in the country to overthrow Panamanian military dictator Manuel Noriega. The invasion, which resulted in the deaths of 23 U.S. service members and about 500 Panamanian civilians, was condemned by the Organization of American States and the European Parliament as a violation of international law.
This also resulted in the dismissal of Noriega, who would later be sentenced for drug trafficking to 40 years in prison in the United States.
Trump simultaneously ramped up pressure on other territories, suggesting Canada could become “the 51st state” and mockingly referring to outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as a “governor.”
In an Our two countries’ workers and communities mutually benefit from being Canada’s largest trading and security partner.
Trump Jr’s visit to Greenland included appearances at controversial colonial monuments and meetings with local residents, although officials declined to specify the purpose of those meetings. There has apparently been no official meeting with a representative of the Greenlandic government.
Trump posted about his son’s trip on social media.
“Don Jr and my representatives are landing in Greenland,” Trump wrote. “The reception was wonderful. They and the free world need safety, security, strength and PEACE! This is a deal that needs to be made. MAGA. LET’S MAKE GREENLAND GREAT AGAIN! » Supporters then posted a video of Trump speaking to residents on the phone.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said on Tuesday that Greenland’s future would be decided by its people. “Greenland is not for sale,” Frederiksen said.
theguardian