President-elect Donald Trump said he wouldn’t rule out using military force to take control of the Panama Canal or Greenland, emphasizing their importance to U.S. national security. Speaking at a press conference at Mar-a-Lago, he suggested that drastic measures, including military action or economic pressure, could be on the table.
Trump claimed the Panama Canal, handed over to Panama in 1999 under a treaty, is now “run by China” and argued it should return to U.S. control. “The Panama Canal is vital to our country,” he said. “It was built for our military, not for China or Panama.”
On Greenland, Trump stressed its strategic value and warned Denmark, which owns Greenland, of steep tariffs if it opposed his plans. He described Greenland as essential for national security and hinted at economic pressure to sway Denmark’s decision.
Trump also took aim at Canada, criticizing its reliance on U.S. military protection. He suggested Canada benefits from around USD 200 billion in subsidies and downplayed its military capabilities, saying it’s “very small” compared to the U.S.
He responded, “No, I can’t assure you on either of those two, but I can say this, we need them for economic security.” Trump said Denmark should give up its control of Greenland or it would face high tariffs. He suggested people of Greenland could vote for independence or to become the part of the United States.
He said, “I’m talking about protecting the free world.”Since his election, Trump has repeatedly expressed his interest in gaining control of the Panama Canal and Greenland. Trump for the first time on Tuesday suggested using the military to achieve his goal, according to a CNN report.
In recent weeks, Trump in his social media posts has said that Canada should become the 51st state of the US. He even used Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s announcement of his plan to step down as PM and Liberal Party leader to reiterate his stance that Canada becomes the 51st state of the US.
Greenland, home to a large U.S. military base, is an autonomous territory of Denmark, a longtime U.S. ally and a founding member of NATO. Trump cast doubts on the legitimacy of Denmark’s claim to Greenland. The Panama Canal has been solely controlled by the eponymous country for more than 25 years. The U.S. returned the Panama Canal Zone to the country in 1979 and ended its joint partnership in controlling the strategic waterway in 1999.
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