Trump refuses to rule out force to take Panama Canal, Greenland

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump speaks to members of the media throughout a press convention on the Mar-a-Lago Membership in Palm Seaside, Fla., U.S., Jan. 7. AFP-Yonhap

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump refused on Tuesday to rule out utilizing navy or financial motion to pursue acquisition of the Panama Canal and Greenland, a part of a broader expansionist agenda he has promoted since successful the Nov. 5 election.

Trump, who takes workplace on Jan. 20, additionally floated the concept of turning Canada right into a U.S. state, stated he would demand far increased protection spending from NATO allies and promised to alter the title of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.

Nonetheless two weeks away from taking workplace, Trump has begun outlining an aggressive overseas coverage with little regard to diplomatic issues or the issues of U.S. allies.

Requested at a press convention at his Florida resort whether or not he might guarantee the world he wouldn’t use navy or financial coercion as he tries to achieve management of the Panama Canal and Greenland, Trump stated, „No, I am unable to guarantee you on both of these two. However I can say this, we’d like them for financial safety.“

Trump criticized American spending on Canadian items and navy assist for Canada, saying the U.S. derives no advantages from doing so, and referred to as the border between the 2 nations an „artificially drawn line.“

He urged he would impose tariffs on Denmark if it resists his provide to buy Greenland, which he stated is important to U.S. nationwide safety. Shortly earlier than Trump’s feedback, his son Don Jr. arrived in Greenland for a personal go to.

Denmark has stated Greenland, a self-governing a part of its kingdom, isn’t on the market.

„I do not assume it is a great way ahead to combat one another with monetary means once we are shut allies and companions,“ Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen stated late on Tuesday in response to Trump’s feedback.

Canada’s Minister of Overseas Affairs Melanie Joly responds to a query throughout a information convention in Ottawa, Canada, Nov. 1, 2024. AP-Yonhap

Canada says: ‚we’ll by no means again down‘

Canada’s minister of overseas affairs, Melanie Joly, stated on X, „President-elect Trump’s feedback present a whole lack of know-how of what makes Canada a powerful nation. Our financial system is robust. Our persons are robust. We are going to by no means again down within the face of threats.“

Panama’s high diplomat additionally pushed again on the incoming U.S. chief’s risk to retake the important thing international waterway, which the U.S. had constructed and owned earlier than handing over management to the Central American nation in 1999.

„The one palms that management the canal are Panamanian and that is the way it will proceed to be,“ Overseas Minister Javier Martinez-Acha informed reporters on Tuesday.

Ambassador Daniel Fried, a retired U.S. diplomat now with the Atlantic Council assume tank, stated Trump’s feedback painted an image of nationwide energy as territorial enlargement and in contrast him to a „nineteenth century imperialist.“

Seizing Greenland, Fried stated, „would destroy NATO, as a result of it could make us no completely different than Vladimir Putin,“ Russia’s president.

Trump’s promise to rename the Gulf of Mexico echoed his earlier vow to revert the title of Denali, the best mountain peak in North America, to Mount McKinley. Former President Barack Obama modified the title of the Alaskan mountain in deference to Native Individuals.

Mexican Economic system Minister Marcelo Ebrard, who is predicted to play a key position in looming U.S.-Mexico commerce points, appeared to dismiss Trump’s name to rename the shared physique of water afterward Tuesday.

„In the present day I might inform you if we noticed one another in 30 years, the Gulf of Mexico will nonetheless be referred to as the Gulf of Mexico,“ he stated, including that the Mexican authorities wouldn’t get drawn into the controversy.

Sometimes, the U.S. Board of Geographic Names units geographic names, although presidents have additionally renamed geographic options through govt motion.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump meets with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte through the NATO summit at The Grove in Watford, England, Dec. 4, 2019. AP-Yonhap

NATO Spending

Trump stated NATO members ought to spend 5 % of their gross home product on protection, a big improve from the present 2 % goal.

„I believe NATO ought to have 5 %,“ he stated. „They will all afford it, however they need to be at 5 %, not 2 %.“

Trump has ceaselessly complained that the majority NATO members aren’t paying their fair proportion, and he floated demanding a rise in NATO protection contributions through the marketing campaign.

NATO estimated that 23 of its 32 members would meet its aim of spending 2 % of GDP in 2024.

Not one of the alliance percentembers, together with the U.S., cu percentr percentntly spends 5 % of GDP on protection, in accordance with NATO figures. Poland is the best spender in GDP percentterms at 4.12 %, adopted by Estonia at 3.43 % and the US at 3.38 %.

Trump additionally repeated his risk that „all hell will escape within the Center East“ if Palestinian Hamas militants don’t launch by the point he takes workplace hostages it kidnapped from Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and nonetheless maintain within the Gaza Strip.

„It is not going to be good for Hamas, and it’ll not be good, frankly, for anybody,“ he stated.

His Center East envoy, Steve Witkoff, informed reporters he hopes to have good issues to report on negotiations between Israel and Hamas by the point Trump is sworn into workplace.

Acquainted grievances

The free-wheeling, hour-long press convention, Trump’s second since his victory, echoed comparable occasions throughout his presidential marketing campaign.

He aired a sequence of acquainted grievances about his prison indictments, together with attacking Justice Juan Merchan, the New York choose who’s scheduled to condemn Trump on Friday for falsifying enterprise data in reference to hush cash funds to a porn star.

A New York appeals court docket denied his newest bid to halt the sentencing shortly after his press convention ended.

Individually, as Trump was talking, a U.S. choose quickly blocked Particular Counsel Jack Smith from releasing a report on his investigations into Trump’s alleged mishandling of categorized paperwork and makes an attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election.

The choose, Aileen Cannon, had beforehand dismissed the case charging Trump with illegally retaining categorized supplies after leaving workplace.

Tuesday’s occasion happened within the ornate front room at Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s Palm Seaside resort. A number of of Trump’s senior advisers watched the proceedings, whereas membership friends may very well be seen exterior eating on the terrace.

Trump was additionally requested whether or not it was acceptable for Elon Musk to publicly weigh in on overseas affairs. In current weeks, the billionaire Trump allay has used his X platform to touch upon European politics, together with expressing assist for Germany’s far-right Different for Germany.

„I can say Elon is doing a very good job, very good man,“ Trump stated. „I do not know the individuals you are speaking about.“ (Reuters)