New Delhi: US President-elect Donald Trump has refused to rule out using military or economic coercion to acquire Greenland and regain control of the Panama Canal. He made the comments while addressing a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort on Tuesday. “I can’t assure you on either of those two,” Trump said when asked about potential coercion. “But I can say this: we need them for economic security.”
Trump since winning the presidency in November has outlined a broader expansionist agenda, which includes suggesting Canada to become a US state and proposing to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America”. Trump has also called for NATO members to increase their defence spending to 5% of GDP from current 2%.
Criticism from Denmark, Canada, and Panama
Trump’s comments drew sharp criticism from Denmark, Canada, and Panama. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen reiterated that Greenland, a self-governing territory, is not for sale. “I don’t think it’s a good way forward to fight each other with financial means when we are close allies and partners,” a Reuters report quoted Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen as saying.
Canada’s minister of foreign affairs Mélanie Joly called Trump’s comments as “a complete lack of understanding” and declaring, “We will never back down in the face of threats.” Panama’s foreign minister Javier Martinez-Acha has also rejected Trump’s rhetoric, “The only hands that control the canal are Panamanian, and that’s how it will continue to be.” The US constructed and maintained the Panama Canal till 1999, when it was handed to the Panama government.
Higher defence spending from NATO
On NATO, Trump repeated his campaign promise to demand higher defence spending from member nations, pushing for a new target of 5% of GDP, far above the current 2% goal. NATO figures show that no member meets the proposed benchmark, with Poland currently the highest spender at 4.12%.
Trump also addressed ongoing tensions in the Middle East, issuing a stark warning to Hamas over hostages taken from Israel. “All hell will break out in the Middle East” if the hostages are not released before he assumes office, Trump warned. “He’s painting national power as territorial expansion,” Reuters quoted Ambassador Daniel Fried, a retired diplomat, as saying. “This would destroy NATO and make us no different than Vladimir Putin.”
