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Trump Ramps Up Threats to Gain Control of Greenland and Panama Canal

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Former President Trump intensifies threats to secure control over Greenland and the Panama Canal, signaling a bold move in geopolitical strategy.

President-elect Donald Trump has once again expressed his interest in having the US acquire Greenland and take control of the Panama Canal, describing both as essential to American national security.

When asked whether he would rule out the use of military or economic force to take control of the autonomous Danish territory or the Canal, he replied: “No, I can’t provide any assurances on either front.”

“I can say that we need them for economic security,” he mentioned to reporters during a comprehensive press conference at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.

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Both Denmark and Panama have dismissed any proposals to cede territory.

Trump also pledged to use “economic force” when questioned about the possibility of annexing Canada, referring to their shared border as an “artificially drawn line.”

This boundary, established through treaties dating back to the founding of the United States in the late 1700s, is the longest in the world between two countries.

The president-elect stated that the United States allocates billions of dollars to protect Canada and criticized the importation of Canadian cars, lumber, and dairy products.

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“They ought to be a state,” he mentioned to reporters.

However, outgoing Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated that there is “absolutely no chance” of the two countries merging.

Less than two weeks before Trump’s second inauguration, his news conference was originally presented as an economic announcement. The event aimed to reveal a $20 billion (£16 billion) investment from Dubai developer Damac Properties for constructing data centers in the US.

However, in a spontaneous appearance, the president-elect proceeded to criticize environmental regulations, the U.S. election system, the various legal cases against him, and President Joe Biden.

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He proposed renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America” and reiterated his opposition to wind power, claiming that wind turbines are “disturbing whales.”

His comments coincided with his son, Donald Trump Jr., making a visit to Greenland.

Before landing in Nuuk via private jet, Trump Jr stated that he was embarking on a “personal day trip” to engage with locals and did not have any scheduled meetings with government officials.

In response to questions about Trump Jr’s visit to Greenland, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen stated on Danish TV that “Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders,” emphasizing that only the local population has the authority to decide its future.

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She stated, “Greenland is not for sale,” but emphasized the importance of Denmark maintaining close cooperation with its NATO ally, the US.

Greenland, with a population of only 57,000 people, is the largest island in the world and holds strategic significance within the Arctic region.

It enjoys significant autonomy, yet its economy largely relies on subsidies from Copenhagen and it remains within the kingdom of Denmark.

Greenland hosts a significant American space facility and contains some of the world’s largest deposits of rare earth minerals, essential for producing batteries and high-tech devices.

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Trump indicated that the island plays a vital role in military operations to monitor Chinese and Russian ships, which he described as being “all over the place.”

“I’m discussing the defense of the free world,” he informed reporters.

The president-elect stated that Greenland was essential for the United States’ “economic security.”

Since his re-election, Trump has consistently revisited the notion of expanding US territory, including the idea of reclaiming control over the Panama Canal.

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During the news conference, Trump stated that the canal “is vital to our country” and asserted that “it’s being operated by China”.

He had earlier accused Panama of imposing excessive fees on U.S. ships for using the waterway that links the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

President José Raúl Mulino of Panama has dismissed Trump’s assertions, stating that there is “absolutely no Chinese interference” in the canal.

CK Hutchison Holdings, a company based in Hong Kong, operates two ports located at the entrances of the canal.

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The canal, constructed in the early 1900s, was under U.S. control until 1977 when treaties negotiated during President Jimmy Carter’s administration began gradually returning the land to Panama.

“Handing over the Panama Canal to Panama was a significant mistake,” Trump stated. “I acknowledge that [Carter] had good intentions… But that decision was flawed.”

It’s uncertain how committed the president-elect is to expanding U.S. territory, especially regarding Canada, a nation with 41 million residents and ranking as the second-largest country by land area globally.

At the news conference, Trump reiterated several false statements and unusual conspiracy theories. Among these was a suggestion that Hezbollah, the Islamist militant group, played a role in the US Capitol riot of 2021.

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