Donald Trump on Tuesday warned that he would embrace the violence of any form or any economic war as he vowed to have the USA regain control of the Panama Canal and Greenland which Denmark owns.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump makes remarks at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, U.S. January 7, 2025. REUTERS
Trump, who is to be inaugurated on Jan. 20, discussed the possibility of making Canada a state of America, increasing the min $200b defence budget of NATO countries, and renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America.
Although the president-elect is not expected to take office for another two weeks, Trump appears to be charting an assertive foreign policy agenda that does not provide much in diplomacy and allies.
Asking at a press conference in his Florida resort whether he was able to confirm that he wouldn’t use military or economic pressure while attempting to seize Panama Canal and Greenland,
Trump replied negatively:
“No, on both.” But I can say this, we need them for economic security.”
Trump accused America of spending on Canadian products and protecting Canada through the military claiming that the USA does not get anything out of protecting or buying from Canada, he described the border between the two countries as something that had been conveniently drawn.
He promised that he would put taxes on Denmark for not accepting his offer to buy Greenland, which, he said is security to America. Before Trump made those comments, his son Don Jr. flew into Greenland on a private trip.
Denmark, which considers Greenland an autonomous territory within the kingdom, has insisted the island is not up for sale.
“I do not believe that is a sign of good things to come when we are fighting each other financially while being strategic partners and friends,” Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said later Tuesday regarding Trump’s statement.
Trump’s interest in Greenland
Donald Trump on Tuesday increased pressure to purchase Greenland citing that he was ready to use force or blackmail to seize Greenland. But this isn’t the first time that he has mentioned the world’s largest island and his longing to buy it.
He posted it on the social site earlier, “Greenland is an amazing place, people will have a great deal to gain if, and when, Greenland becomes a part of our Nation.” We will guard it, and sustain it, from a very hostile external global environment. MAKE GREENLAND GREAT AGAIN!”
President-elect Donald Trump speaks during a news conference at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida. AP
US revived long-standing interest in Greenland
But Trump isn’t the only one who feels this way about Greenland – or who wants to buy it, at least. The idea of annealing or purchasing the island has its origin in 1946. Then, Washington bought Greenland from Denmark, which had the official sovereignty over Greenland, for $100 million worth of gold.
“It was meant to be done in secrecy; this 1946 offer. When Denmark was provided with declassified documents, the information became public only in 1991 when Danish newspapers came to know about it, according to TIME magazine.
A glacier in the Scoresby Sund in Greenland. Greenland plays an outsized role in the daily weather experienced by billions of people. File image/AP
Why Trump Seeks Greenland
The way I believe we will be able to comprehend Trump’s want to buy Greenland is if we get to know more about this place. Boasting its huge size; it is believed to be three times the size of Texas, the island is home to more than 60,000 residents which are mostly the indigenous Inuit people. Greenland has been a colony of Denmark in the past before it achieved home rule in 1979. To this day it is a territory of Denmark. But Greenland has its Prime Minister Múte Egede, who has demanded independence from Denmark as well.
But that is why Greenland is so desired – its location and the fact that it is loaded with minerals. Some of the other reasons are: Geopolitically, Greenland is located at the Arctic Circle between the US, Russia and Europe. It is even more valuable when since the Arctic will continue to expand its capability in terms of shipping and trade.
Also, Greenland is strategically important for the United States; the island already possesses a major American military facility. Political analysts have postulated that Greenland is essential for the US to counter an attack from Russia.
According to a senior researcher at the Danish Institute for International Studies, Ulrik Pram Gad as quoted to CNN “The US is eager to prevent hostile great powers to lock, stock and barrel in Greenland because it can be a launch pad to attacking the US.”
All About US Base in Greenland
China has also expressed considerable interest in the new Northern Sea Route and last November China and Russia signed their partnership to cooperate in the development of the Arctic navigation. For some, Trump’s acquisition of Greenland may make more sense to assert American dominance in the Arctic as rivals step up their activities in the area.
Besides this Greenland is a treasure of mineral nutrients that could be of immense help for a country in the future. It is endowed with abundant deposits of coal, zinc, copper, iron ore, diamonds and oil, and, in equal measure, huge quantities of cold-water fish that can be caught all-round the year.
CANADA SAYS: 'WE WILL NEVER BACK DOWN'
Apart from the comment on NAFTA, during her press conferences on X, Canada’s minister of foreign affairs Melanie Joly stated that President-elect Trump lacks understanding of what makes Canada strong.
“Our economy is strong. Our people are strong. There will be no surrender when we are confronted with one threat or the other.”
Its chief diplomat also dismissed the incoming US president’s threat to seize the vital interoceanic canal, which was built by the U.S. and handed to the Panamanian government in 1999.
Panama’s foreign minister also responded to the triumphant U.S. president–elect’s recent threat to take back the strategic canal, which America constructed and operated before its formal transfer to Panama twenty years ago in December.
“The only hands that will have control of the canal are those of the Panamanians and this will be the situation in the future, Foreign Minister Javier Martinez-Acha said to journalists on Tuesday.”
Daniel Fried, a former U.S. diplomat and now a scholar with the Washington-based Atlantic Council think tank, described Trump’s vision as painting a picture where national power means territorial gain, “Trump to a ‘19th-century imperialist”.
Daniel Fried, a former U.S. diplomat and now a scholar with the Washington-based Atlantic Council think tank
Taking over Greenland, Fried says, “would topple NATO because it will turn us into Vladimir Putin,” the president of Russia.
Trump’s threat to rename the Gulf of Mexico is as worrisome as his earlier threat to rename Denali, the highest mountain peak in North America as Mount McKinley. Former President Barack Obama was courteous to Native Americans and renamed the Alaskan mountain.
The Mexican Economy Minister, Marcelo Ebrard, who is likely to become more involved in the future trade relations between the United States and Mexico, seemed to disregard Trump’s suggestion to rename the border water later Tuesday.
The Mexican Economy Minister, Marcelo Ebrard
“Today I would tell you, if we met in 30 years, the Gulf of Mexico will be called the Gulf of Mexico,” he said, and the Mexican government would not be dragged into this.
Generally, the U.S. Board of Geographic Names defines geographic names; however, presidents too have renamed geographic features through their executive orders.
NATO SPENDING
Trump asked NATO countries to commit to spending 4.5 percent of their GDP on defence, which is far above the 2 percent agreed on by the countries.
“I believe NATO should be at 5%,” he said. “They can all meet the cost, but they should be at 5:10 not 2:10.”
Trump has repeatedly grumbled that many partners in NATO are not contributing enough, and he has proposed raising the NATO defence contributions during his campaign.
Twenty-three of the 32 NATO members were expected to hit the 2% GDP mark in 2024, according to the NATO chief.
NATO statistics indicate that at present no member of the alliance, including the U.S., spends 5% of their GDP on defence. Among the nations, Poland is the highest at 4.12 percent of GDP followed by Estonia at 3.43 percent and the United States at 3.38 percent.
Trump again threatened that if Palestinian Hamas militants did not free all hostages abducted from Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and are still held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip after he assumes office, ‘all hell will break out in the Middle East’.
“It will not be good for Hamas, and it will not be good, frankly, for anyone,” he said.
His Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff spoke to reporters saying that he wants to give positive reports on Isreal and Hamas talks before Trump’s inauguration.
FAMILIAR GRIEVANCES
The rather unstructured and impromptu, one-hour press conference marks Trump’s second such session since he was elected president and is reminiscent of the Trump campaign trail sessions.
He unloaded a list of standard complaints about his various criminal charges: railed against Justice Juan Merchan, the New York judge who is due to sentence Trump on Friday for providing false statements concerning payments to silence Stormy Daniels, a porn star.
A New York appeals court also recently rejected his most recent attempt to stay his sentencing shortly after his press conference concluded.
Simultaneously, as Trump is speaking, a U.S. judge has issued a temporary restraining order specific to Smith prohibiting the special counsel from publishing a report regarding investigations into Trump’s handling of classified information and attempts at subverting the presidential election in 2020.
The judge, Aileen Cannon, had previously dismissed the case charging Trump with the violation of the law on holding Federal documents after the presidency.
Tuesday’s event happened in the luxurious living room at Mar-a-Lago, a Trump’s Palm Beach club. Some of Trump's senior advisers sat through the event while the club guest was seen eating on the terrace.
Trump was also quizzed whether it was proper that Elon Musk should express himself on matters of foreign policy. In recent weeks, the billionaire Trump ally has used his X platform to weigh in with comments on European politics, including his endorsement of Germany’s far-right party the Alternative for Germany.
“Elon is a good guy, he is very smart,” Trump said. It was recently said to him: “Do you know those people?” and he replied clearly: “I have no idea who you are talking about.”
With inputs from agencies
Image Source: Multiple agencies
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About the author
Manish Kumar pursued a master’s degree in journalism and mass communication from Amity University, Haryana. He is an enthusiastic and dedicated writer, who has worked with several ministries of the Government of India and contributed his voice to major campaigns and programmes. Being devoted to practising significant journalism, Manish does his best to become a voice of change in society. Not only does he tell but also persuade, which is indicative of his strong conviction in the perspective of media.
