Donald Trump, soon to take on the role of President of the United States, is keeping his options wide open about possibly employing military or economic measures to gain control of the Panama Canal and Greenland. This ambition fits into a larger vision of U.S. expansionism that he has championed since his electoral victory.
As Trump gears up for his inauguration on January 20, he’s hinted at some rather bold foreign policy moves. Among those ideas is the transformation of Canada into an additional state for the U.S., alongside a push for significantly increased defense spending from NATO allies. Adding a quirky twist, he even suggested changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.
Though he is still weeks from officially beginning his term, Trump is already sketching out a brash foreign policy, seemingly unconcerned with diplomatic nuances or the feelings of allied nations.
During a recent press briefing at his resort in Florida, when asked if he could promise not to utilize military or economic pressure on those areas, Trump replied candidly, “No, I can’t assure you on either of those two. But I can say this: we need them for economic security.”
In an interesting twist, Donald Trump Jr. stated that he was merely visiting Greenland as a “tourist,” even as his father floated the idea of acquiring the territory.
Trump hinted at imposing economic tariffs on Denmark should they refuse his proposal to buy Greenland, emphasizing its significance to U.S. national security. Shortly before his father’s comments, Donald Jr. arrived in Greenland for what appears to be a private escapade.
However, Denmark has made it clear: Greenland, which enjoys a degree of self-governance, isn’t up for grabs. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen responded to Trump’s remarks on Tuesday, saying, “I don’t think it’s a good way forward to fight each other with financial means when we are close allies and partners.”
Canada weighed in on the conversation too. Foreign Minister Melanie Joly shared her thoughts on social media, saying, “President-elect Trump’s comments show a complete lack of understanding of what makes Canada a strong country. Our economy is strong. Our people are strong. We will never back down in the face of threats.”
As for responses from Mexico and Panama, they were slow in coming. Notably, Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino has already dismissed the idea of returning the canal to U.S. control after it was handed over in 1999.
Daniel Fried, a seasoned U.S. diplomat now affiliated with the Atlantic Council think tank, argues that Trump’s declarations paint a picture of national power defined by territorial conquest, likening him to a “19th-century imperialist.”
“Seizing Greenland,” Fried noted, “would destroy NATO, because it would make us no different than Vladimir Putin.” Such statements raise eyebrows, especially given their historical implications.
Trump’s inclination to rename the Gulf of Mexico resonates with his prior pledge to revert the official name of Denali, the tallest peak in North America, back to Mount McKinley—an act that former President Barack Obama changed in recognition of Native American history. Typically, the U.S. Board on Geographic Names governs these nomenclature decisions, yet executive actions from the presidency historically influence them.
On the topic of NATO spending, Trump asserted that member nations should allocate 5% of their gross domestic product to defense funds, which signifies a dramatic increase over the current expectation of 2%. “I think NATO should have 5%,” he emphasized, adding that “they can all afford it.”
Trump has repeatedly grumbled about most NATO countries failing to contribute their fair share, echoing similar sentiments from his campaign trail. NATO expects that by 2024, 23 out of its 32 members will reach the goal of 2% GDP on defense spending.
Interestingly, no NATO member currently allocates 5% of its GDP to defense, although Poland leads with 4.12%, following closely by Estonia at 3.43%, and the U.S. at 3.38%.
Moreover, Trump issued a stern warning regarding the situation in the Middle East, stating that “all hell will break out in the Middle East” if Palestinian Hamas militants don’t release hostages taken from Israel during a conflict that emerged on October 7, 2023. “It will not be good for Hamas, and it will not be good, frankly, for anyone,” he said ominously.
His envoy for Middle Eastern affairs, Steve Witkoff, expressed hope for progress in negotiations between Israel and Hamas by the time Trump officially steps into office.
During the lengthy, free-ranging press conference—which was the second of its kind since Trump’s victory—he aired various grievances, particularly about his ongoing legal issues. He pointed fingers at Justice Juan Merchan, the New York judge who is about to sentence him for allegedly falsifying business records concerning hush money payments to an adult film star.
Following Trump’s remarks, a New York appeals court promptly denied his last-ditch effort to pause the sentencing process.
All this unfolded as a judge placed a temporary hold on Special Counsel Jack Smith’s report about the investigation into Trump’s handling of classified documents and attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results.
This press conference took place within the elegantly adorned living room at Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s Palm Beach resort. Numerous senior advisers watched, while guests dined on the terrace just outside.
When questioned about Elon Musk’s public comments on international relations, a topic Musk has recently explored on social media, Trump offered his take: “I can say Elon is doing a good job, very smart guy. I don’t know the people you’re talking about.”
Edited by: Ali Musa
alimusa@axadletimes.com
Axadle international–Monitoring
