Trump sparks anxieties with military talk of Greenland and the Panama Canal

President-elect Trump’s refusal to rule out military action to achieve his ambitions to acquire the Panama-Greenland Canal has prompted some harsh responses abroad and spurred a global debate about how to take the new president seriously.

While it’s unclear how serious it is, the rhetoric alone has raised concerns imperialist goals in his second administration, and his the end of the game could be.

“Obviously, it is out of the question that the European Union will allow other nations in the world to attack their sovereign borders, whoever they are,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said in a interview on local radio.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz added at a press conference on Wednesday that it was a “fundamental principle of law” that “borders should not be moved by force”.

While analysts do not see the threats as serious, they do think they could affect global relations. Matt Zierler, an associate professor of international relations at Michigan State University, said Trump’s threats were “not credible.”

“Their negotiating style is to go for the extreme rhetorical threat and then back off from there,” he said.

But Zierler argued that the threats were still worrisome because they could sour relations with allies.

“Not only does it weaken those relationships, but those weakened relationships weaken security overall,” he said. “When the US challenges the durability and stability of international ties, you are only increasing uncertainty.”

Trump has not laid out any specific plans to acquire Greenland or the Panama Canal, but has made clear his desire for both in the days leading up to his Jan. 20 inauguration.

At a news conference Tuesday at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, Trump, when asked if he could rule out military action or economic coercion to win over both countries, said “I can’t assure you about neither of these.”

“I won’t commit to that. Now you may have to do something,” he said. “But I can say this, we need them for economic security.”

Trump did rule it out using military force against Canadawhich has suggested it should merge with the United States to become the 51st state, saying it would seek to use “economic strength”.

Trump claimed the Panama Canal was controlled by China and lamented that it was ceded to Panama more than two decades ago.

Panamanian Foreign Minister Javier Martínez-Acha said Tuesday that the canal was “non-negotiable.”

“The only hands that operate the canal are Panamanians and it will stay that way,” he said, according to press reports.

The Panama Canal, one of the world’s two most important waterways after the Suez Canal, was built by the United States between 1903 and 1914. In 1979, the canal was turned over to a joint Panamanian-American agency, before full control was given to Panama. in the year 1999.

Will Freeman, fellow for Latin American studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, said Trump is likely after two things: lower export prices for US goods and Panama taking steps to limit Chinese influence, already that a Hong Kong company owns two of the canal’s five ports.

Freeman said pressure could work, citing the first Trump administration to push Panama to stop a Chinese plan to build a major bridge over the canal.

“This is more of a rhetorical way of saying, ‘I’m willing to use a lot of pressure to extract concessions,'” he said. “Pressure tactics, generally speaking, could be very toxic and counterproductive to our relationships in the region. But I think that pressure ultimately only works if you have leverage, and the United States does.”

Trump also said the US needs Greenland “for national security purposes”, and claimed Russian and Chinese ships were “everywhere”.

“I’ve been told this for a long time, long before I ran,” Trump said at the news conference. “People really don’t even know if Denmark has any legal rights, but if they do, they should give it up because we need it for national security.”

Greenland Prime Minister Mute Egede has said that his country of about 56,000 people is not for sale. It has pushed for total independence, a movement supported by Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen.

Historically, Greenland has been a territory controlled by Denmark, but it gained autonomy in 1979 and gained semi-independence status in 2009, with the Danish government only controlling defence, security and foreign policy.

Trump, who expressed interest in buying Greenland in his first term, says the country is vital to US national security.

The US, which has a base in Greenland, the Pituffik Space Base, has been working to combat Chinese and Russian ships in the Arctic as new routes open up due to climate change and melting ice.

China has it too invested in Greenland in various parts of its economy. And Greenland has rare minerals that are used for key assets such as electric vehicles, a vital resource as the United States seeks to move away from dependence on Chinese minerals.

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said the country is “open to a dialogue with the Americans about how we can cooperate even more closely than we do to ensure that American ambitions are met.” according to Reuters.

James Rogers, executive director of the Cornell Brooks School Tech Policy Institute at Cornell University and an expert on Greenland and the Arctic, said Copenhagen has neglected Greenland and that Trump is trying to increase its security commitment.

Rogers pointed to Denmark investing $1.5 billion in Greenland’s securitya major new package that officials had at one point discussed putting fewer dollars into, and which came just days after Trump’s initial comments about the Arctic nation.

“Trump is already having success with some of these plans,” he said, adding that “Trump may want to increase the military presence (amid tensions with Russia and China).” Greenland is, of course, home to a lots of sensors and monitoring units, making sure they’re keeping an eye on the skies above that region.”

He said Trump might also want “preferential access and preferential economic arrangements” in Greenland for resources such as rare earth minerals.

Some of Trump’s allies have supported his idea of ​​seizing Greenland and the Panama Canal, including his sonDonald Trump Jr., who made a private trip to Greenland this week, and a key House Republican.

“It’s all American to dream big. It’s not American to be afraid of big dreams. I couldn’t be more proud that the president has the biggest visions for America,” wrote Rep. Brian Mast (R-Fla.). chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House, on the X social platform.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (DN.Y.) said Wednesday he was confused by Trump’s “obsession” with Greenland.

“What about the presidential election in November had anything to do with the invasion of Greenland or the taking of it by force?” Jeffries said.

“The problem is not Greenland … and the problem is not the Panama Canal. It’s making sure the American dream comes true for everyone in this nation.”

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