After Panama comes the threat to take over Greenland: Trump provokes

President-elect Donald Trump is once again provoking provocations when he spoke openly about ambitions to expand the territories of the United States, as he prepares to return to the White House, the “Wall Street Journal” reported. Trump declared his intention to take control of the Panama Canal and seize control of Greenland from Denmark.

According to the paper, his remarks, made in public speeches and social media posts on Sunday, come shortly after he berated Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau when he suggested Canada would become the 51st state of the United States and referred to Trudeau as a governor.

During the presidential campaign, Trump indicated that he would use the US military to impose a naval embargo on drug cartels in Mexico, and even ordered the Pentagon to use US special forces to eliminate cartel leaders.

“Overall, the president-elect’s statements indicate that he plans to pursue a belligerent foreign policy, using unconventional threats and sharp demands to gain an advantage against allies and adversaries alike. Trump is often prone to provocations, and it is unclear whether he intends to follow through on his threats. But if he does, It is likely that he will encounter strong opposition from world leaders, who will oppose any attempt to harm their sovereignty,” the newspaper wrote.

“We’re being bullied in the Panama Canal like we’re being bullied anywhere else,” Trump said at a conference in Phoenix on Sunday, demanding the return of the canal, which is currently under government management, to the United States. “We will never, ever let this fall into the wrong hands,” Trump did not elaborate on how he plans to regain control of the canal, and his transition team did not respond to a request for further comment on the matter.

Later on Sunday, in a statement he issued while announcing the appointment of the United States ambassador to Denmark, Trump emphasized his continued interest in controlling Greenland. “For the sake of national security and freedom around the world, the United States considers ownership and control of Greenland an absolute necessity,” Trump said. Note that Denmark controls the autonomous island.

Trump, who made his name in the real estate industry, discussed the purchase of Greenland during his first term. After a Wall Street Journal report revealed his private deliberations on the matter, officials in Denmark and Greenland rejected the idea. “We are open for business, not for sale,” the ministry said at the time The exterior of Greenland.

Trump’s statements regarding the Panama Canal provoked an angry response from Panamanian President Jose Raul Molino, who took office in July after a campaign focused on reducing immigration to the United States through the country’s tropical rainforests, with the support of the US government. He dismissed Trump’s threats as an insult to Panama’s sovereignty.

“Every square meter of the Panama Canal and the areas adjacent to it belong to Panama and will continue to be so,” replied the President of Panama, in a video speech on Sunday afternoon. “The sovereignty and independence of our country are not subject to negotiation.”

In a post published by Trump on social networks, in which a picture of a channel and an American flag appeared, he added: “Welcome to the United States channel!”. The “Wall Street Journal” emphasized that with the exception of an invasion, such as the one carried out by the United States in 1989 to overthrow the then dictator Manuel Noriega, the American government has no ability to regain control of the canal, which was built by the United States over a century ago .

The United States gradually transferred control of the canal, as well as the Panama Canal Zone controlled by it, as a result of an agreement signed in 1977 by President Jimmy Carter. Panama gained full control of the canal in 2000.

“Trump believes the United States has given up something for nothing,” said John Paley, who resigned as US ambassador to Panama during Trump’s first term. “For him, this is another example of a country taking advantage of the United States.”

Remember, Trump’s warning comes after he recently threatened to impose tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada, if the countries do not secure their borders with the United States and do not reduce the drug trade and illegal immigration.

According to the “Wall Street Journal”, the Panama Canal, which is 50 miles long and through which about 4% of world trade passes, is critical to the global economy and consumers in the United States. Wines from Chile and bananas from Ecuador are shipped to the East Coast of the United States through the canal, as well as copper from Chile to Europe and liquefied natural gas and oil between the coasts of the United States.

Unlike the Suez Canal, which is a flat canal with seawater whose flow is determined by tides, the Panama Canal is a much more complex infrastructure. The Panama Canal relies on fresh water and uses a system of sailing chambers that act as “sea elevators,” which raise ships to about 90 feet above sea level and lower them on the other side. The United States is the largest user of the canal, followed by China.

“You see what’s happening there – China,” Trump told his supporters on Sunday. According to him, the transfer of control of the canal was solely for management by Panama, “and not for management by China or any other country”.

The newspaper also explains the power struggle around the canal – China has replaced the United States as the dominant trade partner in Latin America. Of the 11 countries in the world that maintain diplomatic relations with Taiwan, which Beijing considers part of its territory, seven are located in this region. Five countries that transferred their diplomatic recognition from Beijing to Taiwan under the rule of Chinese leader Xi Jinping, including Honduras and Panama, have won a flurry of deals with China.

After gaining control of the canal, Panama invested $5 billion in a project to build cruise cabins to accommodate larger ships. However, the Panama Canal faces more serious long-term challenges that could disrupt the movement of global trade. In recent years, it has been forced to adjust its activities, raise prices, limit ship traffic, and adjust the sinking of ships due to a decrease in the amount of rainwater required to operate the canal.

The canal authorities are working on a $2 billion plan to establish infrastructure to manage and preserve fresh water reservoirs – an amount equal to the canal’s contribution to the Panamanian government coffers each year.

Since the transfer of control to the United States, there have been no complaints from users, said President Molyneux, “on the contrary, the canal is a source of strong international support and national pride,” Molyneux said in a speech, “the agreements also established the canal’s permanent neutrality.”

In neighboring Colombia, President Gustavo Petro said that he would stand by Panama and defend its sovereignty “to the end”: “If the new American administration wants to talk about business, we will talk about business, face to face, for the benefit of our people, but respect will never be subject to negotiation.” , Petro wrote on the X social network.