U.S. President-elect Donald Trump refused on Tuesday to rule out using military or economic action to pursue the acquisition of the Panama Canal and Greenland, part of a broader expansionist agenda he has promoted since winning the November 5 election.
Trump, who takes office on January 20, also floated the idea of turning Canada into a U.S. state, said he would demand far higher defense spending from NATO allies and promised to change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.
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U.S. President-elect Donald Trump
(Photo: SCOTT OLSON / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / AFP)
Still two weeks away from taking office, Trump has begun outlining an aggressive foreign policy with little regard to diplomatic considerations or the concerns of U.S. allies.
Asked at a press conference at his Florida resort whether he could assure the world he would not use military or economic coercion as he tries to gain control of the Panama Canal and Greenland, Trump said, "No, I can't assure you on either of those two. But I can say this, we need them for economic security."
Trump criticized American spending on Canadian goods and military support for Canada, saying the U.S. derives no benefits from doing so, and called the border between the two countries an "artificially drawn line."
He suggested he would impose tariffs on Denmark if it resists his offer to purchase Greenland, which he said is vital to U.S. national security. Shortly before Trump's comments, his son Don Jr. arrived in Greenland for a private visit.
Denmark has said Greenland, a self-governing part of its kingdom, is not for sale. "I don't think it's a good way forward to fight each other with financial means when we are close allies and partners," Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said late on Tuesday in response to Trump's comments.
In recent weeks, Trump has threatened to impose massive tariffs on Mexico and Canada, which he claims are responsible for the flow of illegal immigrants and drugs reaching the U.S. borders.
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Trump reiterated these threats during a press conference in Florida, saying that Mexico would be punished if the infiltrations didn’t stop.