Trump refuses to rule out military force for Panama Canal and Greenland annexation

President-elect Donald Trump declined to rule out using military force to annex the Panama Canal and Greenland on Tuesday. He has called both territories vital to US economic and national security.

Speaking at a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago estate, Trump was pressed on whether he might deploy military forces to seize control of the territories. He replied: “I can’t assure you on either of those two.” 

He added that both were “very important for the security and prosperity of the United States”. Trump also suggested using “economic force” against Canada, which he claimed benefits from US protection without contributing enough in return.

Threats

This is not the first time the president-elect has voiced his ambitions to annex Panama, Greenland and Canada. He previously criticised the 1977 treaty signed by president Jimmy Carter, which transferred control of the Panama Canal to Panama in 1999, and reiterated threats to retake the canal if tolls for US ships are not reduced. 

Trump also described Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark, as an “absolute necessity” for national security and suggested that Canada merge with the United States to become the “51st state”. 

Meanwhile, Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr, has arrived in Greenland for what is officially described as a private trip as a tourist. 

Tactics or ambitions?

These comments align with Trump’s broader rhetoric about expanding US influence, but they have sparked criticism and resistance from leaders in Panama, Denmark, Greenland and Canada. Panama president José Raúl Mulino declared the canal “not negotiable”, while Greenland’s prime minister, Mute Egede, reiterated that the island “is not for sale and will never be for sale”. 

Trump’s transition team has declined to clarify whether these statements reflect genuine policy ambitions or mere rhetoric to gain media attention.

^{US president-elect Donald Trump © PHOTO NICHOLAS KAMM / AFP}