Trump Threatens Denmark with Tariffs if It Opposes the Sale of Greenland

Donald Trump, the elected President of the United States, on Tuesday, January 8, refrained from ruling out the possibility of military or economic action by the U.S. to gain control of the Panama Canal and Greenland. According to Reuters, Trump, who will assume the presidency on January 20, also suggested the idea of making Canada one of the states of the U.S. and called for a significant increase in the defense budgets of NATO member countries. He also promised to change the name of the 'Gulf of Mexico' to 'Gulf of America.' In response to a question about whether he could assure the world that he would not use military force or economic pressure to gain control of the Panama Canal and Greenland, he said, 'No, I cannot give such assurance. But I can say that we need these (the Panama Canal and Greenland) for economic security.' He criticized the costs the U.S. incurs for importing Canadian goods and Washington's military support for Canada, stating that the U.S. gains no benefit from these actions and described the border between the two countries as 'a line that has been artificially drawn.' The 47th President of the United States also stated that if Denmark opposes his proposal to sell Greenland to the U.S., tariffs would be imposed on the country, emphasizing that Greenland is vital for U.S. national security. Greenland is a large autonomous region in North America governed by Denmark, covering more than 2 million square kilometers. The U.S. constructed a significant portion of the Panama Canal and managed the surrounding territories for several decades. However, in 1977, during Jimmy Carter's presidency, the U.S. and Panama signed two agreements that paved the way for the complete transfer of control of the canal to Panama. After a period of joint management of the Panama Canal, the U.S. ultimately handed over full control to Panama in 1999.