President-elect Donald Trump said Tuesday he wouldn’t rule out using “military force” to make Greenland and the Panama Canal US territories.
Trump's Plans for Greenland
“No, I can’t assure you on either of those two,” the incoming president told a reporter asking about the use of military force or economic coercion to acquire the territories.
“We need Greenland for national security purposes. I’ve been told that for a long time, long before I even ran. I mean, people have been talking about it for a long time. You have approximately 45,000 people there. People really don’t even know if Denmark has any legal right to it, but if they do, they should give it up, because we need it for national security,” Trump said at his press conference at Mar-a-Lago.
He argued that there are Chinese and Russian ships around the world’s largest island and “we’re not letting that happen.”
Trump's Concerns about the Panama Canal
He slammed former President Jimmy Carter for giving away the Panama Canal during his presidency and said he’s worried that China is controlling the waterway between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
Trump's statements have sparked a debate about the use of military force for territorial expansion and the implications it might have on international relations.
Implications of Trump's Statements
While some may see Trump's approach as bold and assertive, others are concerned about the potential consequences of using military force to acquire territories. It raises questions about sovereignty, international law, and the use of power in global politics.
It remains to be seen how Trump's plans for Greenland and the Panama Canal will unfold and what reactions they will provoke from the international community.
Greenland, Panama Canal, Trump, military force, territorial expansion
