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US President-elect Donald Trump is not ruling out the use of military force to take control of the Panama Canal and Greenland
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Trump said the US was ‘being ripped off at the Panama Canal’ and claimed his country had ‘foolishly given it away’
US President-elect Donald Trump is not ruling out the use of military force to take control of the Panama Canal and Greenland.
“I’m not going to commit to that, no,” Trump told reporters when asked if he would rule out the use of the US military to secure both territories. “It might be that you’ll have to do something. The Panama Canal is vital to our country.” He added, “We need Greenland for national security purposes.”
A delegation of aides and advisers that includes Donald Trump Jr. is now in Greenland.
Trump, who assumes office on January 20, has said the US may “reclaim” the Panama Canal unless the Central American country lowers what he calls the “ridiculous” fees charged shippers.
READ: Trump demands Panama lower transit fees, or else
The US, said Trump, was “being ripped off at the Panama Canal” and claimed his country had “foolishly given it away” in 1999 following a treaty signed in 1977 by then US President Jimmy Carter.
Trump incorrectly claimed US ships are being discriminated against in transit fees and that China, not Panama, operates the waterway. Some ports in Panama are run by Beijing-owned firms.
“We gave the Panama Canal to Panama. We didn’t give it to China, and they’ve abused it,” Trump said just before Carter’s body arrived in Washington before Thursday’s (Jan 9) state funeral. Carter passed on December 29 at the age of 100.
About one-fifth of Panama’s annual revenue is dependent on the canal. Its president is considered a conservative who aligns with Trump. Until the US president threatened to take control of his country’s main source of income, that is.
Trump cited the “magnanimous gesture” of the US in ceding control of the canal to Panama, but said some of the terms of its return were not being followed.
Since winning last year’s presidential race, threatening to reclaim the Panama Canal has been but one of Trump’s many odd statements.
He also said the US should “purchase” Greenland, and that Canada should become the 51st state of the union.
His biggest threat, however, was to resume the US-China tariff war, which he began in his first term.
Trump wants to raise tariffs on all imports from China, as well as from Canada and Mexico.
Just before stepping down, current US President Joe Biden raised some tariffs on China-made goods, notably cars, up to 50%. Trump would raise this further to 60% when he assumes office before the end of this month.
Trump has also stated that he wants Made in America cars on US roads, but few take this wish seriously.
