Greenland and the Panama Canal are not for sale. Why is Trump threatening to take them away?

President-elect Donald Trump ran on a platform of isolating the US from foreign conflicts such as the Ukraine war, raising tariffs on foreign trade partners and rebuilding domestic manufacturing.

But in recent times he has suggested a more outwardly aggressive approach to his foreign policy.

At first, he made fun of Canada being an additional US state. Since then he has threatened take back control of the panama canalHe also reiterated his desire to own the autonomous Danish territory of Greenland in his first term, which not for sale,

The US is unlikely to take control of any of these areas. But these statements may indicate that Trump’s “America First” vision includes exerting the superpower’s power beyond its borders to serve American trade and national security interests.

On Sunday, Trump told a conservative convention in Arizona that Panama was charging U.S. ships “ridiculous, highly unreasonable” fees to use the canal that bears its name.

After taking over construction of the canal in the early 20th century, the US ceded full control to Panama through a treaty in the 1970s. But this week, Trump said that if the “fraud” did not stop, he would seek to return the canal to the US — though he did not specify how.

Trump said he did not want the Panama Canal to “fall into the wrong hands” and specifically cited China, which has significant interests in the waterway.

Will Freeman, fellow for Latin American studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, said of Trump’s remarks, “The United States has a real national security interest in controlling its neutrality.”

“Trump’s statement is mostly about this.”

According to statistics, China is the second largest user of the Panama Canal after the US. It also has huge economic investment in the country.

In 2017, Panama breaks diplomatic relations with Taiwan And recognized it as part of China, which was a major victory for Beijing.

The Panama Canal is not only essential for American trade in the Pacific — it would be needed to move American ships and other assets in the event of any military conflict with China, Mr. Freeman said.

They also noted Trump’s frequent comments about trade partners’ unfair treatment of the US, as well as the president-elect’s pledge to sharply increase tariffs on foreign goods, particularly those coming from China.

Mr. Freeman said Trump’s complaints about shipping fees reflected his views on trade.

While the statements may be “coercive”, Mr Freeman said, it remains to be seen “whether canal officials will reduce duties on US cargo in response to the threat”.

Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino has issued a statement saying that the canal and the surrounding area belong to his country – and will remain so.

Over the weekend, Trump said in a social media post that the US feels that ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity for reasons of national security and global freedom.

The United States maintains the Pitfik Space Base in Greenland. The region is rich in natural resources, including rare earth minerals and oil, and holds a strategic location for trade as global powers seek to expand their reach into the Arctic Circle.

Russia, in particular, sees the region as a strategic opportunity.

Trump floated the idea of ​​buying Greenland in 2019 during his first term as president, and it never came to fruition.

Greenland’s prime minister, Mute B’Agede, responded to Trump’s latest comments this week: “We are not for sale and we will not be for sale.”

Nevertheless, Trump continued to emphasize his public statements online.

On Truth Social, Trump’s account featured an image of an American flag planted in the middle of the Panama Canal.

His second eldest son, Eric Trump, posted an image on Twitter showing the US adding Greenland, the Panama Canal and Canada to an Amazon online shopping cart.

For Trump, the promise of using America’s strength to his advantage helped propel his two successful presidential campaigns.

This was a tactic he used during his first presidential term, threatening Mexico with tariffs and the deployment of “armed troops” to increase enforcement at its US border.

Heading into his second term, Trump may plan to use a similar playbook once he takes office on January 20.

Although it remains to be seen what will happen, Denmark has expressed a willingness to work with its administration.

A huge increase was also announced in Defense expenditure for GreenlandHours after Trump reiterated his desire to buy the Arctic region.