President-elect Donald Trump said Tuesday he would not rule out using “military force” to make Greenland and the Panama Canal Zone US territories.
“No, I can’t assure you on either of those two,” the incoming president told a reporter who inquired about the possibility of US military or economic coercion to acquire the disputed land.
“We need them for economic security,” Trump, 78, said during a news conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort in South Florida. “It might be that you have to do something.”
The 45th president and 47th president-elect has repeatedly spoken out about his desire to get Greenland and the Panama Canal Zone under US rule since his Nov. 5 election win, but Tuesday marked the first time Trump had mused about using American forces to do so.
“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 explained.
The world’s largest island is strategically placed in the Arctic Ocean and has received increasing interest from Russia and China in recent years.
Trump argued Tuesday that Chinese and Russian ships have made passes around Greenland, which is currently ruled by Denmark, adding that “we’re not letting that happen.”
Earlier Tuesday, Trump appeared via speakerphone before a group of Greenlanders who were meeting with soon-to-be-first son Donald Trump Jr., who was visiting the island to gather content for his contest.
The Greenland citizens who heard Trump speak appeared excited, with one shouting “Yes!” when the conversation turned to security.
However, the prime ministers of Denmark and Greenland have both said the island is not up for sale, with the Copenhagen government reiterating that stance Tuesday.
Trump also slammed former President Jimmy Carter for giving away the Panama Canal Zone during his presidency and said he’s worried that China is controlling the waterway between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
“The Panama Canal is vital to our country. It’s being operated by China. China!” Trump claimed, arguing Panama “abused” the “gift” of the canal by giving it to Beijing.
He said Panama wants $3 billion to help fix the canal, but argued that they should ask China, which is “at both ends of the canal.”
