Nations slam Trump's 'territorial ambitions'

PALM BEACH, Florida — US President-elect Donald Trump refused on Tuesday to rule out using military or economic action to pursue the acquisition of the Panama Canal and Greenland, and vowed to bring Canada to heel. His "territorial ambitions" have been rebuked by the countries concerned.

Since his election win in November, Trump has repeatedly mentioned the possibility of gaining control of the Panama Canal — a major shipping route dug through Panama — and purchasing Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark.

At a news conference at his Florida resort on Tuesday, Trump suggested he would impose tariffs on Denmark if it resists his offer to purchase Greenland.

Shortly before Trump's comments, his son Trump Jr arrived in Greenland for a private visit.

Not for sale

However, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said on Tuesday that Greenland is not for sale, stating that "Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders".

Greenland, the world's largest island, is located between the Arctic and the North Atlantic Ocean, and although it has a population of just 56,000 people, it is of strategic importance for the Arctic region.

In December, Denmark's King Frederik X changed the royal coat of arms to include Greenland and another Danish territory, the Faroe Islands, in a more prominent position.

The European Union will not let other nations attack its sovereign borders, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said in response to Trump's comments on Greenland.

Panama's top diplomat also pushed back on the incoming US leader's threat to retake the key global waterway, which the US had built and owned before handing over control to the Central American nation in 1999.

"The only hands that control the canal are Panamanian and that's how it will continue to be," Foreign Minister Javier Martinez-Acha Vasquez told reporters on Tuesday.

Trump, who takes office on Jan 20, also floated the idea of turning Canada into a US state, and promised to change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.

Canada's minister of foreign affairs, Melanie Joly, said on X, "President-elect Trump's comments show a complete lack of understanding of what makes Canada a strong country. Our economy is strong. Our people are strong. We will never back down in the face of threats."

Julian Shea in London contributed to this story.

Agencies - Xinhua