‘Absolute necessity’: Trump sparks concerns over Panama Canal, Greenland remarks

President-elect Donald Trump suggested on Wednesday that the US could take control of Canada, Greenland and the Panama Canal – an unexpected Christmas message that has raised concerns among world leaders in recent days as they scramble to prepare for Trump’s second term in the White House.

In a post on the Truth Social platform on Wednesday, Trump wished a “Merry Christmas to everyone,” including the “wonderful Chinese soldiers, who lovingly but illegally operate the Panama Canal,” before taking aim at Canada. and Greenland too, which he again suggested might be better off under US administration.

Trump repeated his claim that American shippers forced to pay “ridiculous” and “excessive” prices for sailing the Panama Canal—a 51-mile man-made waterway that connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. He suggested, without evidence, that Chinese interests were gaining enormous influence over the waterway, which Panamanian leaders have steadfastly denied.

TRUMP PRESENTS THE IDEA TO RETURN THE PANAMA CANAL: ‘WE GAVE IT A STUPID’

In his Truth Social post on Wednesday, Trump also derisively referred to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as “the governor” while repeating his recent suggestion that Canada should turn into an American state.

“If Canada became our 51st country, their taxes would be cut by more than 60%, their businesses would immediately double in size, and they would be militarily protected like no other country in the world,” Trump said.

Eventually, the president-elect turned his attention to Greenland; an autonomous, geographically important Arctic location brimming with natural resources, including rare earth minerals.

The US, Trump said on Wednesday, “feels that ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity” for reasons of national security and “global freedom”.

The bigger picture

Trump’s lengthy post on Truth Social did little to assuage the concerns of some world leaders, who have been closely watching Trump’s actions and statements in recent weeks for signs that he might rule for a second term.

The remarks also appear to be contradictory with an “America First” policy. long championed by Trump, who seek to prioritize domestic politics over US expansion or presence abroad.

Rep. Ryan Zinke, R-Mont., echoed Trump’s concerns in an interview on Thursday, describing China’s influence in the Panama Canal and higher shipping rates as a “shot across the bow”.

“Remember, we have China and Cuba,” Zinke said on “Morning with Mary.“ “We have Maduro in Venezuela. We’ve had Russian ships there. And the Panama Canal is critical to our national security. And right now it’s controlled by the Chinese Communist Party. So that’s troubling — absolutely.”

‘AMERICA FIRST’ VS. ‘AMERICA LAST’: WHAT DOES TRUMP’S RETURN MEAN FOR AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY?

Truth be told, it’s not the first time that Trump has shown interest in Greenland, a mineral-rich, geographically important territory.

In 2019, then-President Trump told reporters he was “interested” in buying Greenland, which he described at the time as “essentially” a “big real estate deal.” However, the 2019 effort never took off; and this week Greenland Prime Minister Mute Egede immediately poured cold water on the idea that their territory could be sold to the US

“Greenland is ours,” Greenland Prime Minister Mute Egede said this week in response to Trump’s proposal.

“We are not for sale and never will be for sale,” he said. “We must not lose our long struggle for freedom.”

Meanwhile, Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino also disputed the idea that US ships were singled out or paid higher fees to navigate the Panama Canal—as well as the idea that the US, which phased out its ownership in the early 1970s, had any right to reassert control over the point of the ship.

In a video posted on social media earlier this week, Mulino assured his country’s citizens that the “sovereignty and independence of our country is non-negotiable.”

The Panama Canal is one of the largest and most strategically important waterways for transporting goods in the world. It handles approximately 5% of all global maritime trade and approximately 40% of US container traffic.

The recent higher prices are primarily the result of drought and increased competition, which caused water levels to drop to their lowest point on record last year. Although water levels have since recovered, canal operators have been forced to temporarily limit vessel traffic and increase costs for ships using this waypoint.

Other factors also played a role in higher shipping rates.

A series of attacks on ships in the Red Sea late last year prompted many major commodity shippers, including BP and Equinor, to halt or divert their shipments away from the Suez Canal. Some decided to reroute supplies via the Cape of Good Hope, adding weeks of extra time to their journeys.

Last week, the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, falsely claimed on social media that the Panama Canal cost American taxpayers $15.7 billion. In fact, higher costs are borne by ships passing through the waterway, in the form of tolls. The US government does not subsidize the channel.

‘AMERICA FIRST’ VS. ‘AMERICA LAST’: WHAT DOES TRUMP’S RETURN MEAN FOR AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY?

Panamanian authorities stressed that the prices were not the result of “unfair” treatment, capitulation to China or any other nation-state influence.

“The channel is not under the direct or indirect control of China, nor the European Union, nor the United States or any other power,” Mulino said in his remarks. “As a Panamanian, I reject any manifestation that misrepresents this reality.”

Still, Trump doesn’t seem to be backing down on expansion claims.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

“The Panama Canal is considered a VITAL national asset of the United States, due to its critical role in the US economy and national security,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Sunday. “A secure Panama Canal is critical to U.S. trade and rapid naval deployment, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and dramatically shortens shipping times to U.S. ports.”

“We will not stand for it,” he said. “So, to the officials of Panama, I am asking you to act accordingly.”