Trump opens U.S. doors to Greenland
The U.S. president insists before Congress on his intention to take control of the archipelago, as well as the Panama Canal. “We will get it one way or another.”
During his campaign events, Donald Trump directly pointed to two places: Greenland and the Panama Canal. In his statements, he assured that he wanted to take control of them, either through diplomacy or military action. And today, before Congress, he has once again set his sights on securing control.
Specifically, he referred to the Greenland archipelago, which, while an autonomous territory, has been a constituent nation of Denmark since 1953. Now, the new U.S. president has once again expressed his interest in it. “I have a message tonight for the incredible people of Greenland: we strongly support your right to determine your own future, and if you choose so, we welcome you to the United States of America,” he stated in his speech.
According to Trump, this growing interest is due to “national and even international security” concerns. He claims his administration is already working with the right people to try to make it happen. “I believe we are going to get it one way or another,” he warned.
Denmark’s response
Just hours after these remarks, Denmark’s response was swift. It came from its Foreign Minister, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, who does not believe that Greenland is considering integration into the United States. Rasmussen said he is “optimistic” about the decision Greenlanders will make.
“They want to loosen their ties with Denmark, and we are working on that to establish a more equal relationship, but I have no indication that they want to integrate into the United States,” the minister said at an event in Finland.
Nevertheless, he acknowledges that Denmark, Greenland, and the United States have “common interests” regarding security in the far north and the Arctic. “We are willing to work with our American friends to achieve this. But, of course, based on the fact that we have a Kingdom of Denmark.”
Meanwhile, Greenland has also responded to Trump’s remarks. Its president, Múte B. Egede, has completely ruled out the possibility of becoming part of the United States. “Greenland is ours. We do not want to be American, nor Danish, we are Greenlandic. We are not for sale, and they cannot simply acquire us because we decide our own future.”
Trump insists on the Panama canal
At the same time, Trump has made it clear that his stance on the Panama Canal has not changed. “Something big is going to happen,” Trump said last February regarding what would happen if the U.S. does not reclaim it. In his speech, he recalled the recent purchase by BlackRock of two of the most important ports in the maritime passage.
During his address, he praised having Marco Rubio as Secretary of State to carry out the task of regaining control of the canal. After wishing him good luck, he jokingly added, “Now we know who to blame if something goes wrong.”
Trump has repeatedly expressed his interest in taking control of the Panama Canal. According to him, it has been under Chinese control in recent years, despite being a significant U.S. engineering project handed over to Panama by the Jimmy Carter administration in 1977.
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