 "'We need it for international security': From Panama to Greenland, Trump does a Putin on Day 1")
Within hours of taking oath as the 47th President of the United States, Donald Trump raised anxieties across continents as he pledged again to annex Panama Canal in Latin America and Greenland from Denmark. He said that the annexations were essential for US national security.
Earlier this month, in a threat echoing the mindset of Russian leader Vladimir Putin, Trump said the use of military force to annex Greenland and Panama Canal is not off the table.
While some commentators believed Trump would turn sober after assuming office, he resumed expansionist rhetoric right after taking oath on Monday. He raised the issue of Panama Canal in his inauguration speech and repeated the pledge to annex Greenland while signing executive orders later in the day.
Minutes after Trump’s remarks, Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino issued a statement rejecting them and said the canal “is and will continue to be Panama’s and its administration will continue to be under Panamanian control with respect to its permanent neutrality”.
— José Raúl Mulino (@JoseRaulMulino) January 20, 2025
Trump borrows a leaf off Putin’s notebook
Just like Putin justified invading Ukraine in 2022 and Georgia before it in 2008 on farcical national security grounds, Trump is turning to the same excuse to annex Panama Canal and Greenland.
Putin, a product of the Soviet Union, believes in bloc mentality of the Cold War and considers Eastern Europe and Central Asia as Russia’s exclusive sphere of influence. He has long been committed to the restoration of the Soviet Union that crumbled in 1991. As part of the restoration project, he has occupied parts of Georgia, Ukraine, Moldova, and has essentially turned Belarus into a client state.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsNow, under the same bloc mentality, Trump has staked claim to everything in the Western hemisphere. He has threatened to invade Greenland to occupy it, peddled falsehoods to justify the desire to annex Panama Canal, and expressed desire to annex Canada and make it the 51st US state.
Trump’s approach would make sense considering he has long admired Putin and his principal ally Xi Jinping. Since his first term, Trump has trusted Putin more than US government agencies and his new administration is full of Putin- and Xi-friends, such as JD Vance, Tulsi Gabbard, and Elon Musk. The yearslong fawning relationship between Trump and Putin is already visible as while Trump has already started benefitting China and Russia, by saving TikTok and propping plans for the Ukraine War that would essentially mean a victory for Putin, and harming longtime allies of Nato, whom Trump has threatened with military invasions if they do not do his bidding.
‘We need it for international security’
Shortly after repeating the pledge to annex Panama Canal in the inauguration speech, Trump said while signing executive orders that the annexation of Greenland was essential for “international security”.
“We need it for international security and I am sure that Denmark will come along. It’s costing them a lot of money to maintain it, to keep it. The people of Greenland are not happy with Denmark, as you know. I think they’re happy with us,” said Trump.
Making his case further for the annexation, Trump said that “it’s not just for us but we need it for international security”.
Trump: "The people of Greenland are not happy with Denmark, as you know. I think they're happy with us." pic.twitter.com/5ow3X2AXGF
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 21, 2025
In recent weeks, Trump’s allies have framed plans to annex Greenland in national security terms to prevent the influence of Russia and China in and around the island, which is believed to have large reserves of rare earth minerals.
As for the Panama Canal, Trump resorted to falsehoods and claimed China was controlling the canal and the United States was being charged more than the others for the usage of the waterway.
“We have been treated very badly from this foolish gift that should have never been made and Panama’s promise to us has been broken. The purpose of our deal and the spirit of our treaty has been totally violated. American ships are being severely overcharged and not treated fairly in any way, shape or form, and that includes the United States Navy, and, above all, China is operating the Panama Canal and we didn’t give it to China, we gave it to Panama, and we’re taking it back,” said Trump.
Panama controls the canal, not China, and even though shipping charges have been hiked in recent time, such charges apply to every ship irrespective of the nation owning it.
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