Trump adds more pressure: He does not rule out the use of force to take Greenland and the Panama Canal, and the Gulf of Mexico is renamed the "American Gulf"
- Alys Davies, Mike Wendling
- BBC reporter
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has shown no signs of backing down from his desire for the United States to gain access to Greenland and the Panama Canal, repeatedly stressing that both regions are vital to U.S. national security.
Asked if he would rule out using military or economic means to take over Denmark's autonomous territories or canals, he replied: "No, I can't guarantee that."
“But I can say that we need them to ensure our economic security,” he told a news conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.
Both Denmark and Panama have rejected any suggestion of giving up territory.
In addition, when asked whether he would try to annex Canada, Trump also vowed to use "economic means" and said that the US-Canada border is a "line drawn by man."
The border is the longest between two countries in the world and dates back to a treaty in the late 1700s during the founding of the United States.
Trump said the United States spends billions of dollars a year to protect Canada, and he criticized Canada's imports of cars, lumber and dairy products.
"They should be one of our states," he told reporters.
But outgoing Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau responded by saying a merger was "absolutely not possible."
The news conference was originally planned to announce an economic development plan - Dubai developer Damac Properties will invest $20 billion to build data centers in the United States.
However, Trump has begun criticizing environmental regulations, the U.S. electoral system, the various legal cases against him and President Joe Biden.
He also suggested renaming the Gulf of Mexico the "American Gulf" and reiterated his opposition to wind power, saying wind turbines are driving "the whales crazy."
Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr, is visiting Greenland at the moment. Before arriving in the capital, Nuuk, he said he would be on a "private schedule" talking to people and had no plans to meet with government officials.
In response to Donald Trump Jr.'s visit, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen told Danish television that "Greenland belongs to the people of Greenland" and only the locals can decide their own future.
She stressed that "Greenland is not for sale", but also said Denmark needed to work closely with the United States, a NATO ally.
Greenland is the closest route to Europe from North America and is home to a large U.S. space facility. The island also has the world’s largest reserves of rare earth minerals, which are essential for making batteries and high-tech devices.
Trump believes the island is crucial for tracking Chinese and Russian warships, which he describes as "everywhere."
"I'm protecting the free world," he told reporters.
Since his campaign success, Trump has repeatedly mentioned the idea of expanding U.S. territory, including taking back the Panama Canal.
During a news conference, Trump called the canal "vitally important to our country" and claimed that "it's controlled by China."
He has previously accused Panama of charging excessive fees for U.S. ships to use the Panama Canal, which connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino denied Trump's accusations and said there was "absolutely no Chinese interference in the canal."
Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison Holdings manages two ports at the canal's entrance.
The canal was built in the early 20th century, and the United States maintained control over the canal zone until 1977, when it gradually returned the land to Panama under negotiations by President Jimmy Carter.
"Giving the Panama Canal to Panama was a very big mistake," Trump said. "Look, (Carter) was a good man ... but it was a big mistake."
It is unclear how serious Trump is about the idea of adding to U.S. territory, especially with respect to Canada, a country of 41 million people and the world's second largest landmass.
At the press conference, Trump also repeated a number of false statements and bizarre conspiracy theories, including claims that the Islamic militant group Hezbollah was involved in the 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol.
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