December 23rd 2024.
Last week, President-elect Donald Trump once again raised eyebrows with his suggestions for the United States. This time, he proposed buying Greenland from Denmark, adding Canada as the 51st state, and reclaiming control of the Panama Canal. These suggestions add to the growing list of countries that Trump has stirred up controversy with before even taking office on January 20.
After announcing his pick for ambassador to Denmark, Trump took to Twitter to state that owning Greenland is essential for national security and global freedom. He also suggested that the US could take control of the Panama Canal if shipping costs between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans continue to rise. In addition, he referred to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as the "governor" of the "Great State of Canada" and even shared a photoshopped image of himself on a mountaintop next to a Canadian flag.
While Trudeau initially thought Trump was joking about annexing Canada, the two leaders recently met at Trump's Mar-a-Lago club in Florida to discuss the US's threats to impose tariffs on Canadian goods. Greenland, the world's largest island, is predominantly covered by ice and houses a significant US military base. Despite Trump's insistence, Greenland's leader, Mute Bourup Egede, declared that the island is not for sale and will never be. He also reminded Trump that Greenland gained home rule from Denmark in 1979 and will not give up its hard-fought freedom.
This is not the first time Trump has expressed interest in buying Greenland. In 2019, he cancelled a visit to Denmark after his offer was rejected by the Danish government. He also recently suggested that the US is getting "ripped off" at the Panama Canal and threatened to take control of it once again. However, Panama President Jose Raul Mulino promptly responded with a video stating that every square meter of the canal belongs to Panama and will continue to do so.
Trump remained undeterred and replied on social media with a defiant "We'll see about that!" He even shared a photo of the American flag in the canal zone, proclaiming it as the "United States Canal." While the US did build the canal in the early 1900s, control was handed over to Panama in 1999 under a treaty signed by former President Jimmy Carter in 1977. However, the canal has faced challenges in recent years, such as droughts in 2023 that led to reduced daily slots for ships and increased fees for using the canal.
It remains to be seen how these suggestions will play out during Trump's upcoming term as president. However, one thing is for sure – he is not afraid to shake things up and make bold moves on the international stage. Whether his ideas will come to fruition or not, only time will tell.
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