Donald Trump has refused to rule out using force to obtain Greenland or take control of the Panama Canal, as he vowed to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America”.
In a freewheeling press conference less than two weeks before he takes office, the US president-elect threatened to use his country’s economic and military might against traditional allies to further national security and territorial expansion.
Asked whether he would exclude the use of military or economic coercion to acquire Greenland or assume control of the Panama Canal, he said: “No, I can’t assure you on either of those two. But I can say this, we need them for economic security?.?.?. We need Greenland for national security reasons.”