President-elect Trump held a press conference that lasted more than an hour at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on January 7. During his 2024 campaign, Trump has focused on domestic issues and avoided mentioning foreign affairs. However, on January 7, he appeared serious about expanding US territory, according to Reuters.
Trump does not rule out using force to control the Panama Canal, Greenland
During the press conference, Mr. Trump said he "cannot guarantee" that he would not use military or economic pressure to control the Panama Canal and Greenland. "No, I can't guarantee you about either of those things but I can tell you this, we need them (the Panama Canal and Greenland) for economic security," Mr. Trump said.
The United States once controlled the Panama Canal, but President Jimmy Carter's administration signed an agreement to return full control to Panama in 1999. The Panamanian government has not commented on the latest announcement, but President Jose Raul Mulino has previously rejected the US idea.
US President-elect Donald Trump at a press conference at Mar-a-Lago, Florida on January 7
President-elect Trump also suggested he would impose tariffs on Denmark if it rejected his offer to buy Greenland. Greenland is an autonomous territory of Denmark, which has previously said it is not for sale. "I don't think it's a good idea to fight each other financially when we are close allies and partners," Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said after Trump's press conference.
According to CNN, Mr. Trump also announced that he would rename the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America. "It covers a lot of territory, the Gulf of America - a beautiful name. And it's appropriate," he said, repeating his call for Mexico to help stop illegal immigration at the border. Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene later announced that she would introduce a bill to rename the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America.
During the press conference, Mr. Trump again raised the idea of making Canada a US state, criticizing Washington's spending on Canadian goods and military aid to Ottawa. He said the US did not benefit from those things and called the border between the two countries an "artificial line".
"President-elect Trump's comments show a complete lack of understanding of what makes Canada a strong country. Our economy is strong. Our people are strong. We will never back down from threats," Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly responded to Trump.
NATO, Hamas warning
On the other hand, Mr. Trump said he would ask NATO allies to spend more than the current target of 2% of GDP on defense. "I think NATO should spend 5%. They absolutely can do that. It should be 5%, not 2%," he said.
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NATO estimates that 23 of its 32 members will meet the target of spending 2% of GDP on defense by 2024. No country, including the United States, will spend 5%. Poland spends the most on defense at 4.12% of GDP, followed by Estonia (3.43%) and the United States (3.38%).
Regarding the situation in the Middle East, Mr. Trump warned that the gates of hell would open in this region if Hamas forces did not release hostages taken from Israel before he took office on January 20. "It will not be good for Hamas and obviously it will not be good for anyone," the President-elect affirmed.
At a press conference, Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff expressed hope that there would be good news on the negotiations between Israel and Hamas by the time Trump takes office.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/ong-trump-khong-bac-bo-dung-vu-luc-de-kiem-soat-greenland-kenh-dao-panama-185250108071751859.htm
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