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Trump refuses to rule out military force to take over Greenland and Panama Canal

By Mark Mansfield
Donal Trump. Greenland image: NASA

US President-elect Donald Trump has said he would not rule out the use of military force to seize control of the Panama Canal and Greenland, as he declared US control of both to be vital to American national security.

Speaking to reporters less than two weeks before he takes office on January 20 and as a delegation of aides and advisers that includes his son Donald Trump Jr is in Greenland, Mr Trump left open the use of the American military to secure both territories.

“I’m not going to commit to that,” he said, when asked if he would rule out the use of the military.

“It might be that you’ll have to do something. The Panama Canal is vital to our country.”

He added: “We need Greenland for national security purposes.”

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Autonomous territory

Greenland is an autonomous territory of Denmark, a long-time US ally and a founding member of Nato.

Mr Trump, a Republican, has floated the idea of having Canada join the United States.

He said he would not use military force to do that, saying, he would rely on “economic force”.

Earlier, at a news conference at Mr Trump’s Florida estate Mar-a-Lago he said he would move to try to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America”, saying that has a “beautiful ring to it”.

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18 comments

Jeff

Also going to rename the gulf of mexico and invade canada. blokes unhinged. The gop a bunch of idiots, buckle up for four years.

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Y Cymro

We have American idiot Donald Trump argue how he persuaded Nato countries to increase their monetary support from 2% to %5 while openly admitting he wants to invade both Panama to control of its canal and Greenland for its strategic position & natural resources. Absolutely breathtaking authoritarian arrogance? Are we going to see NATO defend both nations from any American aggression? No wonder he doesn't want to attack Vladimir Putin or defend Ukraine from Russian aggression. He's considering doing the very same thing.

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Y Cymro

Obviously has mental health issues this one. 🤨

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hdavies15

Nothing stopping Denmark or Panama declaring Trump a "terrorist threat" or a hostile entity out to undermine the state's integrity. Might even get a top quality sniper to do the business !

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Alwyn Evans

I’m waiting for a joint Portugal/ Spain/ French joint approach to taking back their coloniesacross the Americas -North and South

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Stephen

I'm waiting for Mexico to say they want more money or their land back which is a huge part of the coast going up to texas

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Rob

Were Trump to actually carry out his threat, how would the UK and EU respond? For the UK sanctioning the US is much more difficult than sanctioning Russia. People can live without Russian vodka, but Coca-Cola, McDonalds, KFC, American films, NFL etc, good luck with that. I hear Elon Musk wants to buy Liverpool football club, yet since he has called for Trump to invade the UK I hope this gets blocked. That precedence was set when Roman Abramovich was stripped of his ownership of Chelsea when Russia invaded Ukraine. But I doubt the UK & EU would, which will make Putin feel vindicated. Furthermore any concessions made to Putin regarding Ukraine could set a precedent regarding international relations and sovereignty, because Trump could demand similar concessions regarding Panama and Greenland. Its time for the UK to retain closer ties to the EU and Canada, ditch NATO and form their own security bracket deterring us from both Trump and Putin.

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Jeff

More I think about this, the more his previous comes into play. What is this distracting from and is he hoping he gets a better small concession than if he asked nicely. He is a thug at heart. Threaten biggly first, see what comes of it. Wonder how the US military will see attacking a NATO ally will sit. I could see the America's ganging up on Trump quite easily. But yeah, we need into the EU, that is a bloc that can sanction the orange oaf. We cannot successfully on our lonesome.

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Fanny Hill

Keep a close eye on Ynys Mon.

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Jeff

He is being sentenced friday. Probably a nothing sentence but convictions stand.

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Dai Ponty

And we thought Putin was mad and dangerous 2025 the year of the Snakes Trump Musk and many more Trump has assembled he is about to turn the U S into a dictatorship he is more dangerous than the mad dog Putin

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TheWoodForTheTrees

We're doomed. The lunatics are taking over the asylum.

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S Duggan

I expect Putin and Xi Jinping, and every other dictator, are rubbing their hands with glee at Trump's ravings. An American hostile take over of what is essentially part of another country within NATO. We have a deranged clown about to be in charge in the White House.

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Jeff

I expect a lot of instructions from Moscow. His picks for staffers, many have red flags and it scares their security orgs (flags, figuratively and seemingly literally).

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Mab Meirion

Putin; Trumps great inspiration Panama-the Black Sea...Greenland-Ukraine...

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Mab Meirion

L. Ron Hubbard ain't got nothin' on this dude...

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Ben Davies

Even stupid people call him stupid.

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Charles Coombes

WW3 here we go!

Reply

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WW3 here we go!

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