President-elect Donald Trump He suggested on Wednesday that the United States could take control of Canada, Greenland and the Panama Canal — an unexpected Christmas Day message that has raised concerns among world leaders in recent days as they scramble to prepare for Trump's second term in the White House.
In a post on Wednesday on the Truth Social platform, Trump wished “a Merry Christmas to everyone,” including “the wonderful soldiers of China, who lovingly, but illegally, run the Panama Canal,” before moving on to target Canada. And Greenland too, which he again suggested might be better off under American rule.
Trump repeated his claim that American shipping companies exist Forced to pay “ridiculous” and “exorbitant” sums Navigation rates for the Panama Canal, a 51-mile-long artificial waterway connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. He has suggested, without evidence, that Chinese interests are gaining enormous influence over the waterway, something Panamanian leaders have consistently denied.
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A ship appears on Gaillard's path in the Panama Canal. (Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images)
In his post on Truth Social on Wednesday, Trump also mockingly referred to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as “the Governor,” repeating his recent suggestion that Canada should be turned into a US state.
“If Canada became our 51st state, its taxes would be reduced by more than 60%, its business would immediately double in size, and it would be militarily protected like no other country anywhere in the world,” Trump said.
Finally, the president-elect turned his attention to Greenland; An independent, geographically significant site in the Arctic full of natural resources, including rare earth minerals.
Trump said on Wednesday that the United States “feels that ownership and control of Greenland is absolutely necessary” for reasons of national security and “universal freedom.”
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on November 29, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Florida. (AP Photo/Carolyn Custer)
Bigger picture
Trump's long engagement with “Social Truth” has done little to allay the concerns of some world leaders, who have carefully watched Trump's actions and statements in recent weeks for clues about how he might govern in a second term.
The statements also seem to be conflicting With “America First” policies. Long embraced by Trump, it seeks to prioritize domestic policy rather than American expansion or presence abroad.
Rep. Ryan Zinke, R-Mont., echoed Trump's concerns In an interview Thursday He described China's influence in the Panama Canal, and the high prices incurred by shipping companies, as a “shot across the bow.”
“Remember, we have China and Cuba,” Zinke said on “Morning with Maria.”“ “We have Maduro in Venezuela. We've had Russian ships there. And the Panama Canal is important for our national security. And right now, it's run by the Chinese Communist Party. So it's concerning — for sure.”
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Houses are lit up after sunset in Tasiilaq, Greenland. (AP Photo/Felipe Danna)
This is certainly not the first time Trump has indicated interest in Greenland, a mineral-rich and geographically important region.
In 2019, then-US President Trump told reporters that he was “interested” in buying Greenland, which he described at the time as “essentially a big real estate deal.” However, the 2019 efforts did not gain any momentum; This week, Greenland's Prime Minister, Miot Egedy, immediately poured cold water on the idea of possibly selling their territory to the United States.
“Greenland is ours,” Greenland's Prime Minister Miut Egedy said this week in response to Trump's proposal.
He added: “We are not for sale and we will never be for sale.” “We must not lose our long struggle for freedom.”
Meanwhile, Panamanian President José Raul Molino also objected to the idea that American ships were flagged or paid higher fees to transit the Panama Canal — as well as the idea that the United States, which phased out its ownership starting in the 1970s, had any right to do so. To reassert control of the shipping waypoint.
In a video posted on social media earlier this week, Molyneux reassured his country's people that “the sovereignty and independence of our country are non-negotiable.”
The Panama Canal is one of the largest and most strategically important waterways for shipping goods in the world. It handles approximately 5% of total global maritime trade and approximately 40% of U.S. container ship traffic.
Picturesque Gatun Lake in the Panama Canal. (Danuta Hamlin)
The recent rise in prices is primarily due to drought and more competition, which dropped water levels last year to an all-time low. Although water levels have since risen, canal operators have been forced to temporarily limit ship traffic and increase costs for ships using the waypoint.
Other factors also played a role in the rise in ocean freight rates.
A series of attacks on ships in the Red Sea late last year prompted several major commodity shipping companies, including BP and Equinor, to temporarily halt or redirect their shipments away from the Suez Canal. Some chose to reroute supplies via the Cape of Good Hope, adding weeks of extra time to their journeys.
The Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, incorrectly claimed on social media last week that the Panama Canal cost American taxpayers $15.7 billion. In fact, the high costs are borne by ships passing through the waterway, in the form of toll fees. The US government does not support the channel.
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Gate locks on the Panama Canal will open to ship traffic in December 2023. Drought conditions have limited the number of ships that can travel through the canal daily, putting further price pressure on shipping companies. (Danuta Hamlin)
Panamanian authorities stressed that the prices are not the result of “unfair” treatment, capitulation to China or any other nation-state influence.
Molyneux said in his statements: “The canal has no direct or indirect control from China, the European Union, the United States or any other power.” “As a Panamanian citizen, I reject any appearance that distorts this reality.”
However, Trump does not appear to be backing down from the expansion claims.
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“The Panama Canal is a vital national asset to the United States, given its critical role in the American economy and national security,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social on Sunday. “A secure Panama Canal is critical to U.S. commerce, and the Navy's rapid deployment, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, dramatically reduces shipping times to U.S. ports.”
“We will not stand up to that,” he said. “So, I request the officials in Panama to be guided accordingly.”
