Trump stated he does not rule out seizing the Panama Canal and Greenland by force, and he plans to rename the Gulf of Mexico.

The elected President of the United States, Donald Trump, stated on Tuesday that he does not rule out the use of military or economic actions to gain control of the Panama Canal and Greenland.

Source. He made this statement during a press conference, as reported by Reuters.

Trump also proposed the idea of transforming Canada into a U.S. state, stated that he would demand significantly higher defense spending from NATO allies, and promised to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the American Gulf.

Two weeks before taking office, Trump began outlining an aggressive foreign policy, giving little consideration to diplomatic concerns or the worries of U.S. allies, Reuters notes.

When asked if he could assure the world that he would not use military or economic pressure to gain control over the Panama Canal and Greenland, Trump replied: “No, I cannot guarantee you either one. But I can say this: we need them for economic security.”

Trump criticized American spending on Canadian goods and military support for Canada, stating that the U.S. receives no benefits from this and referred to the border between the two countries as an “artificially drawn line.”

He suggested that he would impose tariffs on Denmark if it refused his offer to buy Greenland, which he claimed is vital for U.S. national security.

Shortly before Trump’s statements, his son Don Jr. reportedly arrived in Greenland on a private visit.

Denmark stated that Greenland, an autonomous part of its kingdom, is not for sale.

“I don’t think it’s a good way to fight each other with financial means when we are close allies and partners,” said Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in response to Trump’s comments.

Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly wrote on X:

“The comments from elected President Trump demonstrate a complete misunderstanding of what makes Canada a strong country. Our economy is strong. Our people are strong. We will never back down in the face of threats.”

Panama’s chief diplomat also dismissed the threat from the new U.S. leader to reclaim the canal – a key global waterway that the U.S. built and owned before handing control to the Central American country in 1999.

“The only hands that control the canal are Panamanian, and that will continue to be the case,” said Foreign Minister Javier Martínez-Acha to reporters on Tuesday.

U.S. Ambassador Daniel Fried, a retired U.S. diplomat and now an analyst at the Atlantic Council, noted that Trump’s comments make him resemble a typical “19th-century imperialist.”

Seizing Greenland, Fried said, “would destroy NATO because it would make us just like Putin.”

Trump also stated that NATO member countries should spend 5% of their GDP on defense, which is a significant increase from the current target of 2%.

“I think NATO should have 5%,” he said. “They can all afford it, but they need to be at 5%, not 2%.”

Trump has frequently complained that most NATO members do not pay their fair share and has demanded increased NATO contributions for defense.

According to NATO estimates, 23 out of 32 NATO members will reach the goal of spending 2% of GDP by 2024.

According to NATO data, none of the alliance’s members, including the U.S., currently spends 5% of GDP on defense. Poland spends the most as a percentage of GDP at 4.12%, followed by Estonia at 3.43% and the United States at 3.38%.

Trump was also asked what he thinks about Elon Musk's interference in the politics of European countries. In recent weeks, the billionaire has used his platform X to comment on European politics, including expressing support for the far-right German party “Alternative for Germany.”

“I can say Elon is doing a good job, very smart guy,” Trump said. “I don’t know the people you’re talking about.”

Background. Recall that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer responded to Musk’s accusations regarding involvement in the poor investigation of child abuse in Britain. Amid calls to imprison Starmer, Musk promises to fund the British far-right Reform UK.