Trump stirs tensions with remarks on buying Greenland, seizing Panama Canal

NEWS WIRES

23 December 2024 at 3:13 pm·1-min read

President-elect Donald Trump speaks at AmericaFest, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Phoenix.

US President-elect Donald Trump has sparked international tension by reviving plans to buy Greenland, threatening to reclaim the Panama Canal, and joking about annexing Canada. While critics see these as disruptive stances against allies, others view them as strategic ploys to assert US dominance on the global stage.

Donald Trump has threatened to seize the Panama Canal, revived calls to buy Greenland and joked about annexing Canada -- leaving the world guessing once again whether he is serious or not.

By challenging the sovereignty of some of Washington's closest allies four weeks before he even returns to the Oval Office, the US-president elect has underscored his credentials as global disruptor-in-chief.

His comments have renewed fears from his first term that Trump will end up being harsher on US friends than he is on adversaries like Russia and China.

But there are also suspicions that billionaire tycoon Trump is looking for leverage as part of the "art of the deal" -- and that the former reality television star is grabbing headlines to look strong at home and abroad.

"He puts other leaders in position of having to figure out what is literal and what is not," he told AFP.

'Not for sale'

(AFP)

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'Not for sale'

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