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

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday refused to rule out invading Greenland or Panama when asked if the U.S. could use military force to acquire the Arctic island or the canal in the Central American country.

Asked if he would rule out economic or military coercion to gain control of Greenland and the Panama Canal, Trump said, “I’m not gonna commit to that. No. It might be that you’ll have to do something.”

“I can’t assure you — you’re talking about Panama and Greenland — no, I can’t assure you on either of those two,” Trump said in response to the question at a press conference. “But I can say this: We need them for economic security.”

Trump has repeatedly expressed his desire for the U.S. to purchase Greenland, describing the Danish territory and world’s largest island as an “absolutely necessity” for American security.

“We need Greenland for national security purposes,” he said Tuesday. “People really don’t even know if Denmark has any legal right to it, but if they do they should give it up because we need it for national security.”

Greenland, which has a population of around 60,000, was a Danish colony until it became self-ruling with its own parliament in 1979. It remains a territory of Denmark, with Copenhagen exercising control over its foreign and defense policy.

As global powers seek to expand their reach and footprint in the Arctic, the mineral-rich island — which hosts a U.S. military base — is coveted for its strategic security and trade value.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who rebuffed Trump’s first proposal to purchase Greenland in 2019, calling it “absurd,” had already reiterated Tuesday — before Trump’s refusal to rule out taking Greenland by force — that “Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders.”

“There is a lot of support among the people of Greenland that Greenland is not for sale and will not be in the future either,” she added.

Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., landed in Greenland on Tuesday on what he called a private visit. But his entourage included firebrand conservative activist Charlie Kirk and the elder Trump’s personnel director, Sergio Gor. Trump Sr. described them as his “reps.”

Trump has also previously demanded Panama restore ownership of the Canal to the U.S. The U.S. signed over control of the critical maritime trade route to Panama in 1977.

His earlier comments triggered a sharp rebuke from Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino, who called Panama’s control of the waterway “non-negotiable.”

“As president, I want to clearly state that every square meter of the Panama Canal and its adjoining zone is Panama’s and will remain so,” Mulino said.

But Trump said Tuesday, “Look, the Panama Canal is vital to our country. It’s being operated by China. China! And we gave the Panama Canal to Panama, we didn’t give it to China.”

This story is being updated.