President-elect Donald Trump, during a lengthy press conference on Tuesday, spoke about his interest in strengthening the U.S. control of Greenland and the Panama Canaland he said he would not rule out the use of military force.
Below is a look at where the two places are and why Trump might want the US to control them.
Where is Greenland and why would Trump want to control it?
Greenland is located northeast of Canada and is largely covered by the Greenland Ice Sheet. The largest island in the world, but home to only about 60,000 people, it is a semi-independent region of the Kingdom of Denmark, with its own elected government.
Its location between the US, Russia and Europe makes it extremely strategic for economic and defense reasons – especially as sea ice has melted. opened new shipping lanes through the Arctic.
It is also the site of the northernmost US military base.
“We need Greenland for national security reasons,” Trump said Tuesday. “I'm talking about protecting the free world. You look at it – you don't even need binoculars – you look outside. You have Chinese ships all over the place. You have Russian ships all over the place. We don't let that happen.
European University in St. Petersburg
Greenland also has oil, natural gas and rare mineral resources, some of which are used in products including military technology and electric vehicles, which currently come mostly from Russia and China .
What is the Panama Canal and why would Trump want it?
About 40% of US container ships currently travel through the Panama Canal, according to trade publication CargoNOW. The canal is a short route between the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea and, in addition, the Atlantic Ocean.
Trump said the United States needs the Panama Canal for “economic security,” falsely claiming it is “run by China.”
“The Panama Canal is vital to our country. It is run by China. China! And we brought the Panama Canal to Panama. We did not take it to China, and they have abused it. They have ruined that gift. It should never have been done,” Trump said.
The President of Panama, Jose Raul Mulino, has opposed that.
“There is no Chinese interference or involvement in anything related to the Panama Canal,” he said in late December.
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Panamanian Foreign Minister Javier Martínez-Acha said on Tuesday that his government had not formally spoken to Trump or his team about the canal recently, but he reiterated comments from the country's president that the canal would remain under Panamanian control.
“The sovereignty of our canal is non-negotiable and is part of our history of struggle and conquest that cannot be changed,” said Martínez-Acha.
History of Greenland
The Kingdom of Denmark began colonizing Greenland in the early 18th century, hundreds of years after the Vikings from the same distant land first came to settle. It wasn't until World War II that the US established a presence on the island, when then-Danish Ambassador to the US, Henrik Kauffmann, refused to submit to the rule of the Nazi residents of Denmark.
Denmark was liberated from Nazi occupation in 1945, but the US did not leave its military base, Pituffik Space Base, which remains the northernmost installation of the American military.
History of the Panama Canal
The The Panama Canal was built by the US between 1904 and 1914. It is a short route between the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean, greatly shortening shipping routes from Asia to ports in the eastern US
It was originally ruled by the US government for decades, which led to tensions with Panama.
In the 1970s, the US and Panama signed a treaty agreeing to the permanent independence of the canal. The US promised to stop controlling the canal and did so in full in 1999. The canal is now run by the Panama Canal Authority.
