President-elect Donald Trump, during a lengthy press conference Tuesday, spoke of his interest in securing the United States. control of Greenland and the Panama Canaland said he would not rule out the use of military force.
Below is an overview of how these two places fare and why Trump might want the United States to control them.
Where is Greenland and why would Trump want to control it?
Greenland is located in the 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-autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark, with its own elected government.
Its geographical location between the United States, Russia and Europe makes it strategic for both economic and defense purposes, especially since the melting of sea ice has caused considerable damage. opened new sea routes across the Arctic.
This is also where the northernmost American military base is located.
“We need Greenland for national security reasons,” Trump said Tuesday. “I’m talking about protecting the free world. You look — you don’t even need binoculars — you look out. You have Chinese ships everywhere. You have Russian ships everywhere. We do not allow this to happen. We do not allow this to happen.
European University of Saint Petersburg
The Northwest Passage, or Northern Sea Route, was first crossed during the winter months by a Russian commercial ship several years ago. It is a shorter route connecting major ports in East Asia with Europe and the Atlantic Ocean. Western powers have already expressed concern about Russia and China use it to strengthen their presence in the North Atlantic.
“The Americans have a vested interest in supervising the activities of foreign countries in Greenland, as it is a very important security asset for foreign states and, therefore, any investment or activity, from the American point of view , can be considered a security asset. threat,” Frank Sejersen, an associate professor at the University of Copenhagen, told CBS News on Wednesday.
Pernille Benjaminsen, a human rights lawyer in Greenland, told CBS News that ties between the territory’s semi-autonomous government and the Danish government have become strained in recent years and that Trump may try to undermine them. enjoy.
“He noticed that there are strained relations between Denmark and Greenland and saw opportunities there,” she said.
Greenland also has highly sought after oil, natural gas and mineral resources.
These mineral resources, which include rare earth elements, “have received little exploration and development,” said Jose W. Fernandez, the Department’s undersecretary for economic growth, energy and environment. of American state. said to one Mineral Security Partnership event in Greenland in November.
Greenland may have significant reserves of up to 31 different minerals, including lithium and graphite, both needed for the production of electric vehicle batteries, according to a 2023 study. report assess the island’s resources. These filings are likely to attract the interest of Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who become a close advisor to Trump after providing more than $270 million last year to support his candidacy and those of other Republicans.
Currently, lithium production is dominated by Australia, Chile and China, while China produces about 65% of the world’s graphite, the report notes.
Greenland also has the potential to supply a significant amount of rare earth minerals like neodymium, which is used to make the magnets used in electric motors, the 2023 report says.
Currently, China produces about 70% of rare earth elements.
“The world is currently too dependent on a small group of players for the extraction and processing of many essential minerals,” Fernandez said in November.
Demand for rare earth minerals exceeds supply, keeping prices high, according to to the Swiss newspaper Neue Zürcher Zeitung. There are, however, significant obstacles to mining in Greenland, including environmental and cost concerns.
What is the Panama Canal and why would Trump want it?
About 40% of U.S. container shipping currently passes through the Panama Canal, according to trade publication CargoNOW. The canal serves as a shortcut between the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea and, beyond, the Atlantic Ocean.
Trump said the United States needed the Panama Canal for “economic security,” falsely alleging it was “operated by China.”
“The Panama Canal is vital to our country. It is operated by China. China! And we gave the Panama Canal to Panama. We didn’t give it to China, and they abused it. They abused this gift. This should never have been done,” Trump said.
Panamanian President José Raul Mulino disputed Trump’s claims.
“There is absolutely no Chinese interference or involvement in anything related to the Panama Canal,” he said in late December.
Elmurod Usubaliev/Anadolu Agency/Getty
Panamanian Foreign Minister Javier Martínez-Acha said Tuesday that his government had not spoken officially about the canal with Trump or his team recently, but he reiterated previous comments by 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 irreversible conquest,” Martínez-Acha said.
China has also denied trying to claim any control over the canal, with Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning saying in December that Beijing would “always respect Panama’s sovereignty over the canal and recognize the canal as a permanently neutral international waterway.”
Greenland’s history
The Kingdom of Denmark began colonizing Greenland in the early 18th century, hundreds of years after Vikings arrived from the same distant land to take up residence there. It was not until after World War II that the United States established a presence on the island, when the Danish ambassador to the United States, Henrik Kauffmann, refused to surrender to the power of the Nazi occupiers of the island. Denmark.
Denmark was liberated from Nazi occupation in 1945, but the United States did not leave its military base, Pituffik Space Base, which remains the northernmost American military installation to this day.
The history of the Panama Canal
THE Panama Canal was built by the United States between 1904 and 1914. It serves as a shortcut between the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean, greatly shortening shipping routes from Asia to eastern US ports.
It was initially managed by the U.S. government for decades, which caused tensions with Panama.
In the 1970s, the United States and Panama signed a treaty guaranteeing the permanent neutrality of the canal. The United States committed to relinquishing control of the canal and did so fully in 1999. The canal is now managed by the Panama Canal Authority.