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Translated by: Flutura Gashi-Mehmeti
- 7 January 2025 18:29
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Update (18:43) - President-elect Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he would not rule out using military force to take control of the Panama Canal and Greenland, as he said that US control of both is vital to US national security.
Speaking to reporters less than two weeks before he takes office on Jan. 20, and while a delegation of aides and advisers that includes his son, Donald Trump Jr., is in Greenland, Trump has left open the possibility of using the U.S. military to secure both territories, AP reports.
"I will not commit to this," he said when asked if he would rule out the use of the army.
"It may happen that something needs to be done. The Panama Canal is vital to our country. We need Greenland for national security purposes," added Trump.
Greenland is an autonomous territory of Denmark, a longtime US ally and a founding member of NATO.
Republican Trump has also called for Canada to join the United States.
He has said he would not use military force to do so, saying he would rely on "economic force".
Trump has also stated that he wants to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the "Gulf of America".
"We will change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. That covers a lot of territory, the Gulf of America - what a beautiful name. And it's appropriate," Trump said while speaking to reporters at Mar-a-Lago.
Trump repeated his call for Mexico to help stop illegal immigration across the Mexico-US border, and his promise to impose tariffs on Mexico.
Trump reiterates his threat to Israeli hostages being held in Gaza
President-elect Donald Trump has again warned that if the hostages still being held in Gaza are not released by the time of his inauguration on January 20, "all hell will break loose in the Middle East."
"It's not going to be good for Hamas and it's not going to be good, frankly, for anybody. All hell will break loose. I don't have to say it anymore, but it is what it is," Trump said, adding that the October 7 attack by Hamas on Israel should never have happened, reports CNN.
Steve Witkoff, Trump's pick to serve as Special Envoy for the Middle East during his administration, has said negotiators are "making a lot of progress" in talks on a deal to release hostages being held in Gaza.
Witkoff said Tuesday that there will be good news until Trump's inauguration.
Witkoff has also announced that he will return on Wednesday to Doha, where the negotiations are taking place.
"It's the president, his reputation, the things he's said, that's driving these negotiations, and so hopefully everything will work out and we'll save some lives," Witkoff said.
