Trump stated he does not rule out seizing the Panama Canal and Greenland by force and plans to rename the Gulf of Mexico.

Elected U.S. President Donald Trump stated on Tuesday that he does not rule out the use of military or economic actions to bring the Panama Canal and Greenland under U.S. control.

He made this remark during a press conference, as reported by Reuters.

Trump also proposed the idea of turning Canada into a U.S. state, asserted that he would demand significantly higher defense spending from NATO allies, and promised to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the American Gulf.

Two weeks before taking office, Trump began to outline an aggressive foreign policy, giving little consideration to diplomatic factors or the concerns of U.S. allies, according to Reuters.

In response to a question about whether he could assure the world that he would not use military or economic pressure to gain control over the Panama Canal and Greenland, Trump said, “No, I cannot guarantee you either one. But I can say this: we need them for economic security.”

Trump criticized American spending on Canadian goods and military support for Canada, claiming that the U.S. gains no benefit from it, and he referred to the border between the two countries as an “artificially drawn line.”

He suggested that he might impose tariffs on Denmark if it refused his proposal to buy Greenland, which he stated is vital for U.S. national security.

Shortly before Trump’s statements, reports indicated that his son Donald Jr. had arrived in Greenland for a private visit.

Denmark stated that Greenland, an autonomous part of its kingdom, is not for sale.

“I don’t think it’s a good way to compete with each other financially when we are close allies and partners,” said Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in response to Trump’s comments.

Canada’s Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly wrote on X: “The comments from elected President Trump demonstrate a complete misunderstanding of what makes Canada a strong country. Our economy is strong. Our people are strong. We will never back down in the face of threats.”

The chief diplomat of Panama also dismissed the threat from the new U.S. leader to reclaim the canal—a key global waterway that the U.S. built and controlled before handing over control to the Central American country in 1999.

“The only hands that control the canal are Panamanian, and that will continue to be the case,” said Foreign Minister Javier Martínez-Acha to reporters on Tuesday.

U.S. Ambassador Daniel Fried, a retired U.S. diplomat now an analyst at the Atlantic Council, noted that Trump’s comments make him resemble a typical “19th-century imperialist.”

Seizing Greenland, Fried said, “would destroy NATO because it would make us just like Putin.”

Trump also stated that NATO member countries should spend 5% of their GDP on defense, which is a significant increase from the current target of 2%.

“I think NATO should have 5%,” he said. “They can all afford it, but they need to be at 5%, not 2%.”

Trump has frequently complained that most NATO members do not pay their fair share and has called for increased NATO defense contributions.

According to NATO estimates, 23 of the 32 NATO members will reach the goal of spending 2% of GDP by 2024.

According to NATO data, none of the alliance’s members, including the U.S., currently spend 5% of GDP on defense. Poland spends the most relative to GDP at 4.12%, followed by Estonia at 3.43% and the United States at 3.38%.

Trump was also asked what he thinks about Elon Musk's interference in the politics of European countries. In recent weeks, the billionaire has used his platform X to comment on European politics, including expressing support for Germany’s far-right “Alternative for Germany.”

“I can say that Elon is doing a good job, very smart guy,” Trump said. “I don’t know the people you are talking about.”

Background. It is worth noting that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer responded to Musk's accusations regarding his involvement in the poor investigation of child abuse in Britain. Amid calls to imprison Starmer, Musk promises to fund the British far-right Reform UK.