US President-elect Donald Trump declined on Tuesday (January 7) to rule out military or economic action as part of his avowed desire to have the U.S. take back control of the Panama Canal and acquire the Danish territory of Greenland, Reuters reports.
Asked at a press conference whether he could assure the world that he would not use military or economic coercion as he tries to gain control of the Panama Canal and Greenland, Trump said, "No, I can't assure you on either of those two. But I can say this, we need them for economic security."
The extraordinary statement came as Trump further outlined an expansionist agenda, two weeks before he is sworn into office at the Jan. 20 inauguration in Washington.
He reiterated his interest in making Canada into a U.S. state and criticized American spending on Canadian goods and military support for Canada, one of the country's closest allies.
Trump suggested he would impose tariffs on Denmark if it resists his offer to purchase Greenland, which he said is vital to U.S. national security. Denmark has said Greenland is not for sale.
Trump also vowed to change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America and repeated his promise to impose significant tariffs on Mexico and Canada.
Mexican and Panamanian authorities did not immediately comment. Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino has previously rejected the notion of turning the canal back to the U.S., which had owned it before handing over control to Panama in 1999.
