By Steve Holland and Joseph Ax
PALM BEACH, Florida (Reuters) -President-elect Donald Trump declined on Monday 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.
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.
“It covers a lot of territory,” he said of the Gulf. “‘The Gulf of America.’ What a beautiful name.”
His promise to rename the Gulf echoed his previous vow to revert the name of Denali, the highest mountain peak in North America, to Mount McKinley. Former President Barack Obama changed the name of the Alaskan mountain in deference to Native Americans.
Typically, the U.S. Board of Geographic Names sets geographic names, though presidents have also renamed geographic features via executive action.
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.
Trump said NATO members should spend 5% of their gross domestic product on defense, a significant increase from the current 2% target.
“I think NATO should have 5%,” he said. “They can all afford it, but they should be at 5%, not 2%.”
Trump has frequently complained that most NATO members are not paying their fair share, and he floated demanding an increase in NATO defense contributions during the campaign.
The press conference, Trump’s second since he won the Nov. 5 election, took place one day after Congress formally certified his victory.
The Jan. 6 certification, a basic and largely ceremonial step required by the U.S. Constitution, was disrupted in 2021 when a mob of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol building in a failed effort to forestall President Joe Biden’s win over Trump. Monday’s ceremony took place under heavy security but proceeded without drama.
(Reporting by Steve Holland; Additional reporting by Costas Pitas, Helen Coster, Timothy Reid, Doina Chiacu and Gram Slattery; Writing by Joseph Ax; Editing by Howard Goller)
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