GREENLAND? PANAMA CANAL?
In late December Pres.-elect Trump said the US might be interested in obtaining sovereignty over Greenland and the Panama Canal. Why? Due to global warming the edges of the Greenland icecap are melting, opening up the possibility of developing mining resources, especially for rare earths, critical for manufacture of electric vehicles, wind turbines and other green technology. Greenland also has military-strategic value for the US. Internal sovereignty in Greenland (pop. 56,000) belongs to the native Inuit people; external sovereignty is in the hands of NATO ally Denmark. Neither entity wants to sell.
Trump wants the Panama Canal to control a strategic waterway, lower rates for passage, and to deter any Chinese influence in that area. Chinese vessels are the second largest users of the Canal and a Hong Kong-based firm controls two ports near the canal. Panama (pop.4.5 million) refuses to discuss the transfer of its hard-won sovereignty over the
canal.
This all is another side of Trump’s "America first” campaign. We will see how far he is willing to go with it but must make clear our opposition.
Source: The New York Times,12/23/24