Washington (TDI): President-elect Donald Trump’s plan to “expand” the United States by acquiring Greenland, taking control of the Panama Canal, renaming the Gulf of Mexico, and making Canada the “51st state” has been rejected by not only the nations involved and European leaders, but also by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and leading Democrats.
“The idea expressed about Greenland is clearly not a good one, but maybe more important, it is obviously one that is not going to happen, so we should not waste time talking about it,” Blinken told reporters at a media conference in Paris with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot.
Trump on Thursday reposted the New York Post’s cover on Social Truth, which features the headline “The Donroe Doctrine,” with a smaller subtitle reading “Trump’s Vision for the Western Hemisphere.”
Dominating the cover is a map of North America marked with 4 red “X”. Canada is crossed out and labeled “51st State.”
Greenland is marked with an X and titled “Our Land.” The Panama Canal is also crossed out and renamed as “Pana-MAGA.”
Finally, the Gulf of Mexico is marked with a red X and titled as “Gulf of America.”
Also Read: Justin Trudeau Rejects Trump’s Plan to Merge Canada
Asked at a media conference on Tuesday at his Florida resort whether he could assure the world he would not use military force or economic coercion as he tries to gain control of the Panama Canal and Greenland, the incoming US president said, “No, I can’t assure you on either of those two. But I can say this, we require them for economic security.”
Panama has asserted that its sovereignty over the Panama Canal is “non-negotiable” and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has hit back at Donald Trump’s threat to use “economic force” to absorb Canada into the United States stating there is not “a snowball’s chance in hell” to join the two.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Wednesday that the US revert to a historical name for the territory, America Mexicana, in a clapback at Trump’s proposal to change the name of the Gulf of Mexico.
While Denmark’s foreign minister stated on Wednesday that Greenland may become independent if its people want, but is unlikely to become a US state, after Trump refused to rule out force to take control of the Arctic Island.
“Borders must not be changed by force,” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz stated, adding that “the principle of inviolability of borders applies to every state, regardless of whether it is to the east or west of us.”
“There is obviously no question of the European Union letting other countries in the world, whoever they are, and I would even say starting with Russia, attack its sovereign borders,” France’s foreign minister Jean-Noël Barrot said.
Leading Democrats Oppose Trump’s Idea
Leading Democrats in the United States also said they have no interest in going along with Trump’s plans to expand the US.
Also Read: Trump Threatens ‘Economic Force’ Against Canada
House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries stated his lawmakers were not elected to help seize the Panama Canal by force, while Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer challenged president-elect to come up with a plan to lower costs for Americans if he wants his party’s backing for changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico.
