TRUMPONOMICS appears to have coined another new terminology, i.e., geo-land-grabbing. The latest press conference of Donald Trump highlighting his desire of universal land grabbing has rattled many capitals around the world. Trump’s suggestion to possess over Greenland and Panama Canal vividly reflects his blind obsession, eroding international law and basic concepts of respect of sovereignty and territorial integrity leveraging lawlessness at international level signalling serious socio-economic, geopolitical and geostrategic consequences in the days to come.
Responding to a new wish list of the so-called new king of the world, mainly “Geo-Land Grabbing” Panama upheld that the sovereignty of its interoceanic canal was non-negotiable, while Denmark labelled Greenland as non-saleable. Apparently, Donald Trump’s military or economic coercion to gain control over relevant regions have glimpses of hegemonic imperialism. Additionally, the US President-elect desired renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America,” clearly demonstrating rewriting of the map of the Western Hemisphere. Moreover, his suggestions of reclaiming the Panama Canal potentially by force, a giant step unsettling Panamanians showcasing the imminent use of force in the days to come. Thus Trump 2.0 would not be an era of trade war but also be a global forcible drive of land grabbing.
Panama’s Foreign Minister, Javier Martínez-Acha termed the sovereignty of the canal as nonnegotiable and part of the national history of struggle and an irreversible conquest. On the other hand, Trump termed it as vital for US economic security, the extended version of the self-claimed national security narrative. It seems that Trump has certain policies to purchase Greenland and imposing high tariffs would be brutally pursued if Denmark resists. Thus it would be followed again on the pretext of so-called national security nullifying basic rights of free will and denying the real essence of global corporate culture. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen told Danish TV that “Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders” and that only the local population could determine their future.
In addition to Greenland and the Panama Canal, Trump has set his eyes on Canada multiple times. Trump reacted to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s resignation in a Truth Social post stating “Many people in Canada LOVE being the 51st State. The United States can no longer suffer the massive Trade Deficits and Subsidies that Canada needs to stay afloat. Justin Trudeau knew this, and resigned. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau dismissed a suggestion by Trump that he might use “economic force to make Canada the 51st US state and flatly rejected the US idea. It fears that Trump’s seizing of more territories for the US could be an option, aligning with his ‘America First’ ideology and appealing to his penchant for bold, attention-grabbing actions.
Greenland, the Panama Canal and Canada possess significant strategic value, and if the new US Administration tries to annex these lands with military or economic approaches, this would set a dangerous precedent for the world’s superpower to disregard international laws and norms. Thus world order would be in the line of fire and the international system would be deeply interrupted and fall into greater chaos. Donald Trump’s comments about taking control of Greenland have prompted France to warn Washington against threatening the “sovereign borders” of the European Union. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot warned “There is obviously no question that the European Union would let other nations of the world attack its sovereign borders. A German government spokesman said Berlin stands by the international principle that borders not be changed by force.
Trump’s suggestion of seizing Greenland for national security purposes highlights a vision of national power rooted in territorial expansion, drawing comparisons to 19th-century imperialism. Such a move could destabilize NATO, likening the US to Vladimir Putin, given Greenland’s strategic position between the US, Russia and Europe. Melting Arctic Sea ice has opened new shipping routes, enhancing its significance for defence and economic interests, including hosting the northernmost US military base and providing a shorter route between East Asia and Europe. Additionally, Greenland holds vast reserves of oil, natural gas and 31 minerals, including rare earth elements like lithium and graphite, essential for electric vehicle batteries. These resources, largely dominated by China, could attract interest from figures like Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who has financially supported Trump. Such ambitions raise concerns about the region’s growing geopolitical importance amidst Western fears of increased Russian and Chinese influence in the North Atlantic.
On the other hand, about 40 percent of US container shipping currently travels through the Panama Canal serving as a shortcut between the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea and, beyond that, the Atlantic Ocean. Trump said that the United States needs the Panama Canal for economic security, falsely alleging that it is being “operated by China. Frankly speaking there is neither absolutely no Chinese interference nor involvement in anything to do with the Panama Canal. On its part, the Chinese policy high officials have also denied trying to claim any control over the canal, that Beijing would always respect Panama’s sovereignty over the Canal and recognize the Canal as a permanently neutral international waterway.
To conclude, the latest press conference of Trump shows the US preoccupation with imperialism of the 21st century subjugating the countries and their people replicating his America First Doctrine. Unfortunately, he has embraced a new imperialist agenda, threatening to seize the Panama Canal and Greenland perhaps by military force and economic coercion to pressure Canada to become the nation’s 51st State. It is the resurrection of masculine American energy and the return of Manifest Destiny.
—The writer is President, Pak-China Corridor of Knowledge, Executive Director, CSAIS, regional expert: China, CPEC & BRI.
(mehmoodulhassankhan@yahoo.com)
