“Trump will always leave all options on the table": Volz admits forceful option to control Greenland and Panama Canal

US President-elect Donald Trump does not rule out the use of force to establish control over Greenland and the Panama Canal. This was stated by Trump's National Security Advisor Michael Volz in an interview with ABC News, UNN reports . 

When asked by the host if Trump was serious about using military force to seize the Panama Canal and Greenland, Waltz replied:

“Well, look, he is very serious about the threats we face in the Arctic, the threats in the Western Hemisphere. And not just from his words or from mine. The general who heads our Southern Command, Laura Richardson, testified last year about Chinese state-owned enterprises bidding on and buying parts of the channel, ports on both sides of it, Huawei, the Chinese technology company that dominates the free trade zone in their telecommunications.

According to him, 70% of cargo between the United States and the rest of the world passes through the Panama Canal. In addition, the canal is “crucial” for American military logistics. 

“There are grounds for the United States to deploy troops and protect its critical assets in the Panama Canal, in accordance with the Panama and Neutral Treaties,” he said.

Regarding Greenland, Waltz emphasized, “when we see Russia with 60 icebreakers, when we see huge critical minerals, oil and gas, new sea routes opening up because of the receding polar ice, it's enough for our enemies to penetrate our western hemisphere and threaten our national security.

“And President Trump is ready to take big, bold steps to ensure that the United States is properly protected,” he said.

When asked whether the use of military force to achieve these goals was on the table, Waltz replied: “President Trump will always leave all options on the table, but there are a number of things we can do to amend existing agreements. We hear from the Greenlanders that they want independence, which opens up all the other possibilities. But President Trump will never rule out any option, unlike, frankly, his predecessor. So, when it comes to our national defense, this is, you know, a priority for the Commander-in-Chief.

Context

US President-elect Donald Trump has said that he does not rule out the use of military force to gain control of the Panama Canal and Greenland. At the same time, he noted that these territories are necessary for the economic security of the United States.

Greenland's Prime Minister Mute Egede said that Greenland wants to be an independent state

The authorities of Panama have declared their inviolable sovereignty over the inter-oceanic canal in response to Trump's threats. Experts and locals called the idea of American control over the canal “remote and absurd.

For reference 

Greenland is the world's largest island with an area of 2.1 million square kilometers. But its population is only about 56 thousand people. It became a Danish colony in the 18th century. After a referendum in 1979, Greenland became a self-governing autonomy within Denmark.