"Greenland belongs to the people of Greenland", its prime minister said on Monday, a day after Trump repeated comments about the Arctic island that he first made five years ago. [Check out my post "Donald Trump Eyes Real-estate Purchase" published August 21, 2019].
Greenland, which is an autonomous Danish territory, is home to a large US space facility and lies on the shortest route from the US to Europe, meaning it is strategically important for the US.
There was no immediate response to Trump's comments from Denmark.
His comments prompted a sharp rebuke from Greenland's Prime Minister Mute Egede, who said: "We are not for sale and we will not be for sale".
And he added: "We must not lose our long struggle for freedom. However, we must continue to be open to co-operation and trade with the whole world, especially with our neighbors".
Separately on Sunday, Donald Trump threatened to reassert control over the Panama Canal, one of the world's most important waterways – accusing Panama of charging excessive fees for access to it. And he just had to add that the Panama Canal was not China's and that it should not fall into the "wrong hands".
For good measure, he posted this on Truth Social on Monday, dubbing Panama Canal as "United States Canal":
[Note: The 51-mile (82km) Panama Canal cuts across the central American nation and is the main link between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Some 75% of the cargo passing through the waterway in the latest fiscal year was either destined for or originated from the US, according to the Panama Canal Authority].
José Raúl Mulino, Panama's president, later said "every square metre" of the canal and surrounding area belonged to his country. And added that Panama's sovereignty and independence were non-negotiable.
Trump is unbelievable. He's not yet president but he's already "governing" through social media!
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