Panama, Denmark respond to Trump’s refusal to rule out military, economic coercion to take control of Canal, Greenland

 Panama, Denmark respond to Trump’s refusal to rule out military, economic coercion to take control of Canal, Greenland

By Global TimesPublished: Jan 08, 2025

 

A drone photo shows a cargo vessel sailing on the Panama Canal near Panama City, Panama, Aug. 28, 2024. The Panama Canal, connecting the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, spans over 80 kilometers and is one of the world's most important trade waterways. The Panama Canal officially opened on Aug. 15, 1914. This year marks the 110th anniversary of its inauguration. Photo: Xinhua

Panama said on Tuesday that the sovereignty of its interoceanic canal was non-negotiable, while Denmark said Greenland is not for sale, after US President-elect Donald Trump refused to rule out military or economic coercion to gain control.

"The sovereignty of our canal is not negotiable and is part of our history of struggle," Panama Foreign Minister Javier Martinez-Acha said, noting that President Jose Raul Mulino had made his stance clear.

Asked at a press conference at his Florida resort whether he could assure the world he would not use military or economic coercion as he tries to gain control of the Panama Canal and Greenland, Trump said, "No, I can't assure you on either of those two. But I can say this, we need them for economic security," according to Reuters.

Trump also suggested he would impose tariffs on Denmark if it resists his offer to purchase Greenland, which he said is vital to US national security. Shortly before Trump's comments, his son Don Jr. arrived in Greenland for a visit, according to Reuters.

When asked about Trump Jr's visit to Greenland, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen told Danish TV that "Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders" and that only the local population could determine their future. She agreed that "Greenland is not for sale", but stressed Denmark needed close cooperation with the US, a Nato ally, according to BBC.

Global Times-China

Exclusive: UAE discusses post-war Gaza government with US and Israel

Exclusive: UAE discusses post-war Gaza government with US and Israel

《By Alexander Cornwell January 7, 2025》 

• Summary

• UAE involved in behind-the-scenes post-war talks, sources say
• Temporary governance, peacekeeping mission discussed, according to sources
• Use of private military contractors in peacekeeping also under discussion, sources say
• UAE official says post-war plan must include reform of the Palestinian Authority

DUBAI, Jan 7 (Reuters) - The United Arab Emirates has discussed with Israel and the United States participating in a provisional administration of post-war Gaza until a reformed Palestinian Authority is able to take charge, according to people familiar with the talks.

The behind-the-scenes discussions, reported by Reuters for the first time, included the possibility of the UAE and the United States, along with other nations, temporarily overseeing the governance, security and reconstruction of Gaza after the Israeli military withdraws and until a Palestinian administration is able to take over, a dozen foreign diplomats and Western officials told Reuters.

The UAE is a close security partner of the U.S. and, unlike most Arab governments, has diplomatic ties with Israel. The diplomats and officials said this provides the Gulf state with some leverage over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government.

After more than a year of war, Israel remains reluctant to outline its own vision for Gaza and the international community has struggled to formulate a viable plan, said the sources, who asked not to be identified because the conversations were private.

The diplomats and officials stressed the ideas that had emerged from the UAE talks lacked detail and had not been distilled into a formal, written plan nor adopted by any government.

In the behind-the-scenes talks, Abu Dhabi is advocating for a reformed Palestinian Authority (PA) to govern Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem under an independent Palestinian state, the sources said - something that Israel has publicly opposed.

"The UAE will not participate in any plan that fails to include significant reform of the Palestinian Authority, its empowerment, and the establishment of a credible roadmap toward a Palestinian state," a UAE official told Reuters, in response to questions about the discussions.

"These elements - which are currently lacking - are essential for the success of any post-Gaza plan."

The PA was established three decades ago under the 1993-1995 Oslo Accords, signed by Israel and Palestinians, and given limited authority over the West Bank and Gaza. It still exercises some governance in the Israeli-occupied West Bank but was run out of Gaza in 2007 by Hamas after a brief civil war.

A U.S. State Department spokesperson told Reuters there had been talks with several partners, including the UAE, on options for governance, security and reconstruction, and that various draft proposals, plans and ideas had been put forward by partners.

"These have been deliberative discussions that continue, as we seek the best way forward," the spokesperson said, declining to comment further on "private diplomatic conversations".

The Israeli prime minister's office declined comment for this story. The Palestinian Authority did not respond to Reuters' questions.

In addition to reforming the PA, four of the diplomats and Western officials said that Emirati officials had suggested the use of private military contractors as part of a post-war peacekeeping force in Gaza. The other sources confirmed they were briefed on what they described as Emirati post-war proposals, which included the possible use of such forces.

The diplomats and Western officials said any deployment of such contractors would spark concerns among Western nations. Private military contractors, hired by the United States and other governments, have faced accusations of torture, human rights abuses, and use of excessive force, among other allegations, including in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The UAE official did not respond to questions about the use of military contractors.

RECONSTRUCTION WILL TAKE YEARS

Rebuilding Gaza, including its political institutions, is expected to take years and cost tens of billions of dollars, requiring substantial international support, following 15 months of Israel's devastating military campaign.

While the UAE has criticised the conduct of Israel's military and Netanyahu himself, Israel still wants the oil-rich nation involved in post-war Gaza, according to two former Israeli officials, who declined to be identified.

Like Israel, the Gulf state opposes Hamas, a U.S.-designated terrorist group that led the Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel that sparked the war.

Abu Dhabi views Hamas and other Islamist groups as destabilizing forces. UAE officials have also expressed concern publicly over the war's impact on stability in the Middle East and on efforts towards greater regional integration and economic development.

Asked whether Hamas was aware of proposals discussed by the UAE, Basem Naim, one of the organization's senior officials, told Reuters that after the war, Gaza must be "distinctly Palestinian" and without "foreign interventions".

Washington is pushing, alongside mediators Egypt and Qatar, for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. Israel and Hamas traded blame in late December for delays in reaching a ceasefire – which both sides had said appeared to be close last month. On Monday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington wanted to see a ceasefire deal concluded in the next two weeks.

When asked about the future of Gaza, Brian Hughes, a spokesman for Donald Trump's transition team, said the U.S. president-elect - who is due to take office on Jan. 20 - would work in close coordination with Arab and Israeli partners "to ensure that Gaza can one day prosper".

REFORM OF PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY

The Gulf state has said it would only send troops to a post-war multinational mission at the invitation of the Palestinian Authority and with the involvement of the U.S.

Netanyahu, however, has said he is against the Palestinian Authority in its current form governing Gaza, citing his long-standing grievances over the PA's school syllabus, which he says fuels hatred of Israel, and its policy of giving salaries to families of Palestinians imprisoned in Israel.

The UAE has called for a new prime minister to lead the Palestinian Authority, which Emirati officials frequently criticized as corrupt and inept during the closed-door talks, the diplomats and officials said, without providing specifics.

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa, who took office in March, has pledged to implement reforms within the Palestinian Authority whose finances have been in disarray for years as donor states have cut back funding until corruption and waste are tackled.

Emirati officials have mentioned former prime minister Salam Fayyad, a U.S.-educated former World Bank official, as the type of person who would be credible to lead a revamped Palestinian Authority, according to the diplomats and officials.

Fayyad served as prime minister from 2007 until resigning in 2013 after falling out with President Mahmoud Abbas, who remains in office. Reuters was unable to reach Fayyad for comment.⍐

 

Trump will not rule out force to take Panama Canal, Greenland

《By Steve Holland and Joseph Ax

January 8, 2025》

• Summary

Trump proposes changing Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America

Trump urges NATO members to increase defense spending to 5% GDP

• PALM BEACH, Florida, Jan 7 (Reuters) - U.S. President-elect Donald Trump refused on Tuesday to rule out using military or economic action to pursue acquisition of the Panama Canal and Greenland, part of a broader expansionist agenda he has promoted since winning the Nov. 5 election.
• Trump, who takes office on Jan. 20, also floated the idea of turning Canada into a U.S. state, said he would demand far higher defense spending from NATO allies and promised to change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.
• Still two weeks away from taking office, Trump has begun outlining an aggressive foreign policy with little regard to diplomatic considerations or the concerns of U.S. allies.

  Asked at a press conference at his Florida resort whether he could assure the world he would not use military or economic coercion as he tries to gain control of the Panama Canal and Greenland, Trump said, "No, I can't assure you on either of those two. But I can say this, we need them for economic security."

  Trump criticized American spending on Canadian goods and military support for Canada, saying the U.S. derives no benefits from doing so, and called the border between the two countries an "artificially drawn line."

  He suggested he would impose tariffs on Denmark if it resists his offer to purchase Greenland, which he said is vital to U.S. national security. Shortly before Trump's comments, his son Don Jr. arrived in Greenland for a private visit.

  Denmark has said Greenland, a self-governing part of its kingdom, is not for sale.

  "I don't think it's a good way forward to fight each other with financial means when we are close allies and partners," Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said late on Tuesday in response to Trump's comments.

  CANADA SAYS: 'WE WILL NEVER BACK DOWN'

  Canada's minister of foreign affairs, Melanie Joly, said on X, "President-elect Trump's comments show a complete lack of understanding of what makes Canada a strong country. Our economy is strong. Our people are strong. We will never back down in the face of threats."

  Panama's top diplomat also pushed back on the incoming U.S. leader's threat to retake the key global waterway, which the U.S. had built and owned before handing over control to the Central American nation in 1999.

  "The only hands that control the canal are Panamanian and that's how it will continue to be," Foreign Minister Javier Martinez-Acha told reporters on Tuesday.

  Ambassador Daniel Fried, a retired U.S. diplomat now with the Atlantic Council think tank, said Trump's comments painted a picture of national power as territorial expansion and compared him to a "19th century imperialist."

  Seizing Greenland, Fried said, "would destroy NATO, because it would make us no different than Vladimir Putin," Russia's president.

  Trump's promise to rename the Gulf of Mexico echoed his previous vow to revert the name of Denali, the highest mountain peak in North America, to Mount McKinley. Former President Barack Obama changed the name of the Alaskan mountain in deference to Native Americans.

  Mexican Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard, who is expected to play a key role in looming U.S.-Mexico trade issues, appeared to dismiss Trump's call to rename the shared body of water later on Tuesday.

  "Today I'd tell you if we saw each other in 30 years, the Gulf of Mexico will still be called the Gulf of Mexico," he said, adding that the Mexican government would not get drawn into the debate.

  Typically, the U.S. Board of Geographic Names sets geographic names, though presidents have also renamed geographic features via executive action.
• NATO SPENDING
• Trump said NATO members should spend 5% of their gross domestic product on defense, a significant increase from the current 2% target.
• "I think NATO should have 5%," he said. "They can all afford it, but they should be at 5%, not 2%."
• Trump has frequently complained that most NATO members are not paying their fair share, and he floated demanding an increase in NATO defense contributions during the campaign.
• NATO estimated that 23 of its 32 members would meet its goal of spending 2% of GDP in 2024.
• None of the alliance members, including the U.S., currently spends 5% of GDP on defense, according to NATO figures. Poland is the highest spender in GDP terms at 4.12%, followed by Estonia at 3.43% and the United States at 3.38%.
• Trump also repeated his threat that "all hell will break out in the Middle East" if Palestinian Hamas militants do not release by the time he takes office hostages it abducted from Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and still hold in the Gaza Strip.
• "It will not be good for Hamas, and it will not be good, frankly, for anyone," he said.
• His Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, told reporters he hopes to have good things to report on negotiations between Israel and Hamas by the time Trump is sworn into office.
• FAMILIAR GRIEVANCES
• The free-wheeling, hour-long press conference, Trump's second since his victory, echoed similar events during his presidential campaign.
• He aired a series of familiar grievances about his criminal indictments, including attacking Justice Juan Merchan, the New York judge who is scheduled to sentence Trump on Friday for falsifying business records in connection with hush money payments to a porn star.
• A New York appeals court denied his latest bid to halt the sentencing shortly after his press conference ended.
• Separately, as Trump was speaking, a U.S. judge temporarily blocked Special Counsel Jack Smith from releasing a report on his investigations into Trump's alleged mishandling of classified documents and attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.
• The judge, Aileen Cannon, had previously dismissed the case charging Trump with illegally retaining classified materials after leaving office.
• Tuesday's event took place in the ornate living room at Mar-a-Lago, Trump's Palm Beach resort. Several of Trump's senior advisers watched the proceedings, while club guests could be seen outside dining on the terrace.
• Trump was also asked whether it was appropriate for Elon Musk to publicly weigh in on foreign affairs. In recent weeks, the billionaire Trump ally has used his X platform to comment on European politics, including expressing support for Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany.
• "I can say Elon is doing a good job, very smart guy," Trump said. "I don't know the people you're talking about."⍐

தோழர் விஜயனுக்கு சிவப்பு அஞ்சலி!

 

சென்னைக் கண்காட்சியில் செந்தளம் நூல்கள்

 

யுத்தக் கறையை அரசு சுத்தம் செய்ய வேண்டும்-யாழ் பல்கலை மாணவர்

 

European leaders hit back in Elon Musk meddling row

 European leaders hit back in Elon Musk meddling row

London (AFP) – European leaders expressed growing frustration with tech billionaire Elon Musk on Monday, as a major row escalated between members of Britain's government and US president-elect Donald Trump's key ally.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer slammed those "spreading lies and misinformation" following days of incendiary posts by Musk on his X platform over historical sex offences against children in northern England.

Musk, who is set for a role in Trump's administration, then accused the centre-left Labour leader of being "deeply complicit in the mass rapes" and "utterly despicable".

European leaders including French President Emmanuel Macron have also weighed in against Musk.

He said the SpaceX boss was "directly intervening in elections", including in Germany where Chancellor Olaf Scholz has condemned the Tesla boss for backing an extreme-right party.

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store said Monday he found it "worrying" that someone with so much wealth and influence was getting involved in the politics of European countries.

Much of Musk's focus in recent days has been on Britain and historical scandals involving grooming gangs that first emerged during Starmer's 2008-2013 tenure as the country's top prosecutor.

The comments pose a major challenge for Starmer's government, as it tries to fend off growing support for the far-right while also seeking to maintain good relations with Trump's incoming administration.

Musk's tirade, which included demands for a new public inquiry into the scandal, has prompted some UK opposition politicians to join in the criticism and call for a fresh national probe.

'Lies'

The issue has long been seized upon by far-right figures including the imprisoned Tommy Robinson, one of Britain's best known far-right agitators, whom Musk has praised and said should be released from jail.

Responding to media questions on the topic, Starmer insisted he was "not going to individualise this to Elon Musk" but said "a line has been crossed" with some of the online criticism.

"Those that are spreading lies and misinformation as far and as wide as possible, they're not interested in victims, they're interested in themselves," Starmer told reporters, without naming Musk.

"I'm prepared to call out this for what it is. We've seen this playbook many times: the whipping up of intimidation and threats of violence, hoping that the media will amplify it."

The grooming scandal involved the widespread abuse of girls in northern English towns, including Rochdale, Rotherham and Oldham.

A series of court cases eventually led to the conviction of dozens of men, mostly of South Asian origin. The victims were vulnerable, mostly white, girls.

Subsequent official reports into how police and social workers failed to halt the abuse in some cases found that officials turned a blind eye to avoid appearing racist.

None of the probes singled out Starmer for blame or found that he had tried to block prosecutions.

'Erratic'

The issue reignited this month after it was reported that UK minister Jess Phillips had rejected Oldham council's request for a government-led inquiry in favour of a locally led investigation.

Musk has called Phillips a "rape genocide apologist" and said she "deserves to be in prison".

Starmer has rejected calls by the main opposition Conservative party and the hard-right Reform UK party for a new public inquiry, saying an earlier independent probe had been "comprehensive".

Starmer said he had dealt with the problem "head-on" as a prosecutor and oversaw "the highest number of child sexual abuse cases being prosecuted on record".

But Musk claimed Monday that Starmer and former prime minister Gordon Brown were among those complicit in the sex crimes, adding in one post that Brown "sold those little girls for votes".

"Prison for Starmer," he said in another.

Scholz on Saturday condemned Musk for "erratic" comments after the billionaire labelled the German leader an "incompetent fool" and came out in support of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) ahead of snap elections on February 23.

Musk surprised many people in Britain on Sunday when he appeared to U-turn on his support for Brexit cheerleader Nigel Farage, saying his anti-immigration Reform party "needs a new leader".⍐

Foreign Leaders—And The EU—Step Up Challenges To Musk

Foreign Leaders—And The EU—Step Up Challenges To Musk As His Feuds With Global Politicians Heat Up

Sara Dorn

Forbes Staff

Sara Dorn is a Forbes news reporter who covers politics.

Derek Saul

Forbes Staff

Derek Saul has covered markets for the Forbes news team since 2021ST

Updated Jan 6, 2025, 11:37am EST

Topline

 

More European leaders voiced concern Monday about the world’s richest man Elon Musk’s increasingly outspoken stance on European political issues after the billionaire called on the UK’s right-wing Reform Party to replace leader Nigel Farage, attacked the UK’s left-leaning Prime Minister Keir Starmer and prepared for an interview with a far-right German leader on X.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Co-Chair of the newly announced Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE),

Getty Images

Key Facts

The European Union is “looking into” whether Musk artificially “boosts” his Thursday interview with Alice Wiedel, leader of Germany’s far-right Alternative for Deutschland party, in the algorithm of his X social media platform, European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier told reporters Monday. 

French President Emmanuel Macron fueled more criticism about the blurred lines between Musk’s political outspokenness and his X ownership in a Monday speech: “Ten years ago, if anyone had said that the owner of one of the world’s largest social networks would support a new reactionary alliance and intervene directly in elections, even in Germany, who would have imagined it?”

Nowegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre told the state-run outlet NRK in a Monday interview that “I find it worrying that a man with enormous access to social media and large financial resources is so directly involved in the internal affairs of other countries.”

The Musk pushback on the European mainland came after Musk targeted UK leadership over the weekend, writing Sunday on X, “The Reform Party needs a new leader. Farage doesn’t have what it takes,” without elaborating on why he turned against the leader after meeting with him at Mar-A-Lago last month.

Musk’s discourse into UK politics comes after he has also publicly expressed support for conservatives in Germany, Italy and Canada

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Contra

Farage, calling Musk’s tweet a "surprise," suggested Musk was dissatisfied with Farage’s criticism of right-wing anti-immigrant activist Tommy Robinson, who has a lengthy criminal record and is serving a prison sentence for contempt of court related to a libel case he lost for spreading false claims about a Syrian schoolboy. Musk, who generally takes a hardline stance against immigration, began interacting with Robinson in August, and has amplified his calls for Robinson to be freed in the past week, as he’s also taken interest in investigations into the UK’s handling of so-called “grooming gangs” found to have exploited children in towns in northern England. Farage—a longtime right-wing populist known for his push to leave the European Union—told Sky News on Friday Robinson “won’t be” joining the Reform Party, after saying last year he doesn’t want “anything to do with” Robinson and accusing him of attempts to “stir up hatred.” Farage stood by his criticism of Robinson on Sunday, writing on X in response to Musk, “my view remains that Tommy Robinson is not right for Reform and I never sell out my principles.” Farage called Musk a “remarkable individual” on X Sunday after saying last week he thinks Musk is a “hero” and crediting him with bringing back “free speech” by buying Twitter and doing away with many of its content moderation policies and reinstating banned accounts, including Robinson’s. Shortly after Musk’s meeting with Farage in December, Reform Party leaders said the Tesla CEO was one of several billionaires eyeing a donation to the party.

Key Background

Musk—whose net worth stands at nearly $430 billion—has increasingly flexed his political muscles in recent months, spending over $200 million of his own money to back Trump’s 2024 campaign. The billionaire, who once backed former President Barack Obama, has emerged as a key Trump ally since his election victory: He’s regularly seen alongside Trump at Mar-A-Lago, and is slated to run a cost-cutting “Department of Government Efficiency.” Musk has also taken an interest in international politics, speaking with a handful of foreign leaders and drawing controversy for reportedly communicating with Russian President Vladimir Putin. He’s also clashed with political figures in several countries, accepting an invitation to fight Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro and feuding with a Brazilian Supreme Court judge who cut off access to X.

What Else Has Musk Said About Uk Politics?

Musk has frequently attacked Starmer in recent months, including for his response to riots and his handling of online hate speech. On Saturday, he called on King Charles to dissolve parliament and order a new general election after accusing Starmer of failing to properly punish “grooming gangs” while Starmer was director of public prosecutions from 2008 to 2013. The right in the UK has used the investigations into the “grooming gangs” to attack the left-wing Labour Party that controls the British government, and the probes have become a rallying cry against immigration as the offenders are predominately British-Pakistani men.

How Has Musk Weighed In On Germany’s Politics?

Musk has expressed support for Germany’s Alternative for Deutschland party, known as the AfD, penning an opinion piece in a German newspaper last month that disputes characterizations of the party as “right-wing extremist.” Musk argued that Germany’s traditional political parties have prompted economic decline by becoming “comfortable with mediocrity” and wrote that “the AfD can save Germany from becoming a shadow of its former self.” The piece prompted widespread backlash, including the resignation of Welt am Sonntag’s opinion page editor Eva Marie Kogel in protest of its publication. AfD—known for its hardline views on immigration—is widely viewed as far-right, including by German officials. Musk said he will live-stream a discussion with AfD leader Alice Weidel next week ahead of the country’s snap election on Feb. 23 prompted by the collapse of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s coalition government.

What Has Musk Said About Italy?

Musk—who is a personal friend of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, founder of the right-wing Brothers of Italy party—rebuked Italian judges who struck down an anti-immigrant initiative in November, writing on X that the Rome judges “need to go.” Musk’s comments prompted President Sergio Mattarella to tell Musk he “must respect” Italy’s “sovereignty and cannot give himself the task of issuing it instructions.” Meloni met with Trump and Musk in December in Paris and Meloni visited Mar-A-Lago last week.

What Is Musk’s Stance On Canada?

Musk slammed Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau last month after Trudeau likened Vice President Kamala Harris’ election loss to Trump as an attack against women’s rights, calling him an “insufferable tool” in a tweet and predicting he “won’t be in power for much longer.” (Trudeau announced Monday he would resign.) More recently, Musk praised an episode of the Jordan B. Peterson podcast featuring Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre as a “great interview” in a post on X. Trudeau said Monday he plans to resign as prime minister.

What Has Musk Said About Argentina?

Musk has backed Argentina’s newly elected President Javier Milei, an eccentric figure who describes himself as an anarcho-capitalist. After the November US presidential election, the pair met at Mar-A-Lago.⍐