Why did Trump want Greenland and Panama Canals? This is behind our interests.

President Trump repeats his oath to ensure we control Greenland and Panama Canal In his Shared speech to Congress meetings March 4.

“We need Greenland to get national security and even international security,” the president said in his speech. “I think we'll get it. One way or another, we'll get it.”

Greenland Prime Minister respondssaid “We don't sell it, we can't be sold simply.”

Now Vice President JD Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance expect Visit Greenland According to the White House, this week. Donald Trump Jr. visits in January Before the president took office.

“To further strengthen our national security, my administration will take back the Panama Canal, and we have already started to do so,” Mr. Trump said on the Panama Canal. A protocol to enable U.S. companies to control critical ports.

President of Panama Condemn Mr. Trump's remarks And in a social media post, saying “The Canal is Panamanian.”

Here are Mr. Trump’s opinions on wanting the United States to control them, and what Mr. Trump said.

Where is Greenland and why President Trump wants it?

Greenland is located in northeastern Canada. It is the largest island in the world, with about 836,000 square miles surrounding the scale of Sweden. It is largely covered by the Greenland ice sheet, with only a home of about 60,000 people. It is a semi-autonomous sphere of the Kingdom of Denmark, with its own elected government.

Its position between the United States, Russia and Europe makes it strategic in terms of economic and defensive purposes, especially when melted sea ice already has Open new transport routes through the Arctic. It is also home to the northernmost military base in the United States.

Mr. Trump has repeatedly claimed that national security purposes require Greenland. “I'm talking about protecting the free world,” he said. “You look–you don't even need binoculars–you look outside. You have Chinese ships everywhere. You have Russian ships everywhere. We don't let that happen. We don't let it happen.”

A few years ago, a commercial vessel from Russia first crossed the winter in winter, a shorter route that connects major ports in East Asia to Europe and the Atlantic Ocean. The Western Powers own Already correct Russia and China use it to promote their presence in the North Atlantic.

“Americans have a strong interest in overseeing foreign activities in Greenland because it is such a large security asset for foreign countries, so any investment or activity can be considered a security threat from the U.S. perspective,” an associate professor at the University of Copenhagen told CBS News.

Greenland's human rights lawyer Pernille Benjaminsen told CBS News that in recent years, links between the territory's semi-autonomous government and the Danish government have become tense, and Mr. Trump may try to take advantage of that.

“He noticed this tense relationship between Denmark and Greenland and saw an opportunity in it,” she said.

Greenland also has oil, gas and highly sought-after mineral resources.

The U.S. Department of Economic Growth, Energy and Environment Deputy Secretary for the U.S. Department of State Growth, Energy and Environment, said in a November mineral security partnership event in Greenland that the mineral resources include rare earth elements and are “easy to explore and develop.”

Greenland may have substantial reserves of up to 31 different minerals, including lithium and graphite, according to a 2023 report evaluating the island’s resources.

The report notes that at present, lithium production is mainly dominated by Australia, Chile and China, while China produces about 65% of the world graphite.

The 2023 report says Greenland also has the potential to provide a large number of rare earth minerals (such as Neododium) that are used to make use of magnets used in motors.

Currently, China produces about 70% of rare earth elements.

“At present, the world is too dependent on a small number of actors to mine and deal with many of the key minerals,” Fernandez said in November.

According to Swiss newspaper Neue Zürcher Zeitung, demand for rare earth minerals exceeds the supply, and the supply of the mineral remains at a high price. Nevertheless, there are huge obstacles to mining in Greenland, including environmental and cost issues.

On a Greenland visit in Vances

As part of an extended cultural journey, Usha Vance was supposed to visit Solo Greenland, but Tuesday, March 25, the vice president Announces that he will join her. The two are expected to travel to the country on Friday and spend their time at Pituffik space base, the northernmost military installation in the United States. According to its website, the base (formerly known as Thule Air Base) is locked in ICE for most of the year, but operates its airports throughout the year.

Vances is expected to receive briefings on Arctic security issues and meet with service members at the base.

In announcing the visit, Vance did not mention Mr. Trump's hope for Greenland, but said that the “very important” countries were threatened by other countries.

“Many other countries are threatening to use their territory and waterways, threatening the United States, threatening Canada and of course the people of Greenland,” Vance said in a video announcing the visit. “So we will look at what's going on there.”

“Unfortunately, I think both the leaders of the United States and Denmark have ignored Greenland for too long,” he added. “It's bad for Greenland, and it's bad for the security of the whole world. We think we can take things in a different direction, so I'm going to check it out.”

one Recent polls show 85% of Greenlanders do not want to be part of the United States.

“He can't just take that.” Daniel Rosing, an intern electrician, said he was proud of being Greenlander. Tell CBS News.

What is the Panama Canal and why Trump wants it?

According to trade publication Cargonow, about 40% of container shipments currently travel through the Panama Canal. This canal is a shortcut between the Pacific and the Caribbean Sea, and besides that, the Atlantic Ocean.

Mr Trump said the United States needs “economic security” to the Panama Canal, falsely claiming it was operated by China.

“The Panama Canal is crucial to our country. It is operated by China. China! We handed the Panama Canal to Panama. We didn't handed it to China, they abused it. They abused the gift. It should have never done it.” He said before taking office again on January 20.

Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino disputes China's claim to control the canal.

“There is absolutely no Chinese intervention or anything related to the Panama Canal,” he said in late December.

But in February, Panama Decide not to renew critical infrastructure agreements with Beijing Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited.

Before Trump's speech to Congress American company BlackRock.

Mr. Trump touted the deal in his speech. “The Panama Canal was built by Americans for Americans, not others. But others can use it,” he said.

“President Trump is lying,” Mourino said in response.

“The Panama Canal is not in the process of recovery, and this is certainly not a task we discussed in our conversation with the Secretary Rubio or anyone else,” he wrote on social media. “The Canal is Panamanian and will continue to be Panamanian!”

China denies trying to claim any control over the canal, and Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning said in December that Beijing will “always respect Panama's sovereignty over the canal and recognize that the canal is a permanent neutral international waterway.”

The History of Greenland

The Kingdom of Denmark began colonizing Greenland in the early 18th century, hundreds of years after the first arrival of the Vikings from the same distant land. It was not until World War II that the United States established an existence on the island, when the then Danish ambassador Henrik Kauffmann refused to succumb to the Danish Nazi occupiers.

Denmark was liberated from the Nazi occupation in 1945, but the United States did not leave its military base, Pituffik Space Base, which to this day remains the northernmost device of the U.S. military.

History of the Panama Canal

this Panama Canal It was built by the United States between 1904 and 1914. It is a shortcut between the Pacific and the Caribbean

It was initially managed by the U.S. government for decades, which caused tensions in Panama.

In the 1970s, the United States and Panama signed a treaty that agreed to the permanent neutrality of the canal. The United States is committed to abandoning control of the canal and did this in 1999. The canal is now operated by the Panama Canal Authority.