Asked at a press conference if he would rule out using military or economic force in order to take over the autonomous Danish territory or the Panama Canal, he responded: "No, I can't assure you on either of those two…. but I can say this, we need them for economic security.”
Both Denmark and Panama have rejected any suggestion that they would voluntarily give up their territory. Mr Trump also said he planned to use “economic force” when asked if he would attempt to annex Canada, calling the US-Canada border an "artificially drawn line".
During the news conference at Mr Trump’s Mar-a- Lago estate in Florida he also criticised environmental regulations, the US electoral system and suggested renaming the Gulf of Mexico the "Gulf of America”.
Reeta Chakrabarti presents BBC News at Ten reporting by Sarah Smith.
Make no mistake! This is a literal plan of action from a demented fool! – © Mark Alexander
NYT:
Trump Floats Using Force to Take Greenland and the Panama Canal: In an hourlong news conference at his Florida club, Mar-a-Lago, the president-elect delivered a hodgepodge of grievances, complaints and false claims. »
THE COPENHAGEN POST:
And Greenland’s Premier cancel visit to King Frederik amid growing tensions with the US: Greenland’s Premier, Múte Bourup Egede, has unexpectedly postponed a planned visit to Denmark’s King Frederik, originally scheduled for Wednesday. This happened while Donald Trump Jr. is heading to Greenland for an unofficial visit. »
