Trump's astonishing statements provoke backlash! Trudeau: Canada will never be incorporated into the United States, Panama and Denmark declare sovereignty.

Before taking office, the elected President Trump of the United States had already begun waving a big stick towards a number of countries. On January 7th local time, Trump stated during a press conference at Mar-a-Lago that he would use "economic power" to merge the United States with Canada and not see the border between the two countries as a "man-made boundary". Previously, Trump had referred to Canada as America's 51st state on multiple occasions. In response to this, the outgoing Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau announced through social media that "Canada will never become part of the United States." Trudeau also stated, "As each other's biggest trade and security partner, workers and people in both our countries benefit from this." Trump reiterated his threat that unless Canada takes steps to strengthen the security of the U.S. border, he will impose "substantial" tariffs on Canadian goods. Canada has promised to implement a series of comprehensive new security measures along the border, including increased surveillance and joint strike forces to combat transnational organized crime. According to Canadian government data, nearly $3.6 billion Canadian dollars (approximately $2.5 billion USD) worth of goods and services cross the U.S.-Canada border every day in 2023. Economists warn that if Trump continues to impose tariffs after his inauguration on January 20th, it will severely harm the Canadian economy. Trump stated that he is not considering using force to make Canada part of the United States, but he expressed concerns about Canada's military spending. Trump bluntly said, "Their military is very small. They rely on our military. Everything is fine, but you know, they have to pay a price for it." Canada has been under pressure to increase military spending, as the country still does not meet the military spending target set for NATO members. Canada's current defense budget is $27 billion Canadian dollars (approximately $19.8 billion USD), although the Trudeau government has promised to increase defense spending to nearly $50 billion Canadian dollars by 2030. In addition to Canada, Trump is also targeting other countries. He stated that for the sake of America's "economic security needs," he will not rule out the possibility of taking control of the Panama Canal and Greenland through "military or economic coercion". Trump has repeatedly threatened to "take back" the Panama Canal and has declared that U.S. ownership and control of Greenland are "absolutely necessary". In response, the President of Panama has reaffirmed Panama's sovereignty over the canal, stating that Panama's national sovereignty and independence cannot be violated. The Prime Minister of the government of Greenland emphasized that Greenland is not for sale and will never be sold. Greenland is an autonomous territory of Denmark, with defense and foreign affairs managed by the Danish government, and the island is rich in rare earth and other resources. Reports indicate that Denmark's Defense Minister Poulsen announced in an interview on December 24th last year that defense spending in Greenland will be significantly increased, with at least $1.5 billion allocated for the purchase of patrol boats, drones, and upgrading airports to accommodate F-35 fighters. Poulsen stated that plans to increase related spending had long been in place, and the announcement came shortly after Trump made his remarks, which he described as "ironic fate". The Danish king has ordered a modification of the national emblem, with the new version highlighting the polar bear symbol representing Greenland and the guards on the sides appearing more robust, with larger clubs in hand, seemingly emphasizing sovereignty towards the U.S. Danish royal expert Sorensen stated that the symbolic gesture of changing the emblem was a direct response from the royal family to Trump's inappropriate remarks, signaling that Greenland and the Faroe Islands are part of Denmark's territory and this is not up for discussion. New Trump imperialism? Regarding Trump's recent statements, some media have also used the term "imperialism" to comment. Senior political commentator Jonathan Chait analyzed that the new Trump imperialism has a strong "performative" nature, which is a very important political style for him. Jonathan Chait stated that Trump issues a series of "symbolic" threats in order to pressure allies through this "blustering" manner, which can also cater to the ideas of many ordinary voters. This sacrificing of the country's long-term diplomatic environment for short-term political gain is a "deal" that Trump has carefully designed for a long time. However, Jonathan Chait also added that unlike in his first term, officials of this new administration are loyal enough to Trump, so it cannot simply be assumed that these crazy plans will be abandoned. The key question now is whether Trump really intends to implement these plans? Jonathan Chait stated that this question is difficult to answer. On the one hand, Trump certainly has no concrete plans to implement these "ambitious" plans, and occupying the marginal areas of the North American continent also makes no logical sense. But on the other hand, Trump often raised crazy ideas in his first term, only to be blocked by traditional Republicans around him. This time, one of his top priorities is to ensure that new government members are loyal enough and will not go against his wishes due to professional or constitutional considerations. Most viewpoints believe that Trump is displaying his "muscles" in a "sky-high demand" manner before taking office, forcing other countries to cooperate more with the U.S.-led agenda. Vali Nasr, a professor of international relations at Johns Hopkins University, said that when other country leaders become involved, it means things are going the way Trump wants them to, "he is showing that he does not follow the rules... he is playing with these countries, and he is indeed teasing these country leaders, you see he always annoys them." Pulitzer Prize winner and historian at Yale University, Greg Grandin, also believes that Trump's plans are not feasible, but he also analyzed the political intent behind these aggressive statements. He stated, "America is not expanding into 'Greater America,' but this is a blatant temptation for Trump's supporters... this is typical of Trump's style."