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 over relevant regions. 

US President-elect said on the same day that he would move to try to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the "Gulf of America," a name he said has a "beautiful ring to it," according to the AP, noting it's his latest suggestion to redraw the map of the Western Hemisphere.

Trump's suggestion on Tuesday that the United States might reclaim the Panama Canal — potentially by force — unsettled Panamanians, who used to live with the presence of the US military in the canal zone and were invaded by American forces once before, the New York Times reported.

'Unsettling' intent

Panama's foreign minister, Javier Martínez-Acha, made his country's position clear at a news conference hours after the American president-elect mused aloud about retaking the canal, which the United States built but turned over to Panama in the late 1990s.

"The sovereignty of our canal is nonnegotiable and is part of our history of struggle and an irreversible conquest," Martínez-Acha said. "Let it be clear: The canal belongs to the Panamanians and it will continue to be that way," according to the New York Times.

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 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.

The Danish king has shocked some historians by changing the royal coat of arms to more prominently feature Greenland and the Faroe Islands - in what has also been seen as a rebuke to Donald Trump, Guardian reported Monday. In his first new year speech, the king said: "We are all united and each of us committed for the kingdom of Denmark. From the Danish minority in South Schleswig - which is even situated outside the kingdom - and all the way to Greenland. We belong together."

Trump Jr arrived in snowy Greenland on Tuesday on his father's Trump Force One private plane, the latest sign of the president-elect's desire to take ownership of the vast Arctic island. But if the Danish king's latest move is anything to go by, the United States has a fight on its hands, said a report by NBC News.

In addition to Greenland and the Panama Canal, Trump has set his eyes on Canada multiple of times. Trump reacted to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's resignation in a Truth Social post on Tuesday stating "Many people in Canada LOVE being the 51st State. The United States can no longer suffer the massive Trade Deficits and Subsidies that Canada needs to stay afloat. Justin Trudeau knew this, and resigned." 

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Tuesday dismissed a suggestion by Trump that he might use "economic force" to make Canada the 51st US state. "There isn't a snowball's chance in hell that Canada would become part of the United States," he said in a post on X.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford countered President-elect Donald Trump's proposal to make Canada the 51st state of the Union - by making an offer to purchase two American states at a press conference, New York Post reported. "To the president, I'll make him a counteroffer. How about if we buy Alaska? And we'll throw in Minnesota and Minneapolis at the same time?" Ford said. "You know, it's not realistic," according to the report. 

Global order 'deeply interrupted' 

Diao Daming, a professor at the Renmin University of China in Beijing, told the Global Times on Wednesday that "Trump aspires to leave a legacy as a president who made a unique contribution to the US, and now it's hard for him to make big changes in terms of both internal reform or foreign affairs, but seizing more territories for the US could be an option, aligning with his 'America First' ideology and appealing to his penchant for bold, attention-grabbing actions."

Greenland, the Panama Canal, and Canada possess significant strategic value, but the problem is the US has no sovereign disputes with relevant countries or regions, and if the new US administration tries to annex these lands with military or economic approaches, this would set a dangerous precedent for the world's sole superpower to disregard international laws and norms, Diao noted. "This would be extremely unfair for the countries like Denmark, Panama and Canada, and the global order and the international system would be deeply interrupted and fall into greater chaos."

Earlier, Trump posted a video of his private plane landing in Nuuk, the Arctic territory's capital, in a landscape of snow-capped peaks and fjords.

"Don Jr. and my Reps landing in Greenland," Trump wrote. "The reception has been great. They, and the Free World, need safety, security, strength, and PEACE! This is a deal that must happen. MAGA. MAKE GREENLAND GREAT AGAIN!"