|
He isn’t president yet, but Donald Trump is already causing diplomatic waves.
Ahead of his inauguration on Jan. 20, the incoming U.S. leader has signaled an interest in taking possession of Greenland and the Panama Canal, while also making noises about Canada becoming a “51st state.”
Of course, just how serious Trump is in pursuing those rather sizable land grabs will become clear during the months and years in which he inhabits the White House. But nonetheless, they invite a key question: Why?
In a series of stories, The Conversation has attempted to answer that. Stefan Wolff, an international security expert, explains that Greenland’s worth is strategic and economic – under its vast expanse are rare-earth materials essential for modern technological products. Indeed, the Arctic is increasingly being eyed by not only Washington but Moscow and Beijing, too. “In this context, Greenland undeniably poses a particular and significant security
vulnerability for the United States,” concludes Wolff.
Meanwhile, international politics scholar Amalendu Misra writes that Trump’s interest in the Panama Canal is similarly rooted in the belief that China could steal a march on the U.S. over a key economic and geopolitical asset. “Trump’s argument that the Panama Canal is a ‘vital national asset’ for the US and ‘crucial’ for the protection and promotion of its economy and security is likely to resonate with the hawks in his administration as well as his popular
base,” Misra adds.
Elsewhere this week, we have been parsing the news that Meta is jettisoning fact-checking and taking a look at people who go childless as an act of protest.
|
