“Photo: Facebook Donald Trump President-elect Donald Trump’s statements about the possible accession of Canada, Greenland and Panama to the United States may indicate a change in geopolitical priorities of the world’s leading countries. The journalist briefly discussed where the interests of the leading countries intersect and how this will generally affect world politics. Competition for new regions Declaring a desire to take control of Canada, […]”, — write: businessua.com.ua
Photo: FB Donald Trump
President-elect Donald Trump’s statements about the possible accession of Canada, Greenland, and Panama to the United States may indicate a change in geopolitical priorities of the world’s leading countries. Journalist Briefly about understood where the interests of the leading countries intersect and how this will affect world politics in general.
Competition for new regionsWhile declaring his desire to take control of Canada, Greenland and the Panama Canal, Trump did not rule out the use of military force or economic pressure. As notes The Wall Street Journal, this will be a sharp departure from the policy that American presidents have pursued for several decades.
But why is this so? Alexander Gray, former head of the National Security Council of the White House under Trump, claims that with such statements, Trump is trying to “increase attention to the external borders of the Western Hemisphere and protect them from competitors from among the great powers.”
Congressman Mike Waltz, Trump’s incoming national security adviser, explained why taking control of Greenland is a big deal.
“You have Russia trying to be the king of the Arctic with 60-plus icebreakers, some of which are nuclear. We have two of them, and one just caught fire,” said Waltz. In addition, he added that “we are talking about minerals and natural resources.” “Now, when the polar ice caps are melting, the Chinese are attracting icebreakers and moving there. It is also oil and gas. This is our national security,” Waltz said.
Trump’s transition team noted that the strategy of confronting Russia and China is the connecting thread of all Trump’s statements about Canada, Mexico, Greenland and Panama. “This is not an accident. There is a purpose to all of this, and Trump knows how to use the levers of power,” they said.
The American press has already dubbed Trump’s plans the “Donro doctrine”, alluding to the historical claims of the US to neighboring regions
Frozen Arctic assetsIndeed, China and Russia have their own views on the Arctic. The Kremlin has already declared that the Arctic is a zone of national interests of Russia. The processes accelerated especially after the annexation of Crimea in 2014. Since 2015, the Russian Federation has been regularly conducting military exercises and developing its infrastructure in the region. A separate Arctic army was even created.
Russia has put forward its claims for control in the Arctic, which is contrary to the current norms of international maritime law. To this end, the Kremlin is withdrawing troops to the region, and now the Russian Federation surpasses other countries in the number of submarines and military bases located in the Arctic.
Despite the fact that China does not directly border the Arctic zone, Beijing also puts forward its claims.
The key point of China’s northern strategy is that China is a “state close to the Arctic”. The strategy sees Beijing as a responsible global actor, playing a special role in maintaining the environmental sustainability of the Arctic zone and facilitating access to global common resources (primarily hydrocarbons and fishery resources) belonging to all, not just the states of the Arctic region. Of particular interest to China in the Far North are the resources, the global diversification of shipping along the “Polar Silk Road” and the strategic accessibility of the region to the Chinese military.
China has already built the Yellow River Arctic Research Station, strengthening China’s presence in the region. In addition, the Xue Long 2 icebreaker, China’s first icebreaker, conducts numerous Arctic research expeditions. China’s relationship with the United States is also viewed from the perspective of the Arctic security concept.
The Panamanian-Canadian question with backgroundTrump appeals a lot to US military interests. But his intention to obtain the Panama Canal is seen as a “trick” aimed at lowering prices for American ships passing through Panama. It will be recalled that the Panama Canal, which connects the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, once belonged to the United States, but was finally given to Panama in 1999.
Brent Sadler, senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation, said U.S. concerns about safe access to this vital waterway are well-founded. “After all, it’s no secret that China controls the ports on both ends of the channel,” Sadler said. A subsidiary of Hutchison Holdings, based in Hong Kong, has long operated two ports located at the Caribbean and Pacific entrances to the Panama Canal. That’s why former House of Representatives member Matt Gaetz said that “we’re not taking the Panama Canal. We are taking it from China.”
And Trump’s promise to take control of Canada is a way to gain leverage ahead of trade talks with Ottawa. It is noteworthy that the USA has already tried to occupy Canada. This was one of the reasons for the Anglo-American War that occurred in 1812. Then President Thomas Jefferson called for the “liberation of Canadians from the British yoke.” His successor, James Madison, together with Congress, declared war on England on June 18, 1812. At that time, it was not possible to capture Canada, but American soldiers burned the city of York, today it is Toronto. In response, the British burned Washington.
But Canada is one of the most developed countries in the world, a member of the G7, a member of NATO. Social policy in Canada is more developed than in the US, and most importantly, there is a Canadian identity.
Expert opinion
Dmytro Chekalkin, international expert:
– Undoubtedly, there is a huge interest of Russia and China in these points, and especially in the Arctic and Panama. Here they directly conflict with US interests. This is the Northern Waterway, and Panama is a short transshipment route for Chinese goods. But by declaring his intention to join these countries, Trump opens a “Pandora’s box” and gives huge trump cards to Putin and Xi Jinping in the form of confirmation of American invasive imperialism. If earlier the Americans, conducting military operations in other countries, did not seek to join them, now Trump has broken this taboo. Now the Russian and Chinese dictators will say: if the USA can take over other countries and annex them, why can’t we? And all the more so since Trump is making claims on the territory of Canada, thereby destroying Euro-Atlantic unity. This country is a member of NATO, and it turns out that America is now claiming the land of its ally. And this is already impossible. Well, you want to create a military base in the same Greenland create it, but why capture it?
Taras Zahorodniy, political technologist:
– The interests of the USA, China and Russia intersect in these countries. Greenland is the gateway to the Arctic. The Panama Canal is a strategic route through which warships can be transferred from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and vice versa. China is now actively entering Canada, setting up its enterprises there. In general, Trump is trying to implement the “Monroe Doctrine”, according to which the entire Western Hemisphere should be under US control. Previously, American presidents turned a blind eye to this, Trump does not want to. The time has come for clear calculations – who is to blame for how much and for what. The new American president tells even his allies: everything, one-sided use of America is over. Everyone should pay their own bills and follow only their own national interests.
Source: kp.ua