Trump threatened to block the Panama Canal

“The fees that Panama is charging are ridiculous, especially when we consider the extraordinary generosity that the US has shown Panama,” Trump wrote in a post on his social network Truth Social, referring to the United States and France for the canal at “enormous cost ” they built.

“If the moral and legal principles of this generous gesture are not respected, we will demand that the Panama Canal be returned to us. And that completely and without debate,” warned Trump, who described the charged fees as “robbery.”

According to him, the Panama Canal is vitally important for the USA, which – as he added – is the largest user of this waterway. “More than 70 percent of all transits are headed to or from American ports,” emphasized Trump, who will assume the presidency again in January 2025 after a four-year break.

At the same time, the incoming head of the White House expressed concern that the canal could fall into the “wrong hands”. Specifically, he warned against the possible influence of China.

The Reuters news agency noted that Trump’s post is an extremely rare example of an American leader saying he can pressure a sovereign state to give up its territory. This underlines the expected shift in American diplomacy under the incoming administration of Trump, who in the past did not avoid threatening allies and using aggressive rhetoric when dealing with counterparts, the agency added.

The United States largely built the Panama Canal and managed the adjacent territory for decades. In 1999, the US government handed over full control of this waterway to Panama.

In the 1880s, France participated in the construction of the Panama Canal, which is a strategic location for international maritime transport. At the beginning of the 20th century, the United States continued construction. The canal is 81.6 kilometers long and 150 to 305 meters wide.