Donald Trump argues that the US needs Greenland for national security, while a retaking of the Panama Canal is necessary to curb the overcharging of American ships and combat Chinese influence.

Donald Trump cast himself both as a peacemaker and fierce defender of US interests in a mercurial return to the White House on Monday, vowing to seize the Panama Canal but also imploring Russia to make a deal on Ukraine.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Newly sworn-in President Donald Trump vowed on Monday that the United States would take back the Panama Canal as he delivered an inauguration speech in which he invoked the 19th century expansionist doctrine of "Manifest Destiny" in laying out plans for space exploration.

In his inaugural speech, President Donald Trump repeated his plan to regain control of the Panama Canal. Can he?

We need it for international security. And I’m sure that Denmark will come along — it’s costing them a lot of money to maintain it, to keep it,” says new U.S. president.

Trump has repeatedly threatened to take ownership of the critical maritime trade route — which the U.S. signed over to Panama in 1977 — calling it “vital” to American interests and refusing to rule out using military force in pursuit of his goal.

Many assume this Trump tough talk is his signature bluster, which he uses to threaten allies to do what he wants. When he suggested renaming the Gulf of Mexico the “Gulf of America,” Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum trolled Trump with a 17th-century map labeling the United States “America Mexicana.”

A growing portion of Russia's oil tanker fleet is being forced to reflag as U.S. and U.K. sanctions intensify pressure on Moscow's shipping network, Bloomberg reported on Jan. 23. The removal of these flags disrupts Russia's oil export logistics,

Marco Rubio set to visit Panama on first official trip as Secretary of State as Trump pushes taking over the Canal - Rubio’s trip through Central America will come as his boss has refused to rule out

In recent weeks, when he was President-elect Donald Trump publicly said that Panama should return the Panama Canal to the United States, and he would not rule out using military force to reclaim it. At his presidential Inauguration on Monday Trump doubled down on saying that his new administration was going to take back the canal.

Donald Trump argues that the US needs Greenland for national security, while a retaking of the Panama Canal is necessary to curb the overcharging of American ships and combat Chinese influence.