Panama President Mulino is Not Afraid of Increased Tension Surrounding the Panama Canal: Trump Announces an Agreement on Greenland: Putin Puts a Price on Greenland

US President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday an agreement in principle with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Greenland, which he said would be “very good for the United States and all NATO countries,” and suspended the threat of tariffs, scheduled to begin on February 1, against eight European countries that conducted military exercises on the island.  In a post on his social media network Truth Social, Trump also announced “additional talks” about building the so-called Golden Dome, a new large-scale missile defense system that, according to the Republican, would be deployed in part in Greenland to neutralize missiles that may come from Russia or China. 

“Following a very productive meeting I held with the NATO Secretary General, we have established the framework for a future agreement regarding Greenland and, indeed, the entire Arctic region. This solution, if implemented, will be highly beneficial to the United States of America and to all NATO countries,” he noted.  He explained that, “on the basis of this understanding”, he will not impose the tariffs that were scheduled to come into effect on February 1, with which he threatened eight European countries, including Germany, France and Denmark, that participated in military maneuvers to defend the Arctic island. 

He specified that Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, along with any other necessary personnel, “will handle the negotiations” and “report directly to him.”  The meeting between Trump and Rutte took place after the Republican’s speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, where he insisted that he wants to take control of Greenland but for the first time ruled out doing so by force.  In a subsequent interview with the US network CNBC, Trump insisted that there is “a concept agreement” with NATO and assured that he will not ultimately impose the tariffs he had announced. 

The president assumed that Denmark, which exercises sovereignty over Greenland, would accept the agreement, considering that Rutte “represents” it as a member of the Atlantic Alliance.  The Republican avoided offering further details and merely pointed out that NATO allies will participate in the construction of the so-called Golden Dome and in matters related to Greenland’s minerals, an agreement that, he claimed, will last “forever.”

Denmark Reaffirms that it Cannot Negotiate with Trump Over Greenland

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen rejected on Wednesday the possibility of Denmark negotiating with US President Donald Trump over the autonomous territory of Greenland.  “Donald Trump wants to start immediate negotiations on Greenland, but that cannot be,” Rasmussen said at the end of a meeting of the Danish Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, responding to the speech given minutes earlier by the US president at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.  Rasmussen recalled that Denmark agreed with the United States last week to create a working group to discuss US security concerns , but without crossing Danish red lines of respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity. 

“You can’t negotiate with people, you can negotiate between people. We respect the agreements we make,” he stated.  The Danish Foreign Minister believes that, viewed in isolation, it is “positive” that Trump said this Wednesday in Davos that he rules out using force to annex the Arctic island.  “But that doesn’t make the problem disappear. It says that Denmark can’t take care of Greenland, so the challenge is still there,” he stated.  Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen stressed that although Denmark has plans to strengthen security in Greenland and the Arctic, it is a collective task.  “It is important to emphasize that the Arctic issue is also a NATO issue,” he stated at the end of the Foreign Affairs Committee meeting, in which he also participated.  Poulsen recalled that he had already discussed this issue in his meeting last Monday with the Alliance’s Secretary General, Mark Rutte, and that he hopes work will continue in this direction.

Russian President Vladimir Putin Puts a Price Tag on Greenland: Up to $1 Billion

Russian President Vladimir Putin today put a price tag on Greenland, the Arctic island that the United States wants to buy despite Danish opposition: between 200 and 1 billion dollars.  “The surface area of ​​Greenland is slightly larger (than that of the Alaskan peninsula that Russia sold to the US in the 19th century).  That means that if we compare it with the cost of the US purchase of Alaska, the price for Greenland would be around 200-250 million dollars,” he said during a meeting of the Russian Security Council, the second he has convened this week.  “If we compare that to the price of gold at that time, that figure would be higher, certainly closer to one billion. I believe the United States can reach that figure,” he added. 

Putin pointed out that Russia has historical experience in this regard with the sale of Alaska, which Washington bought in 1867 from Tsar Alexander II for $7.2 million, at $4.73 per square kilometer (about $158 million at the current exchange rate, according to the Russian president).  Furthermore, he recalled that Denmark has always treated Greenland as a colony and in a “rather harsh, not to say cruel” manner, reports the TASS news agency.  However, he asserted that the matter “is not our concern” and expressed his conviction that Washington and Copenhagen will eventually reach an agreement.  US President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday in Davos, Switzerland, that Washington is working with NATO on an agreement regarding Greenland that “is truly fantastic.” 

Senior Russian officials have refrained from criticizing the possible annexation of Greenland and have even questioned whether the island is part of Denmark, hoping that Washington will recognize Russian territorial gains in Ukraine.  Putin asserted at the time that the current US administration’s plans to “annex” Greenland were not “a crazy idea” of the current White House occupant, but rather had “historical roots.”  He recalled that Washington had already tried to seize Danish autonomy and Iceland in 1860, but Congress did not support the motion. US President Harry Truman also offered $100 million in 1946.  Putin recalled that when the US bought Alaska, the American press labeled the operation “madness.” “But the acquisition of Alaska is probably viewed differently now in the United States, as are the actions of President Andrew Johnson,” he noted. 

Panama President Mulino says he is not Afraid of Increased Tension Surrounding the Panama Canal as Marco Rubio Invites Mulino to the Summit of Heads of State in Florida

Panama and the United States strengthen bilateral agenda at Mulino-Rubio meeting.  The President of the Republic, José Raúl Mulino, held a meeting this Tuesday with the United States Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, within the framework of the World Economic Forum held in Davos, Switzerland, a meeting in which issues of the bilateral agenda were addressed and cooperation between both countries was reaffirmed. 

During the meeting, which took place prior to US President Donald Trump’s speech at the forum, Mulino and Rubio discussed strengthening existing cooperation programs, as well as issues of common interest to Panama and the United States, in a context of close diplomatic relations between the two nations.  As the meeting drew to a close, the US Secretary of State extended a formal invitation to the Panamanian president to participate in a Summit of Heads of State, to be held in the state of Florida next February. 

The invitation reinforces the level of political dialogue between both governments and the continuity of the high-level dialogue.  The meeting in Davos adds to a series of recent contacts between Panamanian and US authorities, framed within the bilateral cooperation agenda that includes areas such as trade, security, investment and regional coordination.  President Mulino’s participation in the World Economic Forum has been geared towards promoting Panama as a reliable destination for investment and holding meetings with international leaders, multilateral organizations and representatives of the private sector, in a global scenario marked by economic and geopolitical challenges.