Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - January 8, 2025, Winnipeg, Manitoba Thanks to your generosity - and amid ongoing national decline in charitable giving - Manitoba remains Canada’s most generous province. Congratulations! MANITOBA IS CANADA'S MOST GENEROUS PROVINCE! Scan for local stories of generosity! wpgfdn.org For session dates, locations and prices, visit alzheimer.mb.ca or call 204.943.6622 or 1.800.378.6699 Join Minds in Motion ® Connect with people living with dementia and their care partners through fitness, fun and friendship! P ALM BEACH, Fla. — U.S. presi- dent-elect Donald Trump on Tues- day said he would not rule out the use of military force to seize control of the Panama Canal and Greenland, as he declared U.S. control of both to be vital to American national security. Speaking to reporters less than two weeks before he takes office on Jan. 20 and as a delegation of aides and advis- ers that includes Donald Trump Jr. is in Greenland, Trump left open the use of the American military to secure both territories. Trump’s intention marks a rejection of decades of U.S. policy that has prioritized self-determination over territorial expansion. “I’m not going to commit to that,” Trump said, when asked if he would rule out the use of the military. “It might be that you’ll have to do something. The Panama Canal is vital to our country.” He added, “We need Greenland for na- tional security purposes.” Greenland, home to a large U.S. mil- itary base, is an autonomous territory of Denmark, a longtime U.S. ally and a founding member of NATO. Trump cast doubts on the legitimacy of Denmark’s claim to Greenland. The Panama Canal has been solely controlled by the eponymous country for more than 25 years. The U.S. returned the Panama Canal Zone to the country in 1979 and ended its joint partnership in controlling the strategic waterway in 1999. Addressing Trump’s comments in an interview with Danish broadcaster TV2, Prime Minister Mette Frederik- sen called the United States Denmark’s “most important and closest ally,” and that she did not believe that the United States will use military or economic power to secure control over Greenland. Frederiksen repeated that she wel- comed the United States taking a greater interest in the Arctic region, but that it would “have to be done in a way that is respectful of the Greenlandic people,” she said. “At the same time, it must be done in a way that allows Denmark and the United States to still co-operate in, among other things, NATO,” Frederiksen said. Earlier, Trump posted a video of his private plane landing in Nuuk, the Arc- tic territory’s capital, in a landscape of snow-capped peaks and fjords. “Don Jr. and my Reps landing in Greenland,” Trump wrote. “The recep- tion has been great. They, and the Free World, need safety, security, strength, and PEACE! This is a deal that must happen. MAGA. MAKE GREENLAND GREAT AGAIN!” In a statement, Greenland’s govern- ment said Donald Trump Jr.’s visit was taking place “as a private individual” and not as an official visit, and Green- landic representatives would not meet with him. Trump, a Republican, has also floated having Canada join the United States as the 51st state. He said Tuesday that he would not use military force to invade the country, which is home to more than 40 million people and is a founding NATO partner. Instead, he said, he would rely on “economic force” as he cast the U.S. trade deficit with Canada — a natural resource-rich nation that provides the U.S. with commodities like crude oil and petroleum — as a subsidy that would be coming to an end. Canadian leaders fired back after ear- lier dismissing Trump’s rhetoric as a joke. “President-elect Trump’s comments show a complete lack of understanding of what makes Canada a strong country. Our economy is strong. Our people are strong. We will never back down in the face of threats,” Canadian Foreign Min- ister Mélanie Joly said in a post on X. Justin Trudeau, the country’s outgoing prime minister, was even more blunt. “There isn’t a snowball’s chance in hell that Canada would become part of the United States,” he wrote. Promising a “Golden age of America,” Trump also said he would move to try to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America,” saying that has a “beautiful ring to it.” He also said he believes that NATO should dramatically increase its spend- ing targets, with members of the trans-Atlantic alliance committing to spend at least five per cent of their GDPs on defence spending, up from the cur- rent two per cent. In June, NATO announced a record 23 of its 32 member nations were on track to hit that target as Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine has raised the threat of expand- ing conflict in Europe. Trump also used his press conference to complain that President Joe Biden was undermining his transition to power a day after the incumbent moved to ban offshore energy drilling in most federal waters. Biden, whose term expires in two weeks, used his authority under the fed- eral Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to protect offshore areas along the East and West coasts, the eastern Gulf of Mexico and portions of Alaska’s Northern Ber- ing Sea from future oil and natural gas leasing. All told, about 625 million acres of federal waters were withdrawn from energy exploration by Biden in a move that may require an act of Congress to undo. “I’m going to put it back on day one,” Trump told reporters. He pledged to take it to the courts “if we need to.” Trump said Biden’s effort — part of a series of final actions in office by the Democrat’s administration — was under- mining his plans for once he’s in office. “You know, they told me that, we’re going to do everything possible to make this transition to the new administra- tion very smooth,” Trump said. “It’s not smooth.” But Biden’s team has extended access and courtesies to the Trump team that the Republican former president initial- ly denied Biden after his 2020 election victory. Trump incoming chief of staff Susie Wiles told Axios in an interview pub- lished Monday that Biden chief of staff Jeff Zients “has been very helpful.” In extended remarks, Trump also railed against the work of special counsel Jack Smith, who oversaw now- dropped prosecutions over his role in the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol and possession of classified documents after he left office in 2021. — The Associated Press TOP NEWS A3 WEDNESDAY JANUARY 8, 2025 ● ASSOCIATE EDITOR, NEWS: STACEY THIDRICKSON 204-697-7292 ● CITY.DESK@FREEPRESS.MB.CA ● WINNIPEGFREEPRESS.COM EVAN VUCCI / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS U.S. president-elect Donald Trump promised a ‘Golden age of America’ during a news conference at Mar-a-Lago on Tuesday in Palm Beach, Fla. EMIL STACH / RITZAU SCANPIX VIA AP Donald Trump Jr. (centre) arriving in Nuuk, Greenland, Tuesday via his father’s plane. Trump refuses to rule out use of military force to seize Greenland, Panama Canal WILL WEISSERT AND ZEKE MILLER NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh told Trump to “cut the crap.” “Your attacks will hurt jobs on both sides of the border,” Singh posted on X. “You come for Canadians’ jobs, Ameri- cans will pay a price.” Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre did not mention Trump by name but said “Canada will never be the 51st state. Period.” In a post on X, Poilievre said Canada is an independent country and the United States’ best friend. In a wide-ranging news conference at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, the president-elect said he will impose “substantial” tariffs on Canada and Mexico when he returns to the White House in less than two weeks. Trump said previously he’ll slap 25 per cent duties on imports from Ameri- ca’s closest neighbours unless they stop the flow of illegal drugs and migrants across the border. Trudeau and LeBlanc made a quick trip to Florida late last year to discuss the threat. A few weeks later, LeBlanc announced a series of measures to beef up border security with a $1.3-billion package. Trump has indicated he still intends to proceed with his tariff plan. Trump mused about that meeting with Trudeau during Tuesday’s news conference and claimed repeatedly that Canada is subsidized by the U.S. He said the U.S. doesn’t need Ca- nadian imports like milk, lumber and automobiles. The president-elect also criticized Canada’s level of military funding and said he told hockey legend Wayne Gretzky to run for prime minister. Matthew Lebo, a specialist in U.S. politics at Western University in Lon- don, Ont., said he doesn’t think Trump will infringe on Canada’s sovereignty by somehow forcing the two countries to merge. But the president-elect’s comments show an unwillingness to understand the bilateral relationship, he added. “Canada should be incredibly ner- vous that our economic health is in the hands of somebody who doesn’t under- stand how things work,” he said. Canada is in a particularly difficult diplomatic situation after Trudeau announced Monday that he will resign his post as soon as a new Liberal leader is chosen, Lebo said. The date for a Liberal leadership race hasn’t been set. Trudeau also prorogued Parliament until March 24 and a federal election will take place later this year. Earlier Tuesday, Conservative House leader Andrew Scheer said Trudeau had been “weak” in dealing with subsequent U.S. administrations. Singh challenged anyone running for prime minister to commit to retaliatory tar- iffs if Trump acts on his promises. Ontario Premier Doug Ford has warned he will retaliate if Trump fol- lows through, suggesting the province could cut energy exports to the U.S. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has said her province would not impose retaliatory tariffs on oil and gas. In a statement late Tuesday after- noon, Smith did not directly address Trump’s latest threatening comments but reiterated that Canada buys more products and services from the U.S. than any other country. “Canada is a strong, independent na- tion with the ninth largest economy in the world, and our southern neighbour benefits from this economic strength,” she said. British Columbia Premier David Eby said Tuesday that the burden of confronting the tariff threat has now fallen to the premiers. He said he and his counterparts from across Canada will travel to Washington in an effort to convince the president-elect to back away from the tariff plan. “It makes no sense to punish both Americans and Canadians to address that issue,” he said. “We can do it together.” — The Canadian Press, with Associated Press files STATE ● FROM A1 Ontario launches border-strengthening operation as tariff threat looms TORONTO — Ontario will beef up sec- urity along its border with the United States as part of its response to tariff threats from U.S. president-elect Donald Trump, Premier Doug Ford said Tues- day. The move, dubbed Operation Deter- rence, will see some 200 Ontario Prov- incial Police officers focused on boost- ing border security. The OPP has been increasing patrols along the vast bor- der using airplanes, helicopters drones, boats and patrol vehicles. “Ontario has been calling on the fed- eral government to step up and address safety and security concerns at the bor- der,” Ford said in a statement. “We need to see words turned into vis- ible action. In the meantime, Ontario is stepping up with Operation Deterrence to crack down on illegal border crossings and illegal guns and drugs.” Ford said a “more co-ordinated, Team Canada approach that includes more boots on the ground” is the only way to address the problem. Trump has threatened to impose a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian goods on his first day in office on Jan. 20 unless Can- ada tightens border security, with an em- phasis on fentanyl trafficking and illegal crossings. The province said its operation, which it describes as a “preparedness and plan- ning framework,” will target activities outside of the 14 official border cross- ings staffed by federal border agents. “In partnership with the Royal Can- adian Mounted Police, Operation Deter- rence activity will be enhanced through the use of the emergency response team, front-line officers and additional spe- cialty resources, including canine units, commercial motor vehicle inspections and criminal investigators,” it said. Ontario officials took part in a joint planning and readiness exercise with federal authorities on Friday. The federal government announced a series of measures following Trump’s election victory in the fall to better se- cure the border with a $1.3-billion pack- age, in response to the threat. Trump has not said if he will pause the tariffs. Ontario has not received any new money from the federal government on the new border measures. Alberta announced last month it would create a new sheriff unit to patrol the Canada-U.S. border. The unit will be supported by about 50 armed sheriffs, 10 cold weather surveillance drones and four drug detection dogs. It is expected to be operational shortly, Premier Dan- ielle Smith said. Manitoba has also announced plans to beef up its border, with conservation of- ficers helping out with surveillance, Pre- mier Wab Kinew said last month. — The Canadian Press ;