BREAKING: Germany Rejects President Trump’s Panama Canal Takeover Move

Germany has disapproved of United States (US) President Donald Trump’s move to take control of the Panama Canal.

Naija News reports that President Trump made his decision known on Monday during his inaugural address as the 47th US President.

However, in an interview on Tuesday, German Foreign Minister, Annalena Baerbock, who was questioned about Trump’s remarks made on Monday concerning the canal and his interest in Greenland, which is an autonomous territory of NATO ally Denmark, emphasized to German broadcaster RBB that any threat directed at a NATO member or other nations is entirely unacceptable.

Baerbock said Germany needed to “play it smart” when responding to the president’s statements.

“It’s not about how President Trump says something… but we should look at why he says something,” Baerbock said.

Attention should be directed towards the motivations underlying Trump’s remarks, followed by advocating for our own interests, she stated.

Regarding the Panama Canal, Baerbock highlighted the significance of China’s substantial investments in ports and other critical infrastructure globally.

During his inaugural speech on Monday, Trump expressed concerns that China was essentially “controlling” the vital trade route, which the United States handed over to Panamanian authority in 1999.

“We didn’t give it to China, we gave it to Panama. And we’re taking it back,” Trump said.

Trump has previously indicated his desire to regain US control over the canal, consistently leaving open the possibility of employing military action. Baerbock remarked that Germany holds no misconceptions regarding Trump as he embarks on his second term.

“The USA is one of our most important allies. We want to and will continue to work closely together,” she said.

“But we have positioned ourselves more intensively and even more strongly strategically.”