Trump storm shakes allies' territorial sovereignty

With ten days remaining until the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, the Trump storm is hitting allied nations much harder than expected. President-elect Trump has not only emphasized economic hegemony, which he has been highlighting, but has also openly hinted at the possibility of encroaching on territories and sovereignty, which are considered untouchable domains, targeting key allies such as Canada, Mexico, and NATO. Analysts suggest that these remarks signal that the foundation of Trump’s second-term "America First" policy is rooted in expansionism.

According to CNN on Wednesday (local time), Trump's team is discussing designating Mexico's drug cartels as terrorist organizations. Controversy erupted the previous day when Trump announced at a press conference his intention to rename the "Gulf of Mexico" as the "Gulf of America." The controversy over sovereignty infringement deepened as he hinted at considering military actions under the pretext of eliminating drug cartels.

Trump also expressed intentions to acquire Greenland, a Danish territory, and the Panama Canal, even stating that military options would not be ruled out to achieve these goals. Regarding these developments, The New York Times commented that Trump's version of "America First" can be seen as expansionism, reminiscent of former President Theodore Roosevelt's colonialism, such as the annexation of the Philippines after the 1898 Spanish-American War.


Jin-Woo Shin niceshin@donga.com