Main narratives:
- USA wants to annex Canada, Panama Canal, and Greenland
- Latvia is wrong in not supporting Trump
Overview:
During the monitoring period, multiple posts were shared, and comments were made on statements by US President Donald Trump regarding potential US territorial expansion. These included his proposals to incorporate Canada as a US state, assume control of Panama, and purchase Greenland. While some posts simply reported these statements verbatim, others added commentary ranging from supportive (“2025 promises to be exciting”), exaggerating (“Trump wants to annex Greenland and the Panama Canal”) to satirical (“Greenland’s defense will be strengthened by sled dogs”).
Though the posts generally maintained factual accuracy, the primary issue lies in the amplification of messaging that undermines established international norms. Trump’s statements reflect a 19th-century approach to international relations, where powerful nations could unilaterally pursue territorial acquisition through economic leverage or coercion. Trump’s rhetoric poses several advantages that are beneficial to the Kremlin. It diminishes the significance of international law and sovereign rights. It frames international relations as purely transactional.
The most problematic aspect is that such statements legitimize similar arguments used by Russia to justify territorial aggression. If the US starts claiming territories around the world, based on historical claims or economic benefit, this normalizes the Kremlin’s aggression in Ukraine where Putin used similar arguments to justify Russia’s aggression.
