Russia on Tuesday issued a warning to President Donald Trump not to attempt to take control over the Panama Canal, as he has repeatedly threatened to do.
Trump told reporters earlier this month that he can't rule out using economic or military force to gain control over the Panama Canal and Greenland, saying, "It might be that you'll have to do something," and adding, "We need them for economic security."
Alexander Shchetinin, the director of the Russian foreign ministry's Latin American department, said that the United States has no "right to interfere in the internal affairs of Panama" in a statement to Russian state media on Tuesday, according to Politico.
"We expect that during the expected discussions between the leadership of Panama and U.S. President Donald Trump on issues of control over the Panama Canal … the parties will respect the current international legal regime of this key waterway," Shchetinin said.
Russia "confirms its obligations to maintain the permanent neutrality of the Panama Canal, advocating for keeping this international transit waterway safe and open," he added.
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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