Robert O'Brien, former national security advisor, suggests that Trump's plan goes beyond Greenland and the Panama Canal

Robert O'Brien, former national security advisor, defended President-elect Donald Trump's position on the Panama Canal and Greenland. He explained that it is a plan that goes beyond these goals and has the aim of defending U.S. interests against countries like China and Russia.

Regarding the Panama Canal, he recalled that the United States built, paid for and operated it for many years until what he described as a tremendous act of generosity, when Jimmy Carter returned the canal to the Panamanians. However, he maintained that "it was not a simple free gift. There are conditions, that the canal remain neutral."

In that sense, he defended that Trump's position is given because the Panamanians have allowed the presence of China in the canal and that, in addition, they are increasing the prices of U.S. shipments. "So, 75% of the commerce that goes to the canal ends up at American ports or departs from American ports. And they're ripping us off," O'Brien said in an interview on Fox News.

"And so what the Panamanians have done -- and, generally, we love the Panamanians. They're good people. They're friends of America. But they gave the ports on both ends of the canal to the Chinese. And even The New York Times is saying, which has been an apologist for China for years -- is saying that the Chinese are committing espionage, or they could shut down the canal without military efforts just using these Hong Kong companies that control the canal," O'Brien added.

O'Brien insisted that this situation is no longer an option for the United States. He noted that Panama can either accept Trump's terms or the U.S. will have to take back the canal.

"They can't charge exorbitant prices to American taxpayers ultimately, and consumers, and they can't let the Chinese have access to both ends of the canal and run the thing. That violates the neutrality provision of the Panama Canal treaty, under which they got the canal back."

Speaking of Greenland, he indicated that it is strategically very important to the Arctic and will be the critical battleground of the future.

"And the Russians and Chinese are all over the Arctic. Now, the Danes -- the government, the kingdom of Denmark owns Greenland. And they have got an obligation to defend Greenland. And so President Trump said, if you don't defend Greenland, we will buy it and we will defend it," O'Brien said.

O'Brien concluded that that defense will not be free.

"And let you -- and not develop Greenland and not extract the minerals and oil and resources of Greenland. And while we defend it, Denmark gets rich and the king of Denmark becomes even wealthier. "

The former security advisor noted that, in his view, Denmark is now on the front line of the war against Russia and China. "They're like the Baltic states. They're like Poland because of their vast territory in Greenland. And so they have got to defend Greenland."

"And if they can't defend it, we're going to have to, and we're not going to do it for free. So, the Danes can either put the frigate that's necessary there, they can put the air wings, they can put the missiles in Greenland, and they can put the infantry there that they need to defend the country, just like the -- Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia are doing in Eastern Europe, or they can pay us to do it, and we will do it, but they can cover the cost of the defense," O'Brien said.

He stressed that if Denmark doesn't want to do what is proposed, then let the U.S. buy Greenland.

"Greenland can become part of Alaska. I mean, the native people in Greenland are very closely related to the people of Alaska, and we will make it a part of Alaska," he mentioned.

O'Brien was emphatic in affirming that Mike Waltz and President Trump will not allow dictators and terrorists to pressure the United States as in recent years. Therefore, he also referred to Hamas and specified that the Trump administration will prioritize the release of the American hostages being held by the terrorists.