Russia warned President Trump on Tuesday against seizing the Panama Canal, after he reiterated his intent to take control of the strategic waterway in his second inaugural address Monday.
Shchetinin reaffirmed Russia’s commitment to the neutrality of the critical trade route and said it expects both America and Panama to continue respecting that agreement.
And above all, China is operating the Panama Canal,” Trump said Monday.
Panama has full control of the canal itself, but Hutchison Ports PPC, a Hong Kong-based company, controls two ports at either end of it.
While Hutchison and CK Hutchison Holdings, its parent company, are not owned by the Chinese government, they are subject to the national security law Beijing imposed on Hong Kong in 2020.
Having reaffirmed his intention to seize control of the vital waterway in his second inaugural address on Monday, President Trump received a warning from Russia on Tuesday not to seize the Panama Canal.
“We expect that the parties will respect the current international legal regime of this key waterway during the expected discussions between the leadership of Panama and US President Donald Trump on issues of control over the Panama Canal, which certainly falls within the sphere of their bilateral relations,” stated Alexander Shchetinin, director of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Latin American Department, according to Russian state media outlet TASS.
Reiterating Russia’s commitment to maintaining the neutrality of the vital trade route, Shchetinin stated that it expects the United States and Panama to uphold the agreement.
Since 1988, Russia has been a signatory to the protocol, affirming its commitment to uphold the Panama Canal’s permanent neutrality and promoting the preservation of this vital international transit pipeline. “.”.
Along with expansionist plans for Greenland, a Danish overseas territory, and seemingly ironic allusions to making Canada the “51st state,” Trump’s promise to seize control of the canal has been a major theme of his recent rhetoric. “.”.
The U.S. Navy is among the American vessels that are being unfairly treated and subjected to excessive charges. Trump stated on Monday that China is in charge of running the Panama Canal.
Although Hutchison Ports PPC, a Hong Kong-based corporation, owns two ports at either end of the canal, Panama retains complete control of the canal itself. The national security law that Beijing imposed on Hong Kong in 2020 applies to Hutchison and its parent company, CK Hutchison Holdings, even though they are not owned by the Chinese government.
The canal “is and will remain Panama’s and its administration will remain under Panamanian control with respect to its permanent neutrality,” said President José Raúl Mulino of Panama in response to Trump’s comments on Monday, rejecting his promise to retake it. “”.
Additionally, Mulino disagreed with the notion that China had undue influence over the canal, stating, “No country in the world interferes with our administration.”. “.”.
In the early 1900s, the United States constructed the canal, and on December, it gave Panama control of the waterway. 31, 1999, in accordance with a 1977 treaty that former President Carter signed.
As per the agreement, “each of the two countries must protect the canal from any threat to the neutrality regime,” Shchetinin stated. “.”.
Additionally, Shchetinin stated that “any action by the American side will never be directed against the territorial integrity or political independence of Panama.” The United States’ right to defend the Panama Canal, she said, “does not mean and should not be interpreted as the right to interfere in the internal affairs of Panama.”.
Bernal Rafael made a contribution.