When Donald Trump assumed the presidency back in January, Americans were curious as to how Trump would work with his allies. Trump came in with heavy promises to reflect the start of the Golden Age in America. A few months into his presidency, Trump has made comments and pursued actions to reshape the political landscape abroad. In this article, we will discuss Trump’s current policies and statements toward Panama and Ukraine. I will also briefly mention El Salvador.
Marco Rubio, the current Secretary of State, had his first foreign trip and visited El Salvador, Costa Rica, and Panama. This trip was significant because it was unprecedented for a Secretary of State to travel to Latin America as their first trip. NPR stated that back in 1912, former Secretary of State Philander Cox visited Panama and “spent a month crisscrossing Latin America – from Nicaragua to Venezuela. Rubio’s trip to Latin America is important because of all the tension created because of the recent tariffs from Mexico; this can set up how the United States will work with Latin American countries to ensure diplomatic relations are kept in order.
Panama
One of Marco Rubio’s first stops was Panama. During the Trump campaign, he had outlined his plan to retake control of the Panama Canal. Why is the Panama Canal at the center of debate? We will look into this topic in the following paragraphs. But first, let’s learn more about the history of the Panama Canal and why it’s a strategic point between countries.
The history of the Panama Canal can be traced back to the administration of Theodore Roosevelt. Americans and traders wanted a faster route to ship goods between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Negotiations began to take place between countries about building a proposed canal through the Republic of Nicaragua. The French also began to participate in this affair and began to excavate in 1880, led by Ferdinand de Lesseps. The French would eventually become bankrupt after 9 years due to a variety of reasons, including malaria and yellow fever, ultimately resulting in the loss of 20,000 lives. The Americans would eventually be interested in the proposal, and soon enough, a new treaty, the Hay-Pauncefote, licensed the United States to be the sole builder and manager of the canal.
After the US Senate voted in favor of building the canal in 1902, Secretary of State John Hay signed a treaty with Colombia’s Foreign Minister. However, the treaty was denied by the Colombian Congress. As outlined in the article, “President Roosevelt responded by dispatching U.S. warships to Panama City (on the Pacific) and Colón (on the Atlantic) in support of Panamanian independence. Colombian troops were unable to negotiate the jungles of the Darién Gap and Panama declared independence on November 3, 1903.” New deals were made on how much land was provided to the United States to construct the Panama Canal. The project was completed by 1914, and the canal continues to symbolize economic power.
Trump’s comments have been met with pushback from Jose Raul Mulino, the President of Panama, who stated back in January, “Panamanian sovereignty over the canal is clear. There is no discussion on this issue. The soul of a country is not up for discussion.” How important is the Panama Canal, here is a direct quote from Fox News: “As explored in the special, without the canal, the trip would take weeks — upwards of 25 to 26 days — and would require a trip around South America.
“The Panama Canal lets them cut through Central America, knocking between 8,000 and 10,000 miles off the trip and saving millions of dollars in fuel and other costs,” Jenkins added.”
Ukraine
In other news, the Trump administration has shifted its stance on Ukraine. In recent months, Donald Trump promised to resolve the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. However, relations became strained. You may ask yourself why?
In February, Zelenskyy met with President Donald Trump to discuss an agreement between Ukraine and the United States regarding minerals. However, this meeting ended abruptly in a confrontational tone between the two leaders. As outlined by BBC News, Zelensky was hoping to leave with an agreement with the United States, “capped with the signing of a minerals deal giving the US a real stake in his country’s future, if not an outright security guarantee.” On the contrary, Zelensky was met with “an extraordinary dressing down in front of the world’s media, after President Trump and his Vice-President JD Vance demanded that he show more gratitude for years of US support.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pushed back against comments of working harder to reach a ceasefire with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump and Vance responded by saying he was being “disrespectful.” Zelenskyy was told he had to leave earlier than expected, which meant the scheduled news conference couldn’t take place. The minerals deal that was praised by both countries was left unsigned: “Come back when you’re ready for peace,” Trump wrote on social media shortly before Zelensky’s car pulled away.” The following information is a summary from BBC News on the Trump-Zelenskyy meeting.
At first, the meeting started off polite, but things quickly became heated when Vance suggested Ukraine should focus more on diplomacy to end the war. Zelensky pushed back, pointing out that past attempts at peace with Russia had failed, and criticized the idea of trusting Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Zelensky warned that if the U.S. tries to make a quick peace deal without holding Russia accountable, it could put Europe and even America at risk. This comment angered Trump, who told Zelensky not to lecture the U.S. and reminded him that America had already given billions of dollars in aid. During the Oval Office meeting, tensions spiked when Zelensky said Ukraine had been “alone” since the war began, prompting an angry response from Trump, who reminded him that the U.S. had given $350 billion in aid. Trump called President Biden “stupid” for approving the support. Vice President Vance then accused Zelensky of favoring Democrats after he visited a factory in Biden’s hometown before the 2024 election. This moment displayed how American is internally divided when it comes to foreign policy. Trump grew increasingly frustrated, telling Zelensky his country was “not winning” and “ “You have a damn good chance of coming out OK because of us.”
The conversation got even more tense when Trump and Vance accused Zelensky of being ungrateful and acting like a political ally of President Biden. Zelensky stood his ground, insisting that Ukraine is fighting for its survival and deserves continued support. In the background, Ukrainian ambassador Oksana Markarova was seen with her head in her hands, reflecting how serious and difficult the situation had become. After the meeting, I was surprised to learn what had taken place in the White House. This was unprecedented, given that during these meetings with foreign leaders, they are quite cordial and both the US President and visiting leader respect each other. However, this was not the case with Zelenskyy. This meeting was very vocal, and it’s safe to say that the dialogue used should have been more respectful and not interrupted. These meetings are scheduled to agree on issues, not create more external conflict.
You may be asking yourself what this minerals deal is that Trump and Zelenskyy had previously agreed on before this meeting. The following is a summary from Reuters about this minerals deal.
In recent weeks, Ukraine has continued to seek U.S. support for its war effort and is willing to offer access to its rich deposits of critical minerals, including rare earths: these are essential for electric vehicles, defense systems, and clean energy technologies. Back in February, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent visited Kyiv to discuss a potential minerals deal as part of Ukraine’s efforts to win over former President Donald Trump: Trump had previously said that he wants Ukraine to supply these minerals as a form of payment for the United States supporting war efforts against Russia. Rare earth elements like neodymium, lanthanum, and cerium are crucial to modern technology, and Ukraine is believed to hold significant reserves, including one of Europe’s largest lithium deposits. However, the country currently has no active rare earth mines.
The ongoing war has cost Ukraine control over about 40% of its metal resources, which are now under Russian occupation. Russia has seized two lithium deposits, though Ukraine still retains control of others in the central Kyrovohrad region. Despite the setbacks, President Zelensky has expressed willingness to partner with the U.S. and other Western nations to jointly develop and extract these rare resources as part of his broader “victory plan,” presented last autumn.
Ukraine’s government sees major investment potential in the critical minerals sector, estimating $12–15 billion by 2033. They are preparing around 100 mining sites for development, aiming to attract partners to construct a plan to exploit critical minerals. However, foreign investors have voiced concerns about Ukraine’s regulatory challenges, access to geological data, and land acquisition issues. While the resources present a valuable opportunity, building up a functional mining industry will take a few years and require stability, which can be challenging for a country like Ukraine, which is currently at war.
To end this portion of the article, I will leave the following link for you to read about the comments that followed the meeting.
El Salvador
On Monday, April 14th, Donald Trump met with Nayib Bukele, where they shared comments about a man (Abrego Garcia) recently deported back to El Salvador. Nayib Bukele said he won’t return the man to the United States. Bukele stated the following: “The question is preposterous: how can I smuggle a terrorist into the United States?” Bukele said.” This deportation was carried out under the Alien Enemies Act. More than 200 migrants have been sent to prison in El Salvador, and a large group of migrants have been sent back without due process. While the Supreme Court has sided with the Trump administration and allowed them to use the law, the court has also ordered the government to facilitate the return of Abrego Garcia.
Here is a statement from Marco Rubio, Secretary of State, who was present at the meeting: “He’s a citizen of El Salvador, so it’s very arrogant even for American media to suggest that we would even tell El Salvador, how to handle their own citizens,” Miller said. NPR also stated the Trump administration’s only responsibility under the court order was to provide transportation, since Garcia is now in Salvadoran custody, which makes this an issue that’s out of their hands. Critics, including immigration advocacy groups, have argued that this situation is a blatant defiance of the Supreme Court’s ruling and an alarming example of how immigration policy is being used to erode democratic norms. In the article, Ms. Vanessa Cardenas, the executive director of America’s Voice, warns that this case reflects a broader pattern of disregard for legal checks and balances, particularly as the administration expands deportation efforts while partnering with foreign governments to detain migrants under questionable conditions.
Summary of Imprisonments – AP News
What else has Donald Trump said regarding the imprisonment of US citizens? Well, Former President Donald Trump has reiterated that he would like to send U.S. citizens convicted of violent crimes to El Salvador’s CECOT prison, a facility known for its extreme conditions. While his administration has already deported immigrants to CECOT under deals with Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, expanding this policy to include U.S. citizens would likely be unconstitutional. Trump implied these would be violent offenders, but has also suggested sending protestors, including those targeting Elon Musk and Tesla dealerships, raising concerns about political retaliation. Legal experts note that U.S. citizens cannot be deported under immigration law, and the Constitution protects against cruel and unusual punishment, making forced imprisonment in foreign prisons highly questionable under U.S. law.
Donald Trump has embraced the example set by El Salvador. “Sending immigrants from countries like Venezuela to El Salvador sends a message to would-be migrants elsewhere about the risks of trying to make it to — or stay in — the United States. AP News also stated that a second benefit to the Trump administration is that the “people sent to El Salvador are outside the jurisdiction of United States courts. The argument made here is that the judges “can’t order someone sent to El Salvador to be released or shipped back to the U.S. because the U.S. government no longer has control of them.”
AP News said the following: “Can they (United States) send citizens to El Salvador?” This is highly unlikely because there are legal barriers in place. However, one of the few exceptions appears to be the US sending a citizen who has been accused of a crime in that specific country, who would then face trial there. This is the only way the United States can forcibly remove a US citizen from the country. Here is a quote from the article in response: “It is illegal to expatriate U.S. citizens for a crime,” wrote Lauren-Brooke Eisen of the Brennan Center for Social Justice in New York. She noted that even if the administration tries to transfer federal prisoners there, arguing they’re already incarcerated, it could run afoul of the First Step Act that Trump himself championed and signed in 2018. The provision requires that the government try to house federal inmates as close to their homes as possible so their families can visit them — and indeed transfer anyone housed farther than 500 miles from their home to a closer facility.”
One potential loophole involves stripping naturalized citizens of their status under certain conditions, making them deportable. Still, that would only apply to a small number of people and wouldn’t authorize mass transfers of U.S. citizens to foreign prisons. If you wish to continue reading the article from AP News, here is the link.
It’s interesting to see how these events will continue to unfold. We know that Donald Trump will ensure that every country respects the United States. Trump is smart and knows how to deal with his allies. Whether through tariffs or direct tweets, he knows how to get a country to side with him. This is not a critique, but what the American people see unfolding daily.
