President-elect Donald Trump Tuesday threatened to place new tariffs on imports from Denmark unless the country gives up control of Greenland, news that dented the stocks of some of Denmark’s most important companies and underscored Trump’s focus on geopolitical competition.

Russia is "watching this rather dramatic development of the situation very closely," President Vladimir Putin's spokesperson said.

President-elect Donald Trump left open the possibility Tuesday that he might use military force to take over the Panama Canal and force Denmark to sell Greenland to the United States, and said he could use “economic force” to make good on his bizarre proposition of annexing Canada.