WASHINGTON - Donald Trump cast himself both as a peacemaker and fierce defender of US interests in a mercurial return to the White House on Monday, vowing to seize the Panama Canal but also imploring Russia to make a deal on Ukraine.

Many assume this Trump tough talk is his signature bluster, which he uses to threaten allies to do what he wants. When he suggested renaming the Gulf of Mexico the “Gulf of America,” Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum trolled Trump with a 17th-century map labeling the United States “America Mexicana.”

President-elect Donald J. Trump has made big promises on Ukraine, Iran, China and crises around the globe. But he will have to make difficult choices.

Kremlin says ready for dialogue with Trump Russia says it is ready for dialogue with US President Donald Trump, after he threatened new sanctions on the country if the war in Ukraine did not end with a deal.

Donald Trump pledged to reassert U.S. control over the Panama Canal, accusing Panama ... industry as part of efforts to resolve the Russia-Ukraine war, Bloomberg reported on Jan. 16.

Republican President-elect Donald Trump says he plans to acquire Greenland, bring the war in Ukraine to a close and fundamentally alter the U.S. relationship with NATO during his second four-year term.

Donald Trump threatened Russia with unspecified sanctions as he urged President Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine .

Report TRUMP FIRST 100 DAYS © AP PhotoTrump takes ‘America First’ to the world stage PRESIDENT TRUMP TOOK HIS “AMERICA FIRST” DOCTRINE to the world

Donald Trump's aggressive stance on the Panama Canal risks setting a dangerous precedent. It could offer China a blueprint to justify its territorial ambitions. Critics say Trump's stance could embolden Beijing's expansionism in Taiwan and the South China Sea,

A guide to the Week One distractions, late-night devilry, executive overreach, and the Administration’s early infighting.

Donald Trump argues that the US needs Greenland for national security, while a retaking of the Panama Canal is necessary to curb the overcharging of American ships and combat Chinese influence.

Putin also wants a summit with Trump, which appears to be on track to happen this year. A meeting with the U.S. president would signal an end to the period of international isolation Russia entered after it invaded Ukraine in February 2022.