Trump Threatens to Humble Canada, Annex Greenland

In a provocative and headline-grabbing Tuesday speech on his territorial ambitions for the United States, incoming US leader Donald Trump was heavy on intimidation but light on details - leaving many wondering how seriously the comments should be taken.

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In a rambling press conference at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, Trump said he would not rule out using military or economic coercion to acquire Greenland and the Panama Canal, and vowed to bring Canada to heel.

He called the border with the United States' northern neighbour an "artificially drawn line", and promised to rename the Gulf of Mexico the "Gulf of America".

The press conference brought to mind the Republican's many provocative statements from his first term, when he said he would encourage Russia to "do whatever the hell they want" to NATO allies and called North Korea's leader a "rocketman on a suicide mission".

At the United Nations, Trump's latest comments won little applause.