Russia sounds off on Trump’s threat to retake the Panama Canal

Russia’s foreign ministry has called on President Donald Trump to reaffirm the current international agreement surrounding the Panama Canal and to leave it in control of the nation of Panama. 

Alexander Shchetinin, the director of Russia’s foreign ministry’s Latin American department, told Russian news outlet TASS that he expects Trump "will respect the current international legal regime" of the canal as laid out in two 1977 treaties between the U.S. and Panama.

The agreement relinquished American control over the canal by the year 2000 and guaranteed its neutrality.

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Trump has railed against Panama since his sweeping election win in November, accusing the Central American country of letting China dominate the critical maritime trade route and leaving U.S. ships getting "ripped off" in the process.

During his inaugural speech on Monday, President Trump doubled down on his grievances and declared that the U.S. would be "taking it back."

"We expect that during the expected discussions between the leadership of Panama and President Trump on issues of control over the Panama Canal, which certainly falls within the sphere of their bilateral relations, the parties will respect the current international legal regime of this key waterway," Shchetinin said.

He said that 40 countries also joined a protocol agreement, of which Russia is one, to recognize the canal’s neutrality and to keep it "safe and open."

"[The U.S. and Panama] must protect the canal from any threat to the neutrality regime," Shchetinin said. "At the same time, a reservation was made that the said right of the United States to defend the Panama Canal does not mean and should not be interpreted as the right to interfere in the internal affairs of Panama, and any actions by the American side will never be directed against the territorial integrity or political independence of Panama."

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Trump has been critical of the agreement and said previously it was a "big mistake" on Carter’s part.

"The United States… spent more money than was ever spent on a project before and lost 38,000 lives in the building of the Panama Canal," Trump said at his inaugural address on Monday.

"We have been treated very badly from this foolish gift that should never have been made. And Panama's promise to us has been broken. The purpose of our deal and the spirit of our treaty has been totally violated."

"American ships are being severely overcharged and not treated fairly in any way, shape or form, and that includes the United States Navy. And above all, China is operating the Panama Canal. And we didn't give it to China, we gave it to Panama, and we're taking it back."

The canal’s administrator, Ricaurte Vásquez, said this month that China is not in control of the canal and that all nations are treated equally under a neutrality treaty.

The 51-mile maritime trade route uses a series of locks and reservoirs to cut through the middle of Panama and connect the Atlantic and Pacific. The United States built the canal in the early 1900s as it looked for ways to facilitate the transit of commercial and military vessels between its coasts.

The canal spares ships having to sail around Cape Horn at South America’s southern tip, saving it a roughly 7,000-mile journey. 

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Panama President José Raúl Mulino issued a statement rejecting Trump’s comments and said, "The Canal is and will continue to be Panama's and its administration will continue to be under Panamanian control with respect to its permanent neutrality."

"There is no presence of any nation in the world that interferes with our administration," he added, taking issue with Trump’s suggestion that the U.S. "gave" the canal to Panama.

"Dialogue is always the way to clarify the points mentioned without undermining our right, total sovereignty and ownership of our Canal," Mulino said. 

Fox News’ Caitlin McFall and The Associated Press contributed to this report.