On the campaign trail, Trump discussed foreign and domestic policy, but most of his speeches focused on fixing problems he said were caused by the Biden administration. Since being inaugurated, he has signed executive orders rolling back diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and taken swings at cutting back the size of the federal workforce. However, the policies that dominated his first weeks have related more to his promises to “prevent World War Three” and “end the global chaos and restore Peace through Strength.”

Here are the regions he’s focused on in his first weeks as president.

Gaza

Trump made waves Tuesday by declaring bold action to “level it out” and rebuild war-torn Gaza, calling for residents of the land to move to neighboring Arab countries as the area is redeveloped.

“The U.S. will take over the Gaza Strip and do a job with it too. We’ll own it,” Trump said at a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

He envisioned a place where “the world’s people” could live, saying it could become the “Riviera of the Middle East.” He alluded to going so far as to send troops, saying “We’ll do what is necessary,” when asked if he’d deploy troops.

The president has repeatedly said Gaza is now a “demolition site” following the destruction from Israel’s war against Hamas. He’s suggested Palestinians should relocate to Egypt or Jordan rather than return to the rubble.

In the press conference Tuesday, Trump said he views U.S. “long-term ownership” as key to stability and peace in the Middle East.

The plan from the president came despite pushback from the Middle East and a ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas.

Canada and Mexico

One of the first big moves Trump made after being declared the winner of last November’s election was to warn Canada and Mexico of blanket 25% tariffs on all imports from their respective countries into the U.S. if they did not stop the flow of fentanyl and illegal immigrants over their borders and into the U.S.

Trump teased the tariffs for weeks but announced Saturday he would be imposing the tariffs, along with a 10% tariff on imports from China, on Tuesday until the countries had shown sufficient action in combatting illegal immigration and the flow of fentanyl.

With less than a day before they were set to go into effect, both Mexico and Canada worked out deals with Trump to delay the tariffs at least one month. Trump and leaders of both countries said talks would continue on how to combat the flow of fentanyl across the border, among other problems.

Notably, the majority of the agreement reached Monday that eased Trump’s frustrations with Canada had been announced in the summer, and illegal crossings at the northern border dropped 89% between June and December 2024.

Greenland

One idea from Trump’s first term that has reappeared at the beginning of his second term is the U.S. acquiring Greenland. The territory, under the jurisdiction of Denmark, has key access to the Arctic Circle, along with natural resources, which have made it an appealing piece of land for Trump.

While some have dismissed Trump’s desire to buy Greenland as a joke, officials in the U.S. and Europe have stressed that the president appears to be serious about getting the territory.

Last month, European officials told the Financial Times a call between Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Trump did not go well, with one official saying the United States’s intent was “very clear” in that they want Greenland. The anonymous official also claimed that “the Danes are now in crisis mode.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on SiriusXM’s The Megyn Kelly Show last week that Trump’s want for Greenland is “not a joke” and that it “is in our national interest, and it needs to be solved.”

Panama

Trump also made it clear early on that he had his eye on security at the Panama Canal. The U.S. constructed the canal in 1914 and maintained it until a treaty in 1977 – which fully gave control to the Panamanians in 1999.

The president has said he wants to reacquire the canal, railing against the fees the Panamanians charge the U.S. for passage, along with concerns about Chinese influence over the operations of the canal.

During Trump’s first term, Panama signed a joint communique with China, reinforcing that they would not make official ties to Taiwan. Since then, the relationship between the two has grown. However, the Panamanians have pushed back on the assertion that China has control over the canal.

“The Canal has no control, direct or indirect, neither from China, nor from the European Community, nor from the United States or any other power,” President José Raúl Mulino said in his statement.

Rubio traveled to Panama as part of his first foreign trip as secretary of state and met with officials there last week. After the trip, Mulino said the country would pull out of the China’s Belt and Road Initiative. The Secretary of State celebrated the country’s decision as a “great step forward for U.S.-Panama relations.”

One area of foreign policy in which Trump has yet to intervene since taking office is the war in Ukraine.

Trump vowed a swift end to the conflict, but little progress has been made public, as the president has discussed other foreign policy matters during the opening weeks of his second term.