First international reactions to the US president's speech

Donald Trump's statements to US congressmen have sparked numerous international reactions, with the first official responses being from Ukraine, Denmark, Canada and China.

A representative of the Ukrainian president confirmed that he had sent a message to Donald Trump, stressing the importance of rapid cooperation to finalize an agreement on rare earth minerals. Yuri Sak, an adviser to the Ministry of Strategic Industries, said: "We must remain pragmatic. We understand that the United States is Ukraine's strategic partner. We understand that without US financial and military support, it will be much more difficult for Ukraine to resist the invasion."

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen responded to Donald Trump's statements on Greenland. Rasmussen said: "I would like to draw attention to the fact that he (Trump) said, "We respect the right of the Greenlanders to self-determination,' and I think that was the most important part of the speech. And I am very optimistic about a decision by Greenland in this regard. They want to relax relations with Denmark. We cooperate, to have a more equal relationship. But we do not know what they are planning to do to become an integrated part of America."

Another sensitive topic raised by Donald Trump was the introduction of tariffs on Canadian imports, which triggered a strong reaction from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who declared: "The United States has launched a trade war against Canada, their closest partner and ally, their closest friend. At the same time, they talk about working positively with Russia, appeasing Vladimir Putin, a lying and criminal dictator."

China's Foreign Ministry has responded to Donald Trump's accusations that Beijing's central authorities are involved in the management of the Panama Canal. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian strongly denied these allegations: "China has not participated in the management or operation of the (Panama) Canal and has not been involved in the affairs of the Canal. The statement that China controls the Canal is false."

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