Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni said Thursday she didn’t believe President-elect Donald Trump actually intends to use military force to seize control of Greenland or the Panama Canal, saying she read his comments more as a warning to China and other global players to keep their hands off such strategically important interests.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said Thursday that US President-elect Donald Trump’s remarks about Greenland and the Panama Canal are messages to other big powers, particularly China, rather than hostile claims.

US president-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday reiterated his expansionist agenda, citing China as a security threat and refusing to rule out military action or economic pressure to reclaim the Panama Canal and acquire Greenland from Denmark.

Donald Trump has reiterated his interest in buying Greenland, threatening to levy tariffs on Denmark and not ruling out military force to acquire the island. Greenland is a self-ruling Arctic territory that is part of Denmark,