Donald Trump has threatened to pull all American troops out of Europe as he again berated NATO allies over their opposition to his ambition to annex Greenland. The president renewed his criticism and claim to the semi-autonomous Danish territory at the start of a crucial NATO summit this week. He argued that the US needs to take over the mineral-rich Arctic island on national security grounds.
Trump's Remarks at Ankara Meeting
Responding to a question on the dispute at a meeting in Ankara, Trump said: 'That's what hurt my relationship with NATO, because Greenland doesn't help Denmark. Denmark doesn't spend money to really help Greenland, but it's an important part for the United States, and it's surrounded by Chinese ships and Russian ships, and that's not going to happen.'
Trump, whose claims of foreign threats to the self-governing island have been challenged, argued it 'should be controlled by the United States, not by Denmark'. He added: 'Europe's a very different place than it was 20 years ago, a lot different, much different, and they better be careful with immigration and energy. If they're not careful with those two things, you're not going to have a Europe anymore.'
European Leaders Rally Behind Denmark
Sir Keir Starmer has previously joined with other European leaders to rally behind fellow NATO member Denmark and insist they would 'not stop defending' Greenland's territorial integrity, fuelling transatlantic tensions. Chancellor Rachel Reeves said: 'The future of Greenland is up to the people of Greenland and of Denmark, and not up to the US president. I've been very clear about that ever since it was first suggested.'
Broader NATO Tensions
Greenland has been just one of the flashpoints in fraught relations between the US and its NATO partners. Trump recently launched a fresh onslaught on allies' defence budgets, claiming Washington was bankrolling other countries 'without getting any benefit'. It came after US defence secretary Pete Hegseth announced a review of American military forces in Europe as he questioned if some members were meeting their spending commitments.
Tensions had also been inflamed over what Trump viewed as a lack of support by countries for his war against Iran. It has led the president to cast doubt on America's commitment to the long-standing NATO alliance, which he has branded 'a paper tiger'.
