Donald Trump has revived his demand for the United States to acquire Greenland, arriving at a Nato summit in Ankara and threatening to withdraw all American troops from Europe if allies do not meet his defence spending demands. The US president criticised Denmark, a fellow Nato member, for not spending enough on the Arctic island, which he claimed should be controlled by Washington due to increasing Chinese and Russian activity in the region.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves pushed back firmly, stating: “The future of Greenland is up to the people of Greenland and of Denmark, and not up to the US president.” Her comments came as the UK sought to avoid a fresh diplomatic row with Trump, who also railed against European allies for failing to support US operations in Iran and for lagging on defence budgets.
Amid the tensions, the UK will lead a £37 billion European project to develop a long-range missile capable of striking targets up to 1,200 miles away, reducing Nato’s reliance on the US. The weapon, which would be the alliance’s most advanced, could hit Russian positions deep behind enemy lines from Ukraine. Reeves also hinted at backing a Canadian-led defence bank, offering £86 billion in lending for defence projects, in a bid to meet Nato’s 3.5% GDP spending target.
Trump’s comments on withdrawing troops from Europe—a threat he has made before—underscore the fragile state of transatlantic relations. However, the UK and European allies are pressing ahead with joint defence initiatives, aiming to shore up security in the Arctic and beyond without escalating the dispute with Washington.
