Donald Trump has revived his push for the US to acquire Greenland, threatening to pull all American troops from Europe if Nato allies do not meet his demands. Arriving at the Nato summit in Ankara, the US president also criticised European leaders over immigration and energy policies, suggesting their stances had weakened his commitment to defending the continent.
Trump linked the Greenland dispute to broader frustrations with Nato, accusing Denmark of neglecting the territory while China and Russian ships operate nearby. 'It should be controlled by the US, not by Denmark,' he said, adding that if allies did not comply, 'we could remove all of our soldiers out of Europe.'
The UK has pushed back against Trump's criticism of defence spending, with Chancellor Rachel Reeves stating that 'the future of Greenland is up to the people of Greenland and of Denmark, and not up to the US president.' Reeves also hinted at a potential merger with Canada's Defence, Security and Resilience Bank to help fund the UK's defence commitments.
Trump also criticised former Prime Minister Keir Starmer's decision to stay out of the Iran war, claiming it contributed to his downfall. However, Starmer's stance was popular with the British public. The UK is leading a £37bn European project to develop a long-range missile capable of striking deep behind Russian lines, aiming to reduce Nato's reliance on the US.
