Donald Trump has renewed his push for the US to acquire Greenland, threatening to withdraw all American troops from Europe if Nato allies continue to resist. Arriving at the Nato summit in Ankara, the US president criticised European leaders over immigration and energy policies, suggesting these issues could undermine the alliance.
Trump also rebuked the UK and other Nato members for failing to meet the 3.5% GDP defence spending target by 2035. He linked former Prime Minister Keir Starmer's refusal to join the Iran war to his political downfall, though Starmer's stance was popular domestically. Trump said: 'I was very disappointed with Nato. We weren't treated well because we did something in Iran.'
On Greenland, Trump argued that the territory, part of Denmark, should be under US control due to its strategic importance and the presence of Chinese and Russian ships. He claimed Denmark does not invest enough in Greenland, adding: 'We could remove all of our soldiers out of Europe because Europe's a very different place than it was 20 years ago.'
UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves responded: 'The future of Greenland is up to the people of Greenland and of Denmark, and not up to the US president.' She also suggested exploring off-balance sheet financing for defence, potentially merging with Canada's Defence, Security and Resilience Bank, which offers £86bn in lending capacity for a UK subscription of £900m.
Meanwhile, the UK is leading a £37bn European project to develop a long-range precision missile capable of striking targets up to 1,200 miles away, aiming to reduce Nato's reliance on the US. The weapon could reach Moscow from Ukraine and would be the most advanced in Nato's arsenal.
