Donald Trump has renewed his call for the United States to acquire Greenland, a territory of Nato ally Denmark, as he arrived at the Nato summit in Ankara. The US president also threatened to withdraw all American troops from Europe, accusing the continent of not spending enough on defence and failing to support US actions in the Iran war.
Trump criticised Denmark for not investing in Greenland and argued that the strategically important island, surrounded by Chinese and Russian ships, should be under US control. He warned that if European allies do not address immigration and energy concerns, Europe may cease to exist. The dispute over Greenland has strained relations within the alliance.
In response, UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves stated that Greenland's future is for its people and Denmark to decide, not the US president. She reaffirmed the UK's position since the idea was first proposed.
The US president also reiterated his criticism that Nato allies are too reliant on American military support, despite the mutual defence clause being invoked only once. To reduce dependence on the US, the UK is leading a £37bn European project to develop a long-range missile capable of striking targets up to 1,200 miles away. Reeves also suggested exploring off-balance sheet financing, similar to a Canadian-led defence bank, to fund increased defence spending.
