Trump threatens to pull troops out of Europe as he demands control over Greenland as NATO summit gets underway

US President Donald Trump has renewed his call for the United States to take control of Greenland, warning that Washington could reconsider its military presence in Europe if NATO allies continue to oppose his position and fail to increase defence spending.

Speaking during the NATO summit in Ankara on Tuesday, July 7, Trump argued that Greenland is strategically important to US national security because of increased Chinese and Russian activity in the Arctic.

“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 China ships and Russian ships, and that’s not going to happen,” Trump said. Trump suggested America’s military commitment to Europe should not be taken for granted, saying European allies have relied heavily on US protection while contributing too little to their own defence.

“Europe’s a very different place than it was 20 years ago… 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,” he said. His remarks come as the US continues to press NATO members to meet a target of spending five per cent of their GDP on defence by 2035.

The comments drew swift responses from European leaders. UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves reiterated that Greenland’s future should be determined by Denmark and the people of Greenland, while Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said she expected allies to respect Denmark’s sovereignty, stressing that Greenland is not for sale.

Trump has repeatedly argued that Greenland is vital to US security and has previously criticised European allies over defence spending, describing NATO as overly dependent on American military support.

The US president also said he believes the war in Ukraine could be resolved soon following what he described as a “very good talk” with Russian President Vladimir Putin. “I think we’re going to get it settled, hopefully soon,” Trump said ahead of expected talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during the NATO summit.

The latest comments add to growing tensions between Washington and several European allies over defence commitments, security policy and the future direction of the NATO alliance.