Trump says Greenland should be under US control at NATO summit

President Donald Trump reasserted on Tuesday that the United States should control Greenland, not Denmark, as leaders from 32 NATO nations convened in Ankara, Turkey, for the alliance's annual summit — underscoring the persistent strain between Washington and its European allies over territorial ambitions and military commitments.

Greenland Tensions Resurface

"That should be controlled by the United States, not by Denmark," Trump told reporters during a bilateral meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the summit's opening day, according to Reuters. Trump said the Greenland issue had "hurt" his relationship with NATO, adding that "Greenland doesn't help Denmark," according to The New York Times.wtvbam+1

Trump's claims to the semi-autonomous Danish territory — which he first raised during his first term and revived forcefully earlier this year — sparked a diplomatic crisis between Washington and Copenhagen, both founding NATO members. While the dispute has since moved to what officials describe as a diplomatic track, Trump's comments in Ankara made clear the matter remains unresolved in his view.wtvbam

Troop Reductions Loom Over Summit

Adding to allied anxiety, Trump has declined to rule out cutting U.S. troop levels in Europe by as much as one-third. CNN Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. ↗ 0.03% reported on July 6 that Trump had privately floated the idea of such a reduction during a White House meeting earlier this year as a way to send a message to NATO allies.facebook+1

The threat comes atop concrete steps already taken. The Pentagon announced in May the withdrawal of roughly 5,000 troops from Germany, and in June, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a six-month review of the entire U.S. force posture in Europe. Hegseth warned that "annual NATO dues will be contingent on other countries meeting their defense spending targets".breakingdefense+2

Alliance Seeks Stability

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has tried to reassure allies that U.S. withdrawals would unfold gradually and not undermine defense plans. European members are expected to point to record spending increases — an additional $139 billion in core defense expenditure over the past year — as evidence they are responding to Trump's demands. The summit declaration, pre-agreed by ambassadors, affirms an "ironclad commitment" to collective defense and pledges €70 billion in military aid to Ukraine for 2026.time+2

Still, the combination of Trump's Greenland rhetoric and the open-ended force posture review has left alliance members uncertain about the future scope of American engagement on the continent.