Trump renews Greenland annexation threat at NATO summit, warns of troop withdrawal from Europe

Greenland demand returns

Donald Trump revived his push to annex Greenland upon arriving in Ankara for the NATO summit, declaring that the Arctic island "should be controlled by the United States, not by Denmark." He argued that Copenhagen does not invest enough in the territory and that its strategic position, surrounded by Chinese and Russian vessels, makes it vital for American security. Trump linked the Danish refusal to his strained relationship with the alliance, stating that the Greenland dispute "is what damaged my relationship with NATO."

Greenland does not benefit Denmark. Denmark does not spend money to really help Greenland. But it is an important part for the United States and it is surrounded by Chinese ships and Russian ships. And that is not going to happen.

The renewed claim follows a pattern: Trump first called Greenland an "absolute necessity" in 2025, and tensions escalated in early 2026 during meetings between Washington, Copenhagen and Nuuk. Danish officials acknowledged a "fundamental disagreement" but agreed to continue talks.

Allies tested over Iran

Trump revealed that he had used a request for military support in Iran as a loyalty test for European allies. He said Italy, Germany and France all declined to participate. "I was testing people. I wanted to check if they would really be there for us," he explained. The president singled out these three countries, while notably omitting Spain from his list of reproaches.

Italy told us no. Germany told us no. France told us no.

Troop withdrawal threat

The US president expressed deep frustration with the alliance, saying he was "very disappointed with NATO" and that he might not have attended the summit had it not been hosted by Turkey, whose leader he praised as a "very strong leader." Trump questioned why Washington spends "hundreds of billions of dollars" on European defence when allies were unwilling to assist in the Strait of Hormuz. He warned that the US could withdraw all its soldiers from Europe, adding that the continent "is a very different place than it was 20 years ago."

Why are we spending hundreds of billions of dollars if they are not there for us? We have always been there for them.

NATO's response

In an effort to ease tensions, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte announced that allied countries will invest $40 billion over five years in anti-drone capabilities. The pledge, made on the summit's opening day, was widely seen as a gesture to reassure Washington of the alliance's commitment to burden-sharing.

Meloni relationship sours

Trump acknowledged that his relationship with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni had deteriorated after she refused to involve Italy in the Iran operation. He described her as "a nice person" but said she "made a mistake." The US president noted that Italy depends heavily on oil from the region, implying that her decision was a mistake.

She refused to get involved with the Strait of Hormuz. Or you could also just say Iran. She refused to get involved. So that soured my relationship with her a bit. But I like her. I think she is actually a nice person. But I think she made a mistake.