Trump Demands US Control of Greenland at NATO Summit and Threatens European Troop Withdrawal

President Donald Trump resurrected his push for American control of Greenland during a NATO summit in Turkey, warning that European rejection of the proposal is damaging his relationship with the alliance and suggesting he could remove US military forces from the continent. Trump made the remarks during bilateral talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday afternoon, stating the self-governing Danish territory "should be controlled by the United States" rather than Denmark.

The Greenland Question

Trump's acquisition of Greenland emerged as a major trans-Atlantic point of friction earlier in the year, with the US president citing Arctic security as justification. He claimed the island is surrounded by Chinese and Russian military vessels, assertions that experts on Greenland have contradicted. Greenlandic lawmakers have consistently rejected the notion that the territory is available for purchase or transfer.

During his NATO remarks, Trump argued that Denmark does not adequately invest in Greenland's development, while the United States spends substantial resources supporting European security against Russian threats. "Greenland doesn't help Denmark. Denmark doesn't spend money to really help Greenland, but it's an important part for the United States," Trump told reporters at the summit.

Military Leverage and European Warnings

The president escalated his position by suggesting that US military commitment to Europe could become conditional. "We could remove all of our soldiers out of Europe," Trump stated, framing the prospect as a consequence of European refusal to support his Greenland ambitions. This threat carries significant weight: the US accounts for approximately 62 percent of NATO's total defense spending, estimated at $980 billion in 2025, more than ten times the defense budget of the United Kingdom, NATO's second-largest military spender.

Trump also broadened his criticism of European policy, warning that the continent must be cautious regarding immigration and energy security. "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 remarked.

NATO's Growing Defense Contributions

The timing of Trump's comments presents a complex backdrop. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has emphasized that European defense spending has strengthened the alliance considerably. All 32 NATO members reached the alliance's 2 percent GDP defense spending threshold for the first time in 2025, with nations bordering Russia—Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia—each dedicating larger defense shares of GDP than the United States itself.