Denmark pledged to defend its territory after President Donald Trump renewed his call for the U.S. to control Greenland—overshadowing the NATO summit in Turkey.
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Denmark would defend “every inch” of the NATO territory with the alliance’s support and stressed that Greenland is not for sale, urging all allies to respect the island’s right to self-determination.
Trump on Tuesday renewed his call for the U.S. to acquire Greenland, arguing that the Arctic island “should be controlled by the United States.”
Speaking after arriving in Ankara for a NATO summit, Trump also suggested the U.S. could withdraw all of its troops from Europe if the continent continues to oppose the idea.
During a bilateral meeting with Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Trump said Europe’s resistance to his proposal had strained his ties with NATO. “Because Greenland doesn’t help Denmark. Denmark doesn’t spend money to really help Greenland, but it’s an important part for the United States,” he told reporters.
Trump also repeated claims that Greenland is threatened by Chinese and Russian military activity, despite experts previously disputing those assertions.
Reiterating his stance, the President said Greenland “should be controlled by the United States, not by Denmark,” adding that if Denmark continued to reject the proposal, the U.S. “wouldn’t have to spend any money” helping Europe defend against Russia.
Greenland Sovereignty Dispute
The 32-member NATO alliance, which includes Denmark, whose sovereign territory Greenland is part of, was thrust into the geopolitical spotlight in January after Trump demanded that the U.S. take control of Greenland, arguing that the move was necessary for national security.
After pushback from NATO, Trump said he had a “very good” call with Secretary General Mark Rutte, stating that there is broad agreement that the Arctic island is vital for national and global security, adding that there “can be no going back” on the issue.
Greenland later rejected Trump’s suggestion that the U.S. could gain sovereignty over land housing the Pituffik Space Base, with Industry Minister Naaja Nathanielsen calling the idea a “red line.” Nathanielsen said, “Giving up sovereignty is not on the table for now.”
US-Denmark Talks Continue
A working group of officials from the U.S., Denmark, and Greenland is continuing talks on the issue, with Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen saying he expects a solution by year-end.
Finnish President Alexander Stubb downplayed Trump’s latest remarks, urging leaders to “Be more Arctic, be more cool,” and called for the ongoing U.S.-Denmark-Greenland discussions to continue, reported CNBC.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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