Donald Trump has renewed his push for the United States to acquire Greenland, threatening to withdraw all American armed forces from Europe as he arrived for the Nato summit in Ankara on Tuesday. The US president also criticized European allies for their stance on the Iran war and for not spending enough on defense.
Trump's ultimatum on Greenland and troop withdrawal
Speaking to reporters upon his arrival in Turkey, Trump revived an earlier dispute over Greenland, which is part of Denmark, a fellow Nato member. He said the disagreement over the island's ownership had "hurt" his relationship with the alliance. "Denmark doesn't spend money to really help Greenland, but it's an important part for the US, and it's surrounded by China ships and Russian ships … [It] should be controlled by the US, not by Denmark," Trump said. He added that the US could "remove all of our soldiers out of Europe because, as you probably noticed, Europe's a very different place than it was 20 years ago."
Criticism of Nato allies on defense spending
Trump also renewed his criticism that Nato allies do not spend enough on defense and rely too heavily on the US. "Why are we spending hundreds of billions of dollars and they're not there for us? We've always been there for them," he said. The US president is expected to rebuke countries, including the United Kingdom, for not making enough progress toward the target of spending 3.5% of GDP on defense by 2035. The UK has already pushed back on criticism from the US that some allies are "lagging behind" on funding.
Iran war rift and Starmer's exit
Trump expressed disappointment with Nato's response to the Iran war, saying, "We weren't treated well because we did something in Iran. We don't need anybody's help, but before I asked they said they wouldn't be there." He specifically criticized former UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who had refused to join the US-led military action. "In the case of the United Kingdom, the prime minister, I guess he's no longer there, maybe because of this, it was a very unpopular thing he did. He said 'no we'll help after the war is over'. I said, 'we don't need that kind of help'," Trump said. Starmer's stance had been popular with the British public, but Trump suggested it contributed to his political downfall.
European response and defense collaborations
In response to Trump's comments, UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves told reporters: "The future of Greenland is up to the people of Greenland and of Denmark, and not up to the US president. I've been very clear about that ever since it was first suggested." European allies are attempting to address Trump's criticisms by announcing multi-billion-pound defense collaborations. Keir Starmer and European leaders have been determined to avoid another public confrontation with Trump over defense spending, following a bruising year for Nato in which the Iran war exposed cracks in the alliance.
Warnings on immigration and energy
Trump also warned European leaders to be careful with immigration and energy policies, saying, "If they're not careful with those two things, you're not going to have a Europe any more." He suggested that his commitment to defending Europe had been tempered by political decisions by leaders on these issues. The Nato summit in Ankara comes amid heightened tensions over defense spending, the Iran war, and territorial disputes, with Trump's remarks setting the stage for contentious discussions among alliance members.
