ANKARA, President Donald Trump revived his push for the United States to take control of Greenland as he arrived in Ankara for the NATO summit, making clear that what many dismissed as a passing fixation has not gone away.
“Experts said he didn’t give up the idea. Trump confirms,” as one analyst put it.
Speaking during bilateral meetings ahead of the summit, Trump argued that Denmark has failed to adequately invest in the island and that Greenland’s strategic location makes it essential to US national security. He warned that Washington’s patience was wearing thin.
The comments mark the third time Trump has raised the Greenland question since returning to office. He first floated the idea in 2025, then again earlier this year, and now, in the middle of a NATO summit meant to address the Iran war, Ukraine, and alliance defense spending, he is back on the topic.
What Trump said
Trump argued that Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark, sits along vital Arctic shipping routes and holds significant mineral and energy resources. He said the United States needs permanent control to secure its strategic interests against both China and Russia, both of which are expanding their presence in the Arctic.
“Denmark has not done the job,” Trump told reporters. He did not specify what actions he would take if Denmark refused to negotiate.
The threat carries weight because Denmark is a NATO founding member. For a US president to demand control of a fellow ally’s territory, in the middle of a NATO summit, is without precedent.
The broader threat
Trump paired his Greenland demand with a broader warning: he may pull all American troops from Europe. He expressed frustration that many NATO allies refused to support the US during its war with Iran, a conflict he launched alongside Israel without consulting the alliance.
“We don’t need their money, we don’t need anything,” Trump said. “I just want loyalty.”
The threat to withdraw troops is a familiar lever. Trump has used it before to pressure European allies to increase defense spending. But delivering on it would fundamentally reshape the European security order, leaving a 70-year-old alliance structure in doubt.
Experts said he wouldn’t let it go
When Trump first raised the Greenland idea in 2025, many foreign policy analysts treated it as a distraction, a real-estate developer’s impulse applied to foreign policy. They assumed it would fade.
It did not.
“He kept coming back to it in internal discussions,” one former administration official told CNN. The NATO summit, where Trump is surrounded by European leaders who have resisted his demands, appears to have reignited the push. The pattern is consistent: when Trump feels the alliance is not deferring to him, he reaches for the most disruptive demand available.
What Denmark says
Danish officials have repeatedly stated that Greenland is not for sale. The territory’s government has said the same. But Trump’s refusal to drop the issue suggests he sees it not as a diplomatic proposal but as a test of wills, and he expects to win.
The summit continues through July 8, with a bilateral meeting between Trump and Zelensky expected on the sidelines. The Greenland question is not on the official agenda. But Trump has made it part of the conversation anyway.
Sources: The Guardian (July 7, 2026), CNN, CNBC, USA Today