U.S. President Donald Trump revived his bid for the United States to acquire Greenland upon arriving at the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, on Tuesday, July 7. Trump stated that the U.S., rather than Denmark, should control the territory, a stance that has caused tensions among alliance members.
Trump argued that Greenland's position between the U.S., Russia, and Europe makes it a strong geopolitical asset. He claimed that Denmark has not sufficiently invested in the security of the Arctic territory and cannot be relied upon to protect the island from Chinese and Russian interests. This demand, based on national security grounds, had previously led NATO into a crisis earlier this year.
The president also threatened to pull all American armed forces out of Europe after it repeatedly pushed back. Trump suggested that his commitment to defending Europe has been tempered by political decisions made by leaders concerning energy and immigration, while also railing against the NATO stance on the Iran war.
In additional news from the summit, Trump announced that the U.S. will lift sanctions on Turkey. These sanctions were originally imposed after Ankara purchased a Russian missile defense system.