Shortly after his arrival at the NATO summit in Ankara, Trump declared that the island, which belongs to the Kingdom of Denmark, should be controlled by the United States in the future.Image: keystone
US President Donald Trump has promised an even larger troop withdrawal from Europe and has made this dependent on an agreement on the future of Greenland.
Jul 9, 2026, 4:29 amJul 9, 2026, 4:29 am
«I haven’t made a final decision yet. A lot will depend on Greenland,” he replied on the presidential plane Air Force One when asked whether he would withdraw more troops. “Maybe I will.”
Shortly after his arrival at the NATO summit in Ankara, Trump declared that the island, which belongs to the Kingdom of Denmark, should be controlled by the United States in the future. A senior US official had previously made it clear that, from the US perspective, a takeover of Greenland was the only way to address security risks around the island in the long term. Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen sharply rejected the demand.
Trump has openly threatened to take over the strategically important Arctic island several times – and in doing so not only snubbed NATO partner Denmark, but also raised doubts about the unity of the military alliance. His reasoning: The territory belonging to Denmark would otherwise not be safe from Russia and China – and therefore not the USA either. (sda/dpa)