President Donald Trump said Greenland should be controlled by the United States, renewing tensions with Denmark and other NATO allies while also announcing plans to lift sanctions on Turkey.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
President Donald Trump renewed his call for U.S. control of Greenland on Tuesday while meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara, reviving an issue that has repeatedly strained relations between Washington, Denmark and other NATO allies.
Speaking during the NATO summit in Turkey, Trump said Greenland is strategically important to the United States and argued that Denmark is not doing enough for the territory.
“That’s what hurt my relationship with NATO. Greenland doesn’t help Denmark. Denmark doesn’t spend money to really help Greenland, but it’s important for the U.S.,” Trump said. “And it’s surrounded by Chinese ships and Russian ships. Greenland should be controlled by the U.S., not by Denmark.”
Trump has previously sought to reach a deal for the United States to purchase Greenland from Denmark, both during his first term and again during his second term. Denmark and Greenland have rejected the idea, while NATO members have objected to Trump’s territorial ambitions involving the Arctic island.
The comments came as NATO leaders gathered in Ankara for a summit already shaped by disagreements over European defense spending, alliance commitments and the U.S. role in NATO.
Trump’s renewed focus on Greenland is likely to add to those tensions. An internal NATO poll made public Monday showed that fewer than half of U.S. adults believe NATO would defend the United States if it were attacked.
NATO has invoked Article V only once in its history. The mutual defense provision was triggered after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks against the United States.
Trump has continued pressing European NATO members to spend more on their own defense, a central point of friction between his administration and allies across the continent.
During his visit to Turkey, Trump also said the United States will lift sanctions on Turkey. He made the announcement after arriving in Ankara for the NATO summit.
“The time has come. We will do it,” Trump said, according to Turkish news media.
Trump made the comment in response to a question about whether he was considering allowing Turkey to rejoin the F-35 fighter jet program.
“We will make a decision on the F-35 issue,” Trump said. “Our relationship is very good right now.”
The sanctions were imposed under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, a 2017 federal law. Turkey was sanctioned after its purchase of Russia’s S-400 air defense system, a move that also led to its removal from the F-35 program.
Trump’s remarks placed two sensitive alliance issues back in the spotlight during the Ankara summit: his demand that NATO members carry more of their defense burden and his continued argument that Greenland should fall under U.S. control because of its strategic location near Russian and Chinese activity.