Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Greenland is “not for sale” as President Donald Trump renewed his call for U.S. control of the Arctic territory during a NATO summit dominated by disputes over Iran, Ukraine, defense spending and alliance unity.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Wednesday that Greenland will not be sold and urged NATO allies to respect Denmark’s sovereignty after President Donald Trump again said the United States should control the Arctic territory for security reasons.
Frederiksen spoke at the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, one day after Trump renewed his demand for U.S. ownership of Greenland, a semiautonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark.
“Greenland is of course not for sale,” Frederiksen said.
“We hope that all, including all allies, will respect the Greenland people right for self-determination,” she said. “And we are sovereign states and we need everybody to respect our territorial integrity and our sovereignty.”
Frederiksen said Denmark is “ready to defend every inch of NATO including our own territory” if attacked, and said the country would expect NATO allies to honor the alliance’s collective defense commitments.
Trump’s renewed focus on Greenland added another point of friction to a summit already shaped by disputes over defense spending, the war in Iran, Ukraine aid and questions about the future of U.S. leadership in Europe. NATO leaders gathered in Ankara for a two-day summit aimed at displaying expanded military capabilities and highlighting billions of dollars in new projects intended to persuade Trump that Europe is doing more for the alliance.
Speaking alongside NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte on Wednesday, Trump argued that Greenland is vital to American and global security.
“Greenland is very important to the United States, but it’s not important to Denmark,” Trump said. “We need it for protection of the world, not just the United States.”
Rutte tried to reassure Trump that the two had already established a framework involving Arctic security.
“You and I made a deal in Davos,” Rutte said. “I will make sure that that deal is step-by-step being implemented.”
Trump said earlier this year that he had reached an Arctic security deal with Rutte while also threatening tariffs against European countries as he pressed for U.S. control of Greenland. The framework included assurances related to the U.S. Golden Dome missile defense program, a $175 billion effort to place American weapons in space.
Icelandic Prime Minister Kristrun Frostadottir rejected Trump’s position and said NATO members should remain focused on Russia.
“Greenland belongs to the people of Greenland,” Frostadottir said.
She said Greenland’s people “do not wish to be a part of the United States.”
“What we need now is unity. We have threats coming from outside the alliance,” Frostadottir said. “I mean, Russia is the biggest threat when it comes to these NATO allies. We need to focus on us and how we stick together.”
Finnish President Alexander Stubb also said decisions over Greenland rest with Denmark and Greenland.
He said matters involving the territory are “only in the hands of the Kingdom of Denmark” and added that NATO unity must remain intact.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said he rejected Trump’s approach.
“Greenland is part of the Kingdom of Denmark,” Støre told reporters. “It is up to the people of Greenland and Denmark to decide how that development should proceed.”
Trump’s Greenland comments came during a summit in which he again criticized NATO’s defense posture and questioned whether the alliance could function effectively without American leadership and power. During a meeting with Rutte, Trump also expressed frustration that some NATO allies declined to join the war against Iran that he launched alongside Israel without first consulting them.
As Trump listed complaints involving NATO spending, Greenland and Iran, Rutte credited him with pushing allies to increase defense investments.
“I would argue that without you in this chair, this would not have happened,” Rutte told Trump. “Grab the win. It’s there.”
Rutte also told Trump that countries he viewed as unhelpful on Iran were “isolated cases.”
Trump remained critical of Spain, calling it a “terrible partner” and reviving his threat to end trade with the country over its defense spending and lack of support for his Iran policy.
“Spain is a wasted cause,” Trump said on the sidelines of the summit. “We don’t want to do any trade business with Spain anymore, by the way. I’d like to cut it off.”
He added, “I don’t want anything to do with Spain. Cut off all trade with Spain, including visits.”
Trump made a similar threat in March, citing Spain’s resistance to raising NATO spending and its refusal to support his war in Iran.
Iran also dominated the summit after the United States launched overnight strikes in response to attacks on commercial tankers in the Strait of Hormuz. Rutte said the U.S. response was necessary because Iran had violated the ceasefire.
“I think it is totally crucial that the U.S. forcefully reacts,” Rutte said.
Rutte said he expects NATO members to reaffirm that Iran should “never, ever get its hands on a nuclear capability” and to stress the importance of freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump told reporters that talks with Iran could continue, though he dismissed the value of further negotiations.
“It’s just a waste of time dealing with them,” Trump said.
“They can talk, but I think they’re wasting their time,” he said.
When asked about the ceasefire, Trump said the interim agreement was finished.
“For me, I think it’s over,” Trump said. “It’s just a waste of time dealing with them.”
Oil prices rose after Trump’s remarks on Iran during the summit, according to CNN. Brent crude climbed 5.7% to more than $78 a barrel, while U.S. benchmark crude rose 5.8% to $74.55 a barrel. Crude had recently fallen from wartime spikes above $100 a barrel to levels closer to those seen before the war with Iran began in late February.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda said his country stood with the United States on ensuring free navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. He said Lithuania would be prepared to contribute a demining mission if needed.
“We have to stay united if we expect a solidarity from the side of the United States,” Nausėda said.
The summit also featured debate over Turkey’s potential return to the F-35 fighter jet program. Trump met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Tuesday ahead of the summit and announced that the United States would lift sanctions, opening the possibility of F-35 sales to Turkey despite Israeli objections.
Turkey was removed from the program after purchasing Russia’s S-400 missile defense system in 2019, a move U.S. officials said could allow Moscow to gather information on F-35 capabilities.
Members of a bipartisan U.S. congressional delegation said Wednesday they were optimistic that a solution could be reached. Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, who co-wrote legislation that removed Turkey from the F-35 program, said Turkey’s return would be positive if the concerns could be resolved.
If there is “an acceptable way” to address the issue, Shaheen said, “then I think having Turkiye back in the F35 program would be a positive development.”
Rep. Mike Turner said “the details” shared with lawmakers “do appear to be promising,” though he did not provide more specifics.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis declined to directly address a possible F-35 sale to Turkey but said Greece remains “still faced with an open threat” from Ankara and that Athens’ concerns must be considered.
“We need to be cognizant of the fact that the sensitivities of all NATO allies need to be taken into consideration,” Mitsotakis said.
His comments referred to Turkey’s long-standing warning that it would consider any Greek move to expand territorial waters in the Aegean Sea from 6 to 12 miles a “cause of war.” Turkey and Greece, both NATO members, have long-running disputes over territorial claims and airspace in the Aegean.
Ukraine remained a central issue at the summit, with several European leaders pledging continued support. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he expected the gathering to produce “a new spirit in NATO that makes NATO stronger, that makes NATO more united.”
Merz pointed to a European initiative to provide Ukraine with an additional 70 billion euros, or $80 billion, this year and the same amount again next year.
He said “it is now exclusively up to Russia to end this war and we will do everything again today to achieve that; and also send a clear message to Moscow. Russia has no chance of winning this war.”
Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever also highlighted NATO support for Ukraine, saying the alliance is ready to provide 70 billion euros, or $80 billion, in military aid this year and in 2027.
“This is also a very strong ‘red card’ to Putin,” De Wever said, adding, “You can’t just take back a red card. You know that.”
The remark came after Belgium defeated the United States 4-1 on Monday in a World Cup round of 16 match. FIFA had lifted a suspension on a star U.S. striker before the Belgium game after Trump intervened. De Wever and Trump sat at the same summit table in Ankara on Wednesday.
Shaheen, co-chair of the Senate NATO Observer Group, said she hoped the summit would include a renewed commitment to Ukraine.
“The momentum is on the side of Ukraine at this point and we need to do everything possible to ramp up pressure on Russia to come to the table,” the New Hampshire Democrat said.
French President Emmanuel Macron drew attention in Ankara outside the summit meetings when he jogged through the capital’s streets Wednesday morning. Wearing mirrored sunglasses, Macron left his hotel in the Cankaya district and ran uphill toward a nearby park with bodyguards and a translator, shouting “Bonjour” to surprised residents.
The NATO summit opened with leaders seeking to present a stronger military front and demonstrate that Europe and Canada are increasing their contributions as Trump continues to question the alliance’s reliance on the United States. But the meetings also underscored divisions over Greenland, Iran, Spain, Turkey and the future of the alliance’s role in Ukraine.
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