ANKARA: US President Donald Trump on Tuesday renewed his call for the United States to control Greenland, saying the Arctic island should belong to Washington rather than Denmark, prompting an immediate rejection from Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen during the NATO summit in Turkey.
Speaking to reporters after meeting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Trump said Greenland should be under US control.
“That should be controlled by the United States, not by Denmark,” Trump said.
Trump has repeatedly argued that the US should acquire or control Greenland, a semi-autonomous Danish territory, citing its strategic location in the Arctic.
President Donald Trump said Greenland should be controlled by the United States, not Denmark, reaffirming a stance that has caused tensions among NATO allies as leaders of the alliance gathered for a summit in Turkey https://t.co/qkL9cKcvnJ pic.twitter.com/ahuYQwaugs
— Reuters (@Reuters) July 7, 2026
The issue has strained relations between Washington and Copenhagen, both founding members of NATO, and has become a recurring source of friction between the United States and its European allies.
Hours later, Frederiksen dismissed Trump’s proposal, saying allies should respect the sovereignty of the Danish kingdom.
“It is a well-known position of the United States that it wants to own and take over Greenland. I hope that it is equally well known everywhere that this is not going to happen,” she told reporters in Ankara.
Denmark’s PM Mette Frederiksen at NATO Summit in Ankara on Greenland:
Greenland is, of course, not for sale.
We hope that all allies will respect the Greenlandic people’s right to self-determination.
We are a sovereign state, and we need everybody to respect our territorial… pic.twitter.com/LUPGrwLYAZ
— Clash Report (@clashreport) July 8, 2026
The Danish leader added that there were no plans to discuss Greenland, the Arctic or High North issues during the NATO summit.
Greenland’s leader also rejected Trump’s remarks, insisting the island’s future would be decided solely by its people.
“The future of Greenland should be decided by the people of Greenland. That’s how it has always been. And that’s how it always will be,” Greenland’s Foreign Minister said in a Facebook post, adding that the territory would continue close cooperation with its allies.
Trump argued that Denmark had failed to adequately safeguard Greenland’s strategic importance, claiming the island was surrounded by Chinese and Russian vessels.
“That’s what hurt my relationship with NATO, because Greenland doesn’t help Denmark. Denmark doesn’t spend money to really help Greenland, but it’s an important part for the United States, and it’s surrounded by China ships and Russian ships, and that’s not going to happen,” he said.
He also suggested US support for Denmark should be considered in the context of its security commitments against Russia.
