US President Donald Trump has renewed his call for the United States to take control of Greenland, saying the Arctic island should be under American control rather than Denmark as NATO leaders gathered in Turkey for their annual summit.

Speaking during a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, Trump argued that Greenland is strategically important for US national security because of growing Russian and Chinese activity in the Arctic.

“That should be controlled by the United States, not by Denmark,” Trump told reporters.

Trump claimed Denmark had failed to invest enough in Greenland’s security and said the dispute had strained his relationship with NATO allies.

“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 Chinese ships and Russian ships, and that’s not going to happen,” he said.

He added that the United States had spent heavily defending Europe against Russia while Denmark opposed his proposal.

“When they wouldn’t go along with it, and with all the money we spend to help them with Russia, we don’t have to spend any money,” Trump said.

The remarks mark Trump’s strongest comments on Greenland in several months and have again placed the Arctic territory at the centre of international politics.

Greenland is a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark. While it manages most of its domestic affairs, Denmark is responsible for its foreign policy and defence. The island is not for sale, and both the Danish and Greenlandic governments have repeatedly rejected any suggestion that it could become part of the United States.

Trump first pushed for US control of Greenland earlier in 2026, arguing that the island’s location made it essential for American security. His comments triggered a diplomatic dispute between Washington and Copenhagen, both founding members of NATO.

Talks continue despite tensions

At the time, Greenland’s leaders insisted that the territory belonged to its people and that any decision about its future rested with them.

Since then, tensions have eased. Senior officials from the United States, Denmark and Greenland have held talks through a working group aimed at finding common ground on Arctic security and cooperation rather than ownership.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in June 2026 that discussions with Danish and Greenlandic officials were continuing on a monthly basis.

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen has also expressed confidence that the three sides could reach an understanding before the end of the year, although Denmark has maintained that Greenland’s sovereignty is not open for negotiation.

Trump’s latest remarks also included a warning that the United States could reduce its military presence in Europe if allies continued to oppose his position.

“We could remove all of our soldiers out of Europe because, as you probably noticed, Europe’s a very different place than it was 20 years ago,” he said.

He also criticised European countries over immigration and energy policies, saying they needed to be careful or risk undermining the continent’s future.

“They better be careful with immigration and energy. If they’re not careful with those two things, you’re not going to have a Europe anymore”

Greenland has long been recognised for its strategic importance because of its location between North America and Europe. The island hosts the US Pituffik Space Base, formerly known as Thule Air Base, which plays a key role in missile warning, space surveillance and Arctic defence.

As climate change opens new Arctic shipping routes and increases access to natural resources, competition among major powers has intensified. The United States, Russia and China have all expanded their interest in the region, although people have challenged Trump’s claims that Chinese and Russian ships are surrounding Greenland.

The comments came as NATO leaders met in Ankara to discuss defence spending, military production and continued support for Ukraine. Alliance members had hoped the summit would focus on strengthening collective security, but Trump’s renewed push for Greenland quickly became one of the meeting’s biggest political issues.

Finnish President Alexander Stubb played down the renewed dispute, urging calm and stressing that Arctic security should continue to be addressed through cooperation between the United States, Denmark and Greenland.

“Be more Arctic, be more cool. If it is about Arctic security, we have seven countries that are Arctic nations in the alliance,” he said.

“Finland has trained 1 million soldiers in Arctic conditions; we basically live in Arctic conditions. Let’s keep that in mind. Let’s, you know, continue the process that the Danes, the Americans and the Greenlanders have.”