Trump says Greenland should be controlled by the US, not Denmark

U.S. President Donald Trump asserted that Greenland should be under American control rather than Danish, amid ongoing NATO summit discussions. Trump's repeated suggestions that the U.S. should acquire or control the semi-autonomous Danish territory have previously strained relations between Washington and Copenhagen, both founding NATO members.

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That should be controlled by the United States, not by Denmark.

Speaking to reporters, Trump stated, "That should be controlled by the United States, not by Denmark." He further elaborated that the dispute over Greenland's control has negatively impacted U.S. ties with the NATO alliance. "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," he said.

Trump highlighted security concerns, noting that Greenland is "surrounded by Chinese ships and Russian ships, and that's not going to happen." He suggested that other NATO members were uncooperative regarding this issue, despite significant U.S. contributions to their defense against Russia. U.S. Secretary of State Rubio confirmed in June that monthly conversations with Denmark and Greenland regarding the matter were ongoing.

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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.

The U.S. president's comments came as NATO leaders convened for a summit in Turkey, underscoring the geopolitical implications of his assertions on the strategically located Arctic territory.

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They wouldn't go along with it, and with all the money we spend to help them with Russia.