Trump Threatens to Pull All US Troops From Europe Unless NATO Hands Over Greenland

President Donald Trump has threatened to withdraw every American soldier from Europe unless NATO allies agree to hand over Greenland, reviving a dispute that has strained the alliance since the start of the year.

Speaking to reporters before arriving in Turkey, Trump was first asked whether he planned to pull more American troops out of Europe. 'I haven't made that final determination. A lot is gonna depend on Greenland. A lot. I mean, we're gonna make a very good deal on Greenland. And if we don't, maybe I will,' he said.

Pressure Campaign Resumes in Ankara

The remarks mark the sharpest turn yet in a stand-off that has dogged the alliance since January, when Trump refused to rule out military force to take the self-governing Danish territory before announcing a 'framework of a future deal' alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.

Trump told reporters in Ankara that Greenland 'should be controlled by the United States, not by Denmark,' arguing that 'That's what hurt my relationship with NATO, because Greenland doesn't help Denmark.' He also repeated a disputed claim that the Arctic territory is surrounded by Chinese and Russian ships.

Denmark and Allies Push Back

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who was also in Ankara, rejected the renewed pressure. She said: '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.'

Other allies echoed her stance. UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves told reporters that 'The future of Greenland is up to the people of Greenland and of Denmark, and not up to the US President. I've been very clear about that, ever since it was first suggested.'

Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide separately noted that Greenland was not raised inside NATO's closed-door leaders' meeting, telling reporters it was 'something that happened outside' the formal summit agenda.

Stakes for Troops Stationed Across Europe

The threat carries direct consequences for the roughly 80,000 US service members currently stationed across the continent, along with military families based near installations in Germany, Italy, Poland and elsewhere.

The dispute is not new. Trump alienated European leaders in January when he threatened a 25 per cent tariff on the UK and other allies unless Denmark relented and sold Greenland, a threat he later walked back after it was branded 'completely wrong' by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Since then, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered a review of American troop levels in Europe, separately criticising NATO allies over what he called their 'shameful' response to the Iran war.

A working group made up of representatives from the US, Denmark and Greenland has been meeting since January to try to find a way forward. Denmark's Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen reportedly said last month that he expects a resolution by the end of the year, though Trump's latest remarks suggest patience may be wearing thin on the American side.

The roughly 80,000 US troops in Europe form the backbone of NATO's collective defence posture, a presence whose scale has remained unchanged since the alliance's post-Cold War expansion. Whether Trump follows through remains unclear; the US-Denmark-Greenland working group is still meeting, with Denmark hoping for a resolution by year's end.