Trump renews call for US to take over Greenland - but Denmark is having none of it | indy100

Photo by Filip SINGER / POOL / AFP via Getty Images

If you thought Donald Trump was over wanting Greenland, think again.

The US president's renewed fixation on the country returned during the NATO summit in where he insisted the US needs control over Greenland “for the protection of the world.”

In fact, Trump has even hinted at the possibility of pulling US troops out of Europe over the ongoing dispute regarding the semi-autonomous Danish territory as Nato allies in the region have pushed back on the matter.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte (L) and US President Donald Trump meet on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, on July 8, 2026. The summit comes at a fraught time for the 77-year-old transatlantic alliance, with the US President demanding members make good on a pledge to ramp up defence spending as Washington takes a step back from Europe. Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP via Getty Images

During a meeting wtih NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Wednesday (8 July), Trump reiterated his opinion that Greenland is “very important" for the US “but it is not important for Denmark."

“We took Greenland and then stupidly we gave it back. We shouldn’t have given it back to them because we’re the ones that need it. We need it for the protection of the world — not just the United States,” Trump said.

But Denmark's prime minister Mette Frederiksen has hit back against Trump's Greenland ambitions, making clear the territory is not for sale and that her country is ready to defend "every inch of NATO", including their own.

"We are ready to defend every inch of NATO, including our own territory ... Of course we will defend the kingdom of ⁠Denmark," Frederiksen said. "One of the reasons why we ⁠have built NATO many, many years ago, is if anything happens to ⁠one of us, then everybody should stand up for each other."

She continued, “Our position is clear as it has been all through. Greenland is, of course, not for sale. We hope that all, including all allies, will respect the Greenlandic people’s right for self-determination and we are a sovereign state, and we need everybody to respect our territorial integrity and our sovereignty.”

Trump had previously dropped threats to annex the Danish territory in favour of a “framework of a future deal” discussed with Nato chief Mark Rutte.

But back in February, Trump wrote on Truth Social that he was going to send a boat filled with medical supplies, alleging "many people" on the island are sick and "not being taken care of".

To which Premier of Greenland Jens-Frederik Nielsen responded at the time "it's going to be a no thanks from us," and noted how Greenland provides free healthcare for all citizens - something the US does not provide.

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