US President Donald Trump on Tuesday reiterated that Greenland should be controlled by the United States rather than Denmark, reviving a long-standing position that has strained relations between Washington and Copenhagen. Trump made the remarks while attending the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, where alliance leaders gathered to discuss security challenges and strengthen cooperation among member nations. His comments came during a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and once again brought the strategically important Arctic territory into focus.

Speaking to reporters, Trump said Greenland should come under US control, arguing that the island holds significant geopolitical importance. "That should be controlled by the United States, not by Denmark," he said. Trump has repeatedly maintained that acquiring or controlling Greenland is in America's strategic interest because of its location in the Arctic and its growing importance amid increased activity by Russia and China in the region. His position has previously sparked diplomatic tensions between the United States and Denmark, both founding members of NATO.

Denmark swiftly rejected Trump's remarks. Speaking separately in Ankara, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said she expected NATO allies to respect the sovereignty of the Danish kingdom and accept that Greenland was not for sale. "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," Frederiksen said. She also clarified that discussions concerning Greenland, the Arctic or the High North were not part of the planned agenda at the NATO summit.

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Greenland's leadership also dismissed the suggestion. Greenland Foreign Minister Múte Egede said in a Facebook post that the island's future should be determined solely by its people. "That's how it has always been. And that's how it always will be," he said, while stressing Greenland's commitment to maintaining close cooperation with its international allies. Greenland is a semi-autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark and has repeatedly asserted its right to decide its own political future.

Trump also argued that the Greenland issue had affected US relations within NATO, claiming Denmark had not invested enough in the territory despite its strategic significance. He said Greenland was surrounded by Chinese and Russian naval activity and insisted the United States had a vital security interest in the region. Trump further suggested that Washington's extensive support for European security should be taken into account in discussions involving Greenland. His comments reflected the administration's broader emphasis on Arctic security and competition with major global powers.

Despite the renewed rhetoric, diplomatic engagement on the issue continues. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in June that discussions between officials from the United States, Denmark and Greenland were taking place on a monthly basis. While the three sides remain engaged through diplomatic channels, Denmark and Greenland have consistently maintained that the territory is not for sale and that any decision regarding its future rests exclusively with the people of Greenland. The issue nevertheless remains a sensitive point in US-European relations as NATO allies seek to maintain unity on broader security challenges.

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