U.S. President Donald Trump renewed his criticism of NATO allies on Wednesday, accusing the alliance of opposing his efforts to bring Greenland under U.S. control and failing to support Washington during its military campaign against Iran, as leaders gathered for the NATO summit in Ankara.
Trump argued that Greenland is strategically important for global security and reiterated that the United States should control the Arctic territory, a proposal firmly rejected by Denmark.
“Greenland is very important,” Trump said, adding that the island is needed “for the protection of the world.”
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen dismissed the suggestion, reaffirming that Greenland’s future rests with its people and insisting the territory “is not for sale.”
The U.S. president also criticized several NATO members for declining to participate in military operations against Iran, singling out Spain as a “terrible partner” and renewing threats of trade consequences.
The summit comes as European NATO members and Canada accelerate defence spending to meet higher alliance targets amid continued pressure from Washington. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte credited Trump with driving the surge in military investment, telling the U.S. president that allies had significantly increased spending under his leadership.
Ahead of the summit, Rutte also endorsed the latest U.S. strikes on Iran following attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, describing Washington’s military response as necessary.
Trump, however, signalled little confidence in diplomacy with Tehran, saying the ceasefire agreement was effectively over while allowing negotiations to continue.
On the sidelines of the summit, Trump met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and announced that the United States would allow overseas production of its Patriot air defence missile systems for Ukraine. The move is expected to strengthen Kyiv’s air defence capabilities as it continues to face large-scale Russian missile attacks.
Trump praised Zelenskyy’s leadership during the war, while the Ukrainian president renewed his call for NATO membership, arguing that Ukraine’s military experience would strengthen the alliance.
NATO leaders used the summit to highlight billions of dollars in new defence commitments as the alliance moves toward its goal of members spending five per cent of GDP on defence and related security infrastructure. At the same time, European allies continue seeking clarity on the future of the U.S. military presence in Europe as the Pentagon reviews its force posture across the continent.
