Earlier, US President Donald Trump on Tuesday reiterated that Greenland “should be controlled by the United States,” arguing that the Arctic island is strategically important for American security, CNN reported.
Speaking during a bilateral meeting ahead of the NATO summit in Ankara, Trump acknowledged that pursuing US control of Greenland could affect Washington’s ties with its NATO allies.
But, he added, “that would hurt my relationship with NATO,” according to CNN.
Trump argued that Denmark has not invested enough in Greenland and said the island’s strategic importance is growing as China and Russia expand their presence in the Arctic.
He added that Greenland “should be controlled by the United States, not by Denmark.”
Additionally, Trump on Wednesday said the United States was paying “billions of dollars too much” for Europe’s security and that he would raise his concerns with NATO allies during the alliance’s summit.
Speaking alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte as the summit got underway, Trump said, “I’m going to relay my problems.”
He said the United States had been shouldering a disproportionate share of the alliance’s security burden, while also citing Greenland and Iran as areas of concern.
“We’ve been treated unfairly. We pay disproportionately,” Trump said, adding that the US was paying “billions of dollars too much” to ensure Europe’s security.