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President Donald Trump arrived at the Nato summit in Ankara on Tuesday and immediately revived his push for the United States to acquire Greenland, while also threatening to pull all American armed forces out of Europe. His comments came as Nato allies sought to avoid another public confrontation with the US president over defence spending and as Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen again insisted that Greenland was not for sale.

Coverage comparison

The Guardian reported that Trump revived his bid for the US to acquire Greenland and threatened to withdraw American troops from Europe, framing the move as part of a broader frustration with Nato allies over defence spending. The outlet also detailed the UK's pushback against US criticism that some allies were lagging behind on funding, and noted that European leaders have been determined to avoid another public bust-up with Trump.

RFI reported Frederiksen's statement that Greenland was "not for sale" following Trump's remarks suggesting the territory should be controlled by Washington rather than Copenhagen. RFI also covered Nato allies unveiling tens of billions in new arms contracts to demonstrate progress on defence spending pledges, and described Trump's complaints about Nato's unwillingness to join the US and Israel in their fight against Iran.

A separate Guardian article focused on the informal agreement among Nato leaders not to mention the football World Cup to Trump, to avoid irritating him during the summit. The Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever publicly joked about not discussing his country's 4-1 win over the US.

Another Guardian report highlighted the activities of Greenland Energy, a Texas oil company with ties to Trump figures, which hopes to drill for oil in Greenland. The company has chartered an Arctic-going vessel to ferry equipment to the territory's eastern coast, and Trump's special envoy to Greenland, Jeff Landry, visited Nuuk in May, declaring that the territory could be exporting 2 million barrels of oil a day.

Key claims

  • Trump's Greenland push and threat to withdraw forces: The Guardian reported that Trump revived his bid for the US to acquire Greenland and threatened to pull all American armed forces out of Europe. RFI similarly noted that Trump had rebooted his demand to obtain Greenland and rehashed complaints about Nato.
  • Danish PM's response: RFI quoted Mette Frederiksen as telling journalists, "Greenland is, of course, not for sale," ahead of the Nato meeting. The Guardian also reported the earlier dispute over Greenland's ownership had "hurt" Trump's relationship with the alliance.
  • Nato defence spending: RFI reported that Nato allies unveiled tens of billions in new arms contracts on Tuesday to show they were making good on a pledge to hike defence spending. The alliance published figures showing core defence spending by Europe had risen by 11 percent in 2026 to $634 billion. The Guardian reported that the UK had pushed back on US criticism that some allies were "lagging behind" on funding.
  • World Cup avoidance: The Guardian reported that Nato leaders had informally agreed not to mention the football World Cup to Trump. Belgian PM Bart De Wever joked that Trump "has the reputation of sometimes reacting a bit irritably to things that he doesn't like." De Wever said he would not discuss Belgium's 4-1 win over the US.
  • Oil drilling plans: The Guardian reported that Greenland Energy, a Texas oil company, hopes to drill for oil in Greenland and has chartered an Arctic-going vessel to transport equipment. The company's representative, Robert Price, told residents of a Greenland hamlet about the project, though Greenland's resources ministry said there were "no actually active permissions for any exploration activity." Trump's special envoy Jeff Landry visited Nuuk in May and said Greenland could be exporting 2 million barrels of oil a day.

Perspectives

  • US administration: President Trump expressed disappointment with Nato, stated that the US does not need help, and suggested that Greenland should be controlled by the US rather than Denmark. He also hinted that the UK Prime Minister's stance on the Iran war contributed to his downfall.
  • Denmark/Greenland: Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen stated clearly that Greenland is not for sale and that the US position on this topic is clear. Separately, Greenland's resources ministry disputed Greenland Energy's claim about having permits.
  • Nato allies: European leaders, including the UK, have sought to avoid a public bust-up with Trump over defence spending. They have worked to reassure the US president by increasing defence spending and unveiling new arms contracts. Belgian PM Bart De Wever publicly acknowledged the strategy of avoiding topics that might irritate Trump.