ANKARA, Turkey — Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen on Wednesday rejected President Donald Trump’s renewed calls for that the U.S. ought to take management of Greenland from NATO ally Denmark, saying that “Greenland is in fact not on the market.”
“We hope that each one, together with all allies, will respect the Greenland individuals’s proper for self-determination,” Frederiksen stated forward of a gathering of the leaders of NATO member nations in Turkey. “We’re sovereign states and we’d like everyone to respect our territorial integrity and our sovereignty.”
Trump reopened previous wounds over Greenland on the eve of the assembly by insisting that america ought to management the semiautonomous island. NATO is based on the precept that its 32 members will defend every others’ territory, not threaten to grab it.
Frederiksen stated Denmark is “able to defend each inch of NATO together with our personal territory” within the occasion of an assault, and would depend on NATO allies to honor their dedication to defend one another.
Iceland’s Prime Minister, Kristrún Frostadóttir, stated Greenland “belongs to the individuals of Greenland,” and known as for unity among the many NATO allies within the face of exterior risks.
“We have now threats coming from outdoors the alliance,” Frostadóttir stated. “Russia is their greatest risk relating to these NATO allies. We have to deal with us and the way we stick collectively.”
NATO Secretary-Normal Mark Rutte stated from Ankara on Wednesday that he believes america is totally dedicated to the navy group, and praised Trump for taking forceful motion towards Iran in a single day.
“I feel it was completely vital as a result of when you’ve a ceasefire and Iran is principally violating a ceasefire, we see what occurred yesterday,” Rutte stated of the sequence of U.S. strikes on Iran after Tehran struck three service provider ships within the Strait of Hormuz.
“I feel it’s completely essential that the U.S. forcefully react,” Rutte stated.
The U.S. strikes on Iran, in addition to the revoking of a license permitting it to promote its oil on international markets, had been retaliation, and underscored the fragility of an interim deal to finish months of combating between the 2 nations.
Trump launched the assaults shortly after leaving a dinner hosted by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and to date has not spoken concerning the strikes.
It’s uncommon for U.S. presidents to launch navy motion whereas outdoors the U.S., although in 2011 former President Barack Obama licensed strikes in Libya whereas on a visit to Brazil.
The assembly in Ankara of NATO’s 32 member nations was meant to deal with progress made towards assembly the alliance’s spending targets.
Rutte stated U.S. calls for for all allies to spend the identical when it comes to gross home product “is totally truthful,” and famous that Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Denmark and Greece are already investing extra.
“The dedication is there, little doubt,” Rutte stated earlier than chairing the summit of NATO leaders, however famous that the Trump administration expects “the Europeans and Canadian will equalize their spending with america.”
NATO summits are designed to be a present of unity geared toward deterring any potential adversary — a resolve extra necessary than ever as Russia continues to wage struggle on Ukraine, and issues mount that different European nations could possibly be focused.
In an try final month to mollify the U.S. chief, Rutte went to Washington to hail the “Trump Trillion” — the $1.2 trillion that European allies and Canada have added to protection spending since Trump got here to energy in 2017.
But Trump has demanded “loyalty” and branded NATO a “paper tiger” after some allies refused to grant open entry to their bases for U.S. forces to assault Iran.
As leaders converged on Ankara, Rutte hosted a “massive reveal” occasion to showcase the numerous offers deliberate for the elevated spending — a lot of it to be spent on U.S. corporations, creating 1000’s of jobs for Individuals.
NATO diplomats and officers had hoped that Trump would take the win, however judging by a few of his remarks since arriving in Turkey, they’re in for yet one more dressing down.
Trump has lengthy argued that the U.S. carries greater than its fair proportion of the protection burden for NATO. Ultimately yr’s summit, the allies had agreed to make investments 5% of their gross home product on protection — 3.5% on their protection budgets and 1.5% on roads, bridges and ports so troops and gear can transfer sooner in occasions of battle.
New figures launched by NATO on Tuesday confirmed that Slovenia, Belgium, Spain and the Czech Republic could possibly be in scorching water with the Trump administration as they wrestle to fulfill the alliance’s previous goal of investing 2% of their GDP.
The Trump administration needs to see a extra lean and deadly “NATO 3.0,” with Europe taking accountability for its personal safety, together with Ukraine, with standard weapons whereas America would proceed to offer its nuclear umbrella.
Nevertheless, the Pentagon has launched a 6-month overview of U.S. navy presence in Europe, leaving allies to hunt readability on simply how deeply Trump intends to chop U.S. pressure numbers.
The drawdowns might depend upon how briskly the European allies enhance protection spending, and whether or not they’re ready to permit better use of their bases.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a contemporary enchantment Tuesday for Ukraine to be allowed to hitch the alliance, saying Ukrainian armed forces are extremely skilled and would solely increase NATO’s protection capabilities.
Zelenskyy, who is anticipated to meet with Trump in Ankara on Wednesday, highlighted Ukraine’s adaptability and its skill to strike deep inside Russia, hit Moscow’s oil refineries and different vitality targets. He stated Ukraine’s armed forces are “eliminating” on common 30,000 Russian troops each month.
Concern has been mounting amongst some northern, central and japanese European nations that Russia is perhaps getting ready a hybrid assault — a mixture of standard warfare with ways like cyberattacks — on the continent as Russian President Vladimir Putin struggles to safe victory in Ukraine.
Trump may even meet with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, a former rebel who led the offensive that unseated autocrat Bashar Assad in December 2024. Regardless of having as soon as been an al-Qaida fighter, al-Sharaa has received Trump’s backing as he seeks to rebuild Syria and restore its long-shattered ties with the West.
Trump has repeatedly prompt that al-Sharaa would do a greater job of rooting out Hezbollah in Lebanon than the Israeli military, elevating alarms in Lebanon and Israel alike. The Syrian chief has stated he has no real interest in doing so.
