Trump threatens I’LL QUIT NATO over Greenland as he doubles down on blistering tariff threat and Europe puts boots on the ground
Donald Trump has warned that the United States could withdraw from NATO if America’s allies do not agree to buy Greenland.
Outside the White House on Friday, a reporter asked the president, “Would you withdraw from NATO if it won’t help you get Greenland?” he asked.
Trump warned: ‘We’ll see. NATO is dealing with us in Greenland, we need Greenland very much for national security. If we don’t have that, we have a huge deficit in terms of national security, especially in terms of the Golden Dome.’
Golden Dome is a proposed multi-layered missile defense system, and the president says it depends on Denmark gaining control of the Arctic.
Trump had previously threatened to impose tariffs on ‘countries that are not compatible with Greenland’ as he escalated his pressure campaign.
Britain, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden announced yesterday that they would deploy small numbers of troops to Greenland in response to Trump’s combative rhetoric.
A. bipartisan congress The delegation came to Copenhagen on Friday to increase American support. NATO allied.
The 11 congressmen and women were to meet with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and her Greenlandic counterpart Jens-Frederik Nielsen.
President Donald Trump speaks at an event to encourage investment in rural health care in the East Room of the White House on Friday
While NATO shows a brave face in the face of Trump’s threats, British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper and Norwegian Foreign Minister Barth Eide arrived in Norway for an exercise on Thursday.
Aaja Chemnitz, Senator Chris Coons and Christian Friis Bach at Christiansborg on January 16, 2026 in Copenhagen, Denmark
‘We show bipartisan solidarity with the people of this country and Greenland. They have been our friends and allies for decades,” Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin told reporters.
‘We want them to know that we appreciate it very much. And the statements made by the president do not reflect how the American people feel.’
The delegation’s visit follows a meeting in Washington on Wednesday, where Danish representatives said they had a “fundamental disagreement” with Trump over Greenland.
Citizens in Greenland’s capital, Nuuk, welcomed the show of support.
‘Congress would never approve military action against Greenland. “It’s just an idiot talking,” said a 39-year-old union representative.
‘If he does this he will either be dismissed or expelled. The union representative, speaking on condition of anonymity, said people in Congress must take action if they want to save their democracy.
Trump claims the United States needs mineral-rich Greenland and criticizes Denmark for not doing enough to ensure its security.
The president maintained this claim despite the fact that Greenland, which is strategically located as part of Denmark, falls within NATO’s security umbrella.
Military personnel became more visible in Nuuk on Friday, days after Denmark said it was strengthening its defenses on the island.
“I don’t think the troops in Europe affected the president’s decision-making nor did they affect his goal of capturing Greenland,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said at a briefing.
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen gave a harsh response that the US purchasing Greenland was ‘out of the question’.
A Lockheed C-130J Super Hercules of the Royal Danish Air Force (RDAF) is parked on the tarmac at Nuuk international airport in Nuuk, Greenland, on January 15, 2026, the day after it arrived there to transport Danish military personnel.
French Armed Forces Minister Alice Rufo said the deployment of European troops to Greenland for the military exercise was intended to “send a signal” to “everyone”, including the United States, that European countries were determined to “defend their sovereignty”.
“The first team of French service members is already in the field and will be reinforced with land, air and sea assets in the coming days,” French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday. he said.
Large demonstrations are planned to be held in Denmark and Greenland on Saturday to protest Trump’s territorial ambitions.
Thousands of people shared on social networks that they wanted to participate in the protests organized by Greenland associations in Nuuk and Copenhagen, Aarhus, Aalborg and Odense.
In addition to Durbin, the US delegation included Democratic senators Chris Coons, Jeanne Shaheen and Peter Welch, as well as Republicans Lisa Murkowski and Thom Tillis.
House Democrats on the delegation include Madeleine Dean, Steny Hoyer, Sara Jacobs, Sarah McBride and Gregory Meeks.
