ALBAWABA- U.S. President Donald Trump called for American control of Greenland, suggested the United States could withdraw its troops from Europe, and signaled openness to selling F-35 fighter jets to Turkey during a joint press conference with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara.
Reiterating his long-standing interest in Greenland, Trump said the Arctic island "should belong to the United States," describing control of the territory as vital to U.S. national security and strategic interests.
Trump also questioned the future of the U.S. military presence in Europe, saying Washington "might withdraw all our troops from Europe," renewing pressure on NATO allies to increase their contributions to the Alliance's collective defense.
Turning to recent tensions with Iran, Trump criticized NATO members for what he described as a lack of support during U.S. military operations.
"NATO countries provided no assistance to the United States in its war against Iran," he said, referring to the recent conflict that was followed by a 60-day U.S.-Iran negotiation framework.
On U.S.-Turkey defense ties, Trump indicated his administration is open to reconsidering Turkey's participation in the F-35 fighter jet program.
"We have no concerns about selling F-35 fighter jets to Turkey and will take this matter into consideration in our decision," he said, signaling a possible breakthrough after years of strained relations over Ankara's purchase of Russia's S-400 air defense system, which led to its removal from the F-35 program.
The remarks highlighted Trump's emphasis on burden-sharing within NATO while signaling a willingness to strengthen bilateral defense cooperation with Turkey.
His comments are expected to fuel debate among NATO allies, particularly over the future of the U.S. military presence in Europe and renewed U.S. interest in Greenland, an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark.
The prospect of restoring Turkey's access to the F-35 program is also likely to become a key topic of discussion as Alliance leaders continue talks on collective defense, regional security, and defense industrial cooperation.
