President Donald Trump used the opening of the NATO summit in Ankara on 8 July to issue a series of demands and threats that, according to European diplomats, deepened transatlantic tensions. Speaking alongside Secretary General Mark Rutte, Trump declared he was “very upset with NATO” over its stance on Greenland and its refusal to support US military operations against Iran. He also threatened to sever all trade with Spain, calling Madrid a “terrible partner”, and announced that the ceasefire with Iran was, in his view, “over”. The remarks came hours after a bilateral meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, which Trump described as positive and which included a pledge to lift sanctions imposed on Ankara over its purchase of Russian S-400 missile systems.

On Greenland, Trump repeated his assertion that the autonomous Danish territory is strategically vital for the United States and should never have been returned after the Second World War. “We need it for protection of the world, not just the United States,” he said, adding that the island was “not important for Denmark”. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, speaking before the summit, stated that Greenland is “not for sale” and that Copenhagen expects allies to respect Danish sovereignty. Rutte acknowledged Trump’s concerns about increased Russian and Chinese activity in the Arctic but insisted that NATO already has a functioning process with Denmark and Greenland to address security in the region. A trilateral working group involving Washington, Copenhagen and Nuuk has been meeting regularly, and Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen has indicated that a solution could be found by the end of the year.

Trump’s criticism of allies over Iran featured prominently in his remarks. He accused European nations of failing to allow US forces to use their airspace and bases during the conflict, which began in late February. Spain, whose socialist government refused such access and has resisted Washington’s push to raise defence spending to 5% of GDP, was the target of the most direct economic threat. “Spain is a wasted cause. We don’t want to do any trade business with Spain anymore,” Trump said, instructing Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to “cut it off”. Spanish government sources responded that the country was taking the threat “calmly and normally”, stressing that bilateral relations benefit both sides. Health Minister Mónica García was more direct, writing on social media that “confusing diplomacy with bullying” was “terrible”.

NATO officials had sought to use the summit to demonstrate that European allies are shouldering a greater defence burden. On the eve of the meeting, the alliance published figures showing an 11% rise in European core defence spending in 2026, and allies unveiled over $50 billion in new arms contracts. Rutte praised Trump for pushing members to spend more, calling it “a huge win”. Yet the US president’s threats to withdraw all American troops from Europe if allies did not cooperate on Greenland and immigration, and the Pentagon’s announcement of a six-month review of the US force posture on the continent, have prompted concern in several European capitals. Trump also held a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin before the summit and was scheduled to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, with both sides, he said, wanting to “make a deal”. The Greenland dossier remains under discussion, but no immediate resolution is expected; the next formal opportunity to assess progress will be the NATO defence ministerial in October.