President Donald Trump on Wednesday again cast doubt on the reliability of NATO, saying he was unconvinced the alliance would come to Washington’s defense in a crisis, even as the White House’s renewed push to acquire Greenland fueled tensions with European partners.
“I DOUBT NATO WOULD BE THERE FOR US IF WE REALLY NEEDED THEM,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, while adding that the U.S. would continue to honor its commitments to allies. “We will always be there for NATO, even if they won’t be there for us.”
Under Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, the alliance’s collective defense clause, an attack on one member is considered an attack on all. The provision has been formally invoked only once, following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States.
Trump’s remarks followed comments from the White House indicating it was not ruling out military action to acquire Greenland from Denmark, a NATO ally. The president has repeatedly criticized the alliance and pressed members to increase defense spending, arguing that the current 2% of GDP benchmark is insufficient and calling for levels as high as 5%.
The comments came amid several days of escalating rhetoric over Greenland, a self-governing Danish territory with strategic and mineral significance in the Arctic. Late Tuesday, the White House said Trump was “discussing a range of options” to acquire the island and emphasized that the use of U.S. military force had not been taken off the table.
In his post, Trump said NATO members had failed to pay their fair share prior to his first term while relying on U.S. security guarantees, contending that without American backing, Russia and China would “have zero fear of NATO.”
Warning for U.S. contractors
The president’s stance toward allies follows his latest warning to the U.S. defense industry, underscoring a broader hard line on national security. Trump on Wednesday threatened to bar defense contractors from issuing dividends or buying back stock unless they boost investment in production and research, and called for caps on executive compensation until companies build “NEW and MODERN Production Plants.”
The comments rattled defense stocks and signaled the administration’s intent to use economic pressure, alongside diplomatic and military leverage, to force changes in how allies and contractors contribute to U.S. security priorities.
European leaders responded swiftly to Trump’s NATO remarks and the Greenland issue, Politico Europe reported.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warned Monday that an American attack on another NATO country would mean “everything stops, including NATO and thus the security that has been established since the end of the Second World War.”
On Tuesday, eight senior European leaders said Greenland’s security must be addressed collectively through NATO, with full respect for sovereignty and existing borders. A day later, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said Paris was coordinating a joint response with European partners, while officials in Berlin confirmed discussions were underway to safeguard Greenland’s sovereignty.
Trump, using an incorrect spelling for the Nobel Peace Prize, also claimed in his post: “Without my involvement, Russia would have ALL OF UKRAINE right now. Remember, also, I single-handedly ENDED 8 WARS, and Norway, a NATO Member, foolishly chose not to give me the Noble Peace Prize. But that doesn’t matter!”