U.S. President Donald Trump has once again unsettled Europe by reiterating his fixation on the Danish territory of Greenland, following the conclusion of the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey.

According to reports from dpa and other news outlets, when asked by reporters aboard Air Force One on July 9 (local time) about plans for further troop withdrawals from Europe after the summit, President Trump stated, "I haven't made a final decision yet. A lot depends on Greenland."

President Trump added, "A lot depends on whether we can reach a very good agreement regarding Greenland," and noted, "Perhaps that could happen."

The Trump administration, which has been pressuring European allies to reduce their reliance on the U.S. for continental defense and contribute more themselves, recently announced plans to decide on the reduction of U.S. troops stationed in Europe after a review over the next six months.

The United States currently has approximately 80,000 troops stationed across Europe, including in Germany, Poland, Italy, Romania, and the Baltic states.

Previously, shortly after arriving in Ankara on July 7, President Trump told reporters that Greenland "should be controlled by the U.S., not Denmark," calling it a "reason that has hurt the relationship between (the U.S. and) NATO," reviving his ambition to annex Greenland after several months.

On July 8, the final day of the summit, President Trump further demonstrated that his interest in Greenland has not waned, telling reporters, "Greenland is very important to the U.S. but not important to Denmark. I am not satisfied with what NATO has done regarding the Greenland issue."

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen immediately emphasized once again that "Greenland is not for sale," and urged respect for the sovereignty of their ally.

The summit concluded without the feared discord, as President Trump made friendly remarks supporting the unity of the Atlantic alliance and did not mention the Greenland issue during the official sessions attended by leaders from the 32 NATO member countries.

However, the Europe-focused media outlet Euronews pointed out that Europe cannot hide its anxiety that the conflict over Greenland, which was thought to have subsided, may be reigniting.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)