The US-NATO relationship has been strained by President Donald Trump's criticism of NATO and threats to use military force to take Greenland. Danish soldiers were sent to Greenland with explosives to prepare for possible threats, but these were not true. This incident led to concerns about the U.S. being trusted as a reliable partner in the war against Iran and a belief that NATO members must wean themselves off of U.M.-made weapons and technology. The rift was exacerbated by divisions over the approach to ending Russia's war in Ukraine, where Europe sees helping Ukraine against Russia as the top security priority. The U.K. halted direct military aid to Ukraine when he returned to the White House last year and appeared to align with Russia in peace talks, raising concerns in European governments. The Trump administration has also made it clear that U.N. weapons Ukraine urgently needs will be diverted if necessary to fight the war in the Middle East. Despite being criticized for keeping NATO allies in the dark about the Iran war, Dutch Prime Minister Frank Rutte has publicly defended the US military operations.