Danish troops flown to Greenland in January were ready to blow up airport runways in the event of a potential U.S. attack, Denmark’s public broadcaster DR reported on Thursday (19 March), citing soruces within the country and among European allies.
Soldiers from the Scandinavian nation also brought blood bags to the Arctic island to treat the wounded in case fighting broke out.
Denmark and the U.S. are both members of the NATO alliance. But Copenhagen began preparing for a possible U.S. invasion of the semi-autonomous territory after U.S. President Donald Trump made repeated threats to take over the island.
In early January, the U.S. attacked Venezuela and captured its then President Nicolas Maduro. The following day, Trump said the U.S. needed Greenland “very badly". In response, the Danish government accelerated the deployment of its soldiers to Greenland
"When Trump keeps saying he wants to take over Greenland, and then what happened in Venezuela happened, we had to take all scenarios seriously," a source told DR.
Denmark also reportedly sought political support from France, Germany and other Nordic countries for the creation of a European alliance to defend Greenland from a takeover by Washington.
Trump later withdrew his threats to use force to acquire Greenland, after meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on 21 January.
The U.S. President has said he needs to acquire Greenland for national security reasons. The island is viewed as a suitable spot for placing missile and space defence systems, according to analysts.
In recent years, China has extended its influence in the Arctic through the development of new shipping routes, made possible as ice melts due to global warming, as well as through investment in the region.
Russia, whose Arctic coastline extends over 24,150km, has also expanded its military infrastructure across its northern coastline. Meanwhile, Greenland’s retreating ice sheet is exposing valuable mineral resources.
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Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for 4 July, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has congratulated U.S. President Donald Trump on the 250th anniversary of American independence, saying Russia and the United States share a special responsibility for maintaining global security as the world's two largest nuclear powers.
China said on Saturday it had launched a coast guard patrol east of Taiwan, prompting a strong protest from Taipei, which accused Beijing of illegally expanding its authority and undermining regional stability.
Armenia's parliament has passed a new law raising the requirements for citizens living abroad to vote in national elections, following concerns over alleged efforts to influence last month's parliamentary vote through Armenian citizens residing in Russia.
India is investigating a data breach at Tata Electronics that exposed sensitive documents linked to Apple's unreleased iPhone 18 Pro, marking the government's first public comments on the incident.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has raised its forecast for the rapid emergence of a strong El Niño, warning the climate pattern is likely to drive higher global temperatures and intensify extreme weather in the months ahead.
Iran and the U.S. have concluded indirect talks in Doha without a major breakthrough, with discussions focused on maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz and frozen Iranian funds. Both sides are expected to meet again after the funeral of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
International politicians and religious leaders have paid respects to Iran's late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei throughout the day, ahead of his six day funeral ceremony which begins on Saturday. His casket is currently on display at the Iman Khomeini Grand Mosalla in Tehran.
Eight Buddhist monks were killed and more than 20 others injured after an 11-year-old boy driving his parents' pickup truck ploughed into a religious procession in north-eastern Thailand, police said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has congratulated U.S. President Donald Trump on the 250th anniversary of American independence, saying Russia and the United States share a special responsibility for maintaining global security as the world's two largest nuclear powers.
China said on Saturday it had launched a coast guard patrol east of Taiwan, prompting a strong protest from Taipei, which accused Beijing of illegally expanding its authority and undermining regional stability.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for 4 July, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Russian attacks killed at least six people across three Ukrainian regions on Friday, regional officials said, as Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy infrastructure continued to add pressure to fuel supplies inside Russia.
World Athletics has reaffirmed its decision to keep Russian and Belarusian athletes excluded from international competition, saying there has been no meaningful progress towards peace in Ukraine.
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