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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Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that he thinks there is a chance of a peace being reached with Ukraine. He told the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Russia that he believed there was "a chance of finding a solution," to the conflict.
The U.S. has launched a fresh wave of strikes on Iran, targeting Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) sites as Tehran retaliated against U.S. positions across the region, while Iranian officials said at least five people were killed and dozens wounded at a wedding near Sirik.
The Iranian Health Ministry said at least 18 people were killed and 142 others injured in U.S. airstrikes carried out between 30 August and 2 September.
The European Union's foreign policy chief Kaia Kallas says the bloc will tighten enforcement of sanctions against Russia over its war in Ukraine. EU foreign ministers were meeting in Ireland following renewed Russian strikes on cities across Ukraine.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for the 3rd of September, covering the latest developments.
A Russian court on Thursday imposed restrictions on Lida Moniava, the founder of a children’s hospice, who is accused of spreading false information about the Russian military’s actions in Ukraine.
China’s state-owned shipping giant COSCO has used concealed equipment aboard some of its vessels to collect intelligence on military communications near the coastlines of countries including the U.S., according to two senior Trump administration officials.
The U.S. House of Representatives has passed legislation that would block federal funding for universities that boycott Israel, as Republicans push ahead with pro-Israel measures despite growing criticism of the Israeli government over the war in Gaza.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that he thinks there is a chance of a peace being reached with Ukraine. He told the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Russia that he believed there was "a chance of finding a solution," to the conflict.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has rejected claims that Moroccan authorities orchestrated July’s deadly mass border crossing into Ceuta, saying Spain has found no evidence that Rabat planned or carried out the incident.
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