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 AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 23rd of July, covering the latest developments you need to know.
U.S. strikes on Iran entered a 12th consecutive night, while Yemen's Houthis said they attacked two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, urging President Donald Trump to warn Tehran it would be held responsible for any future Houthi attacks.
India and Myanmar are expanding cooperation on rare earths as New Delhi seeks to reduce its reliance on China for critical minerals. The move follows a series of Indian visits to Myanmar and comes amid growing global competition for resources used in clean energy and high-tech industries.
Aleksandar Vučić's visit to Kyiv on 15 July appeared to send a geopolitical signal. But the significance of the trip lies less in the journey itself than in the limits Serbia carefully observed.
The U.S. military said it completed a fresh wave of strikes on Iran late on Thursday, marking the 13th consecutive night of American attacks. The latest operation lasted more than two hours, according to U.S. Central Command.
The European Union has adopted its 21st sanctions package against Russia, imposing its most extensive economic penalties in four years. The measures expand restrictions across the financial, military, cyber and energy sectors while introducing new enforcement tools and broader export controls.
Vietnam is planning to require social media platforms to stop users under 16 from posting content, commenting or reacting to posts under a draft decree designed to strengthen online protections for children.
Women and girls in Sudan's Al-Obeid face a dire choice between the threat of drone attacks during the day and sexual violence when they go out to fetch water in the besieged city, UN Women reports.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi signed a series of agreements in Tehran on Thursday aimed at strengthening bilateral trade, transport links and security cooperation, highlighting the growing strategic partnership between the neighbouring countries.
Poland has proposed a trilateral partnership with the U.S. and Ukraine to jointly manufacture Patriot missile interceptors, Deputy Defence Minister Magdalena Sobkowiak-Czarnecka said after meetings in Washington. The plan aims to ensure production takes place in a secure location.
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