DENMARK will “shoot first and ask questions later” if the US invades Greenland – despite Donald Trump promising he’ll “always be there for Nato”.
The ironclad commitment is part of Copenhagen’s military constitution – and states that soldiers must “immediately” open fire in the face of an attack.
It comes as Trump continues to step up his threats on seizing the mineral-rich Danish island – refusing to rule out taking it by force, dubbing the territory a “national security priority”.
The emboldened US president’s comments have come after his sophisticated operation in Venezuela and capture of Nicolas Maduro.
But in response to the Don’s fresh warnings, Denmark confirmed that it will counter-attack an invasion in any case due to its military doctrine.
A rule dating back to 1952 states that troops must defend against attackers without awaiting orders – with Copenhagen saying on Wednesday that the law “remains in force”.
The commitment is understood to say: “The attacked forces must immediately take up the fight without waiting for or seeking orders, even if the commanders in question are not aware of the declaration of war or state of war.”
Trump’s threats have shocked Greenland and sent Europe scrambling as an invasion of Greenland would most likely spell the end of Nato.
The US leader’s warnings have also plunged Western allies into chaos as the “Coalition of the Willing” try to finalise a deal to end the War in Ukraine.
On TruthSocial, Trump penned a lengthy tirade aimed at European allies, claiming the US would always be there for Nato, adding “even if they won’t be there for us”.
In his post, Trump repeated that many members of the pact had failed to meet military spending commitments until he intervened.
“The USA was, foolishly, paying for them! I, respectfully, got them to 5% GDP, AND THEY PAY, immediately,” he wrote.
But the US leader added that the NATO member countries are “all my friends.”
He concluded by saying that Russia and China have “zero fear of NATO” without the United States as part of the alliance.
France and Germany have joined forces to stand up to Trump’s threats in a desperate bid to deter the US president.
French foreign minister Jean-Noël Barrot downplayed an invasion, claiming that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had told him that Washington was not planning such an attack.
Four ways Trump could take Greenland
by Harvey Geh
HERE are four ways Donald Trump could take over Greenland:
- Invasion: Trump would have little issue using the world’s strongest military to annex a poorly defended target such as Greenland. Denmark may even surrender before a fight takes place to avoid the risk of a full-blown Nato collapse. But any attack could still fall victim to a string of problems, including extreme weather conditions and long supply lines.
- Coercion: The threat of military intervention itself could be enough to force Copenhagen’s hand and pass over the crucial island. But aside from looming threats, Trump could purchase Greenland directly from the Danes. Previous US administrations have tried this at least three times in the past, with the first instance dating back to 1867.
- Free Association: Washington is reportedly already working on a plan to sign a “compact of free association” with Greenland. This deal would mirror current arrangements the US has with countries like Palau, Micronesia and the Marshall Islands. In these relationships, the US military have free rein in these territories in exchange for duty-free trade. But if such a deal were to take place, Greenland would have to cede from Denmark and gain independence first.
- Prolong the status quo: With Denmark and Trump both vying to have their own influence, Greenland could seek benefits from both without actually gaining independence or submitting to the US. If Washington settled for a bolstered military presence and mineral-mining contracts on the island, they could lay off further plans to annex it entirely.
He said: “I myself was on the phone yesterday with US secretary of state Marco Rubio… who confirmed that this was not the approach taken…
“He ruled out the possibility of an invasion [of Greenland].”
Paris said they wanted to “take action” with European allies in response to Trump’s threats.
Rubio reportedly told lawmakers on Monday that the US was not planning an invasion, despite Trump not ruling out military action.
The Secretary of State said Trump is now aiming to buy the self-ruling isle rather than seize it by force.
But even with Rubio’s assurances, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Tuesday that military force was “always an option”.
And on Wednesday, the Washington Post reported that US officials were discussing a takeover of Greenland with European counterparts as a “concrete” possibility.
One top European diplomat reportedly warned that there had been a dramatic shift in tone in the last few days.
ISLE TAKE THAT!
DONALD Trump could storm Greenland and claim it within 24 hours in the “world’s shortest war”, analysts have revealed.
If Trump did invade, America’s military might would end the war in a day, politics professor Anthony Glees told The Sun.
Speaking to The Sun, Glees said Trump will be surrounded by “people who think he is great” – and it means he will be able to go ahead with any wild ideas he has.
Glees said: “In other words, we have to take him seriously.
“And if Trump wanted to take Greenland by force, he could do it in 24 hours.”
Ulrik Pram Gad, a senior researcher at the Danish Institute for International Studies, told Politico that “there is no defensive capacity in Greenland”.
And it means it would be “the shortest war in the world”.
The conflict would present an “unchartered” situation after the US entered a pact with Denmark in 1951 to defend Greenland against any attack.
The US has a nuclear base on the island that is constantly manned by troops.
Kristian Søby Kristensen, a military researcher at the University of Copenhagen, said: “Who would the Americans be fighting? Their own military?”
Glees said it was likely that, in the event of a US invasion, “there would be no military response to it because it is unthinkable that any Nato member would attack the US”.
A takeover of Greenland could be achieved in just four steps, and the Don has already started work on step one.
An anonymous Danish politician admitted to Politico that the critical island cannot defend itself, saying: “It could be like five helicopters … he wouldn’t need a lot of troops.
“There would be nothing they [Greenlanders] could do.”
Rubio said on Wednesday that he would be meeting with Danish officials next week.
