Denmark Exposed for Planning to Destroy Airport Runway to Prevent US Invasion of Greenland

How Trump’s Greenland Claim Is Causing Tensions Within NATO

[Global Times Report, Reporter Du Tianqi] Denmark’s public broadcaster (DR) reported on the 19th that, due to concerns over a potential U.S. invasion of Greenland, Denmark and its allies deployed troops to Greenland in January. Denmark also planned to destroy Greenland’s airport runways to prevent U.S. military aircraft from landing in case of an invasion.

DR cited a military operation order dated January 13. Although the report did not disclose the specific contents of the order, it stated that this was the basis for Denmark deploying troops to the autonomous territory after U.S. President Trump’s efforts to annex Greenland led to increased tensions. In January, several EU countries including France, Germany, Sweden, and the Netherlands sent troops to Greenland under the NATO exercise “Arctic Resilience” led by Denmark. A military source told DR that this was not a drill but a real military deployment. “There is no ambiguity,” the source said, noting that the troops carried blood for transfusions and explosives, indicating this was not routine training. The Danish military, government, and Greenland’s autonomous government did not comment on the report. A Danish military official, who wished to remain anonymous, told DR, “Trump has repeatedly said he wants to buy Greenland, and with the situation in Venezuela, we have to take all possibilities seriously.” He added, “The U.S. operational mechanisms are no longer what they used to be.” A senior French official involved in crisis response said, “The Greenland crisis has made Europe realize that it must have autonomous security capabilities.”

On January 29, a residential area in Nuuk, Greenland. (Visual China)

Trump has repeatedly claimed that the U.S. must control Greenland to ensure national security and has not ruled out the use of force. Denmark and the U.S. are both founding members of NATO. After weeks of intense rhetoric that triggered NATO’s most serious crisis in years, Trump softened his stance on January 21, announcing that he had reached a “framework agreement” with NATO Secretary General on the Greenland issue, though the details remain vague. In the following weeks, NATO launched the “Arctic Sentinel” operation to strengthen regional security, with Denmark and U.S. forces participating.