Denmark and Greenland's envoys to Washington have begun a vigorous effort to urge US lawmakers, as well as key Trump administration officials, to step back from President Donald Trump's call for a takeover of the strategic Arctic island. The US President, in a recent New York Times interview, said he has to possess the entirety of Greenland instead of just exercising a long-standing treaty that gives the United States wide latitude to use Greenland for military posts.
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The US is party to a 1951 treaty that gives it broad rights to set up military bases there with the consent of Denmark and Greenland. "Greenland is a long-standing ally and partner to the US and we have a shared interest in stability, security, and responsible cooperation in the Arctic," she said. There is an agreement with the US that gives them access to have bases in Greenland if needed.
Meanwhile, Denmark's Defence Ministry warned that any military attempt to invade the land will be met with immediate armed resistance as per the 1952 Cold War-era agreement.
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Danish soldiers have standing orders to open fire immediately on any invading force without waiting for permission from their commanders, the ministry confirmed. The rule was established after Nazi Germany's invasion of Denmark in April 1940, which led to a widespread breakdown in communications. The directive ensures that soldiers can defend the nation even if they are cut off from their leaders, and it remains in effect today.
READ HERE | 4 ways the US could acquire Greenland: From military threats to ‘Cofa’
The Joint Arctic Command—Denmark’s military authority on the island—will determine what constitutes an attack.
But can the Danish Army take on the might of the Pentagon in the case of an invasion or a Venezuela-like operation? Here is what available data tells us:
