The Danish troops that were scrambled and were flown to Greenland in January were preparing to defend the island against invading US forces. Radio Denmark reported this last month, based on information of multiple sources.
After US president Trump repeatedly declared he would take Greenland by force if necessary, the Danish Armed Forces were preparing for the worst. Troops that were hastily flown to the island took with them explosives to blow up the runways of the airports of Nuuk and Kangerlussuaq; to hinder a possible American invasion. They also took many bags of extra blood, to threat the wounded in case of combat.
European NATO countries to Greenland
Danish Radio (DR) bases its report on interviews off the record with at least a dozen sources, including officials of the Danish government, high-ranked military personnel and people within the intelligence communities of Denmark, France and Germany. The latter were among the NATO countries that sent small units to Greenland in January as well. Officially those foreign troops were part of an exercise, but in reality they were there to mark Europe’s protest against the American threats to a fellow European NATO country — Greenland is part of the Danish Kingdom.
France to send hundreds
According to sources, in France alone hundreds of French troops were either planned to be airlifted to Greenland, or their commanding officers were instructed this might be a possibility. Denmark itself was preparing its frontline battalion on the Baltic Sea island of Bornholm as its standard first response unit.
Military experts believe that combined European forces might not have stopped an American take-over of Greenland, but would have led to delays in the US battle plan. | © 2026 Marcel Burger, nordicreporter.com. Featured photo: Nuuk Airport with the new longer runway opened on 28 November 2024. Photo by Oscar Scott Carl/Visit Nuuk