In January, Danish military forces were deployed to Greenland under the guise of joint exercises known as Operation Arctic Endurance, but sources say the real mission was to prepare for a potential invasion by the United States. According to Denmark’s public broadcaster DR, elite Danish soldiers were ready to destroy key airport runways at Nuuk and Kangerlussuaq to prevent American military aircraft from landing. Blood supplies were also brought in to treat possible casualties.
The deployment involved not only Danish troops but also contingents from France, Germany, Norway, and Sweden, with elite units trained for cold-weather, mountainous warfare. Danish aircraft and a French naval vessel were positioned in the North Atlantic as part of the operation.
The heightened alert was reportedly triggered by US President Donald Trump’s repeated statements that he wanted to acquire Greenland for strategic reasons. The situation intensified after US forces carried out a lightning operation in Venezuela on January 3, prompting Danish authorities to take all scenarios seriously.
A senior Danish defense official told DR that while troops were unlikely to repel a US invasion, the aim was to make any attack costly and difficult, demonstrating European solidarity and commitment to defending Greenland, a semi-autonomous part of Denmark.
By January 21, Trump publicly stated he would not use force and was seeking negotiations, temporarily easing tensions. The episode has highlighted Greenland’s strategic importance and the delicate balance between NATO allies in the Arctic region.
