'Will Shoot First, Ask Questions Later': Denmark Amid US Threats Over Greenland Invasion

Last Updated:January 09, 2026, 07:45 IST

The remark from Danish Defence Ministry came after US President Donald Trump reiterated his push to take over Greenland.

Greenland is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark.

Amid US President Donald Trump’s persistent threats to annex Greenland, the country’s defence ministry said that soldiers will be required to shoot first and ask questions later if the United States invades Greenland.

The ministry told Danish outlet Berlingske that soldiers would be required to counter any foreign invasion without awaiting orders under the military’s rules of engagement. The 1952 rule states that in the event of an invasion, forces should respond “without waiting for or seeking orders, even if the commanders in question are not aware of the declaration of war or state of war".

The remark from Danish Defence Ministry came after US President Donald Trump reiterated his push to take over Greenland, after attacking Venezuela.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said, “President Trump has made it well known that acquiring Greenland is a national security priority of the United States, and it’s vital to deter our adversaries in the Arctic region."

“The President and his team are discussing a range of options to pursue this important foreign policy goal, and of course, utilising the US Military is always an option at the Commander in Chief’s disposal," she added.

Meanwhile, the top Washington-based diplomats for Greenland and Denmark on Thursday met with the White House officials at the National Security Council. As Greenland continues to publicly and privately insist it is not for sale, Denmark’s Ambassador Jesper Møller Sørensen and Greenland’s head of representation to the US Jacob Isbosethsen met with Trump advisors.

Notably, President Donald Trump has been proclaiming that he wants to purchase Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark, since 2019. In fact, Trump has also raised the specter of using the military to take Greenland by force.

Trump’s renewed focus on Greenland comes just days after he authorised a military operation to capture the President of Venezuela.

Following the operation, tensions were heightened among Danish and Greenlandic officials about Trump’s potential willingness to seize Greenland. Rubio, meanwhile, told lawmakers earlier this week that Trump was interested in buying Greenland and downplayed the possibility of any forthcoming US military intervention to take the island by force, CNN reported citing sources.

Officials from Greenland and Denmark have made clear both publicly and privately, however, that they will not even entertain conversions about any mechanism that could enable the sale of Greenland to the US, saying that a population cannot simply be purchased.

(With agency inputs)

News world 'Will Shoot First, Ask Questions Later': Denmark Amid US Threats Over Greenland Invasion

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