Denmark sends 'advance force' to Greenland to pave way for larger military presence amid US threats
President Donald Trump warned his NATO allies the United States will act on Greenland "whether they like it or not"
Denmark has sent advanced troops and equipment to Greenland in response to Donald Trump's threats to take the territory by military force.
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Advanced command has been send to Greenland, to prepare surroundings and logistics for a large-scale military force to arrive, according to Danish media firm DR.
It comes as Mr Trump has reportedly ordered his top military commanders to draw up plans for the invasion of Greenland.
The President warned his NATO allies the United States will act on Greenland “whether they like it or not” as he told Denmark, “we can do this the easy way or the hard way.”
Any military action in Greenland could spell the end of NATO and would almost certainly place the UK at odds with Washington.
Read More: JD Vance to host White House talks with Denmark over Greenland's future amid threats of US takeover
Danish Minister of Defense Troels Lund Poulsen admitted to an increased military presence in Greenland.
"We are now moving forward with the whole issue of a more permanent larger presence in Greenland from Danish defense, but also with the participation of other countries.
"Just as we had in 2025, where we saw that there were other NATO countries participating in exercise and training activities in Greenland, we will also see this in 2026."
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson has confirmed that "several officers from the Swedish Armed Forces are arriving in Greenland" on Wednesday.
He added that they are part of a group of allied countries to prepare for elements "within the framework of the Danish exercise Operation Arctic Endurance".
"It is at Denmark's request that Sweden is sending personnel from the Armed Forces," he said.
Large parts of the rest of the Danish military– including the Army's combat troops – are bound to defence posts in the Baltic.
Denmarks Defence Command told DR: "The Danish Armed Forces, among other things, continuously train for the deployment of capabilities in the Arctic and are present as part of general task performance and in preparation for upcoming activities."
Sources told the Mail on Sunday the President has asked the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) to draw up a Greenland invasion plan - but is being advised against military action by some of his top advisors.
A source told the outlet: “They have tried to distract Trump by talking about less controversial measures, such as intercepting Russian 'ghost' ships - a clandestine network of hundreds of vessels operated by Moscow to evade Western sanctions - or launching a strike on Iran.”
Another source described a US invasion of Greenland as the “worst-case scenario” and said it would cause the “destruction of NATO from the inside.”
It added: “Some European officials suspect this is the real aim of the hardline MAGA faction around Trump.
“Since Congress would not allow Trump to exit NATO, occupying Greenland could force the Europeans to abandon NATO. If Trump wants to end NATO, this might be the most convenient way to do it.”