Prime Minister of Denmark orders armed response to any US incursion into Greenland

Published at: 11/01/2026 11:02 AM

The Danish Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen, has confirmed the validity of military guidelines that order her country's forces to open fire immediately in the event of any attempt to occupy Greenland, even if the action comes from US troops.

The Ministry of Defense confirmed that the directive requires us to act without waiting for higher authorizations, in accordance with a regulation enacted in 1952 that establishes the automatic defense of the territory in the event of foreign incursion.

Frederiksen argued that an attack by the United States against a member state of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) would mean the rupture of the security system built after World War II and would put an end to the structure of the Atlantic Alliance. Analysts interpret this position as a message aimed at safeguarding the Danish position in the face of Washington's growing strategic interest in the island.

The representatives of the parties present in the INATSISARTUT (Greenlandic Parliament) defended the right of the people of Greenland to decide their own future, after the President of the United States, Donald Trump, stated that his Government will act on the island to avoid an alleged military presence of Russia or China. The president also questioned Danish sovereignty, pointing out that historic occupation does not determine ownership of the territory.

The Copenhagen authorities have emphasized that the current legislation provides for an immediate armed reaction by the bases deployed in Greenland against any force that attempts to violate Danish jurisdiction, according to a press release from Telesur.

Mazo News Team