Danish company the army has standing orders to oppose any armed attempt to occupy Greenland, including one that would come from the United States of America, the Danish newspaper Berlingske reports, citing confirmations from the Danish Defense Command and the Ministry of Defense.
The orders come on the heels of a Cold War-era royal decree that remains in force, pointing to the possibility of direct conflict between the two military allies.
Copenhagen has confirmed that Danish soldiers have been instructed to fight, which would lead to direct armed conflict between them NATO allies, after the White House reiterated late Tuesday (January 6th) that military action to take over Greenland still "remains an option."
The order from 1952 states that the units "must begin fighting without delay, without waiting for further orders", and that they are obliged to continue the resistance in order to gain time for a wider mobilization. The rule also obliges the police to support the army in suppressing internal cooperation with the enemy and requires members of the guard to report for duty immediately, writes Euraktiv.
Threats from the White House
Late Tuesday, the White House reiterated that the takeover of Greenland was "a matter of national security," with the message that "the use of the U.S. military is always an option available to the commander-in-chief."
This statement followed a joint appeal by seven European countries - France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, Great Britain and Denmark - which called on Washington to respect Greenland's sovereignty. French President Emmanuel Macron later told French television that he could not imagine a scenario in which the United States violated Greenland's sovereignty.
On Wednesday, Paris announced that it is working with its allies, primarily Germany and Poland, on a plan of action in case the US carries out its threats, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barot said, according to Reuters.
The United States and Denmark have a 1951 defense treaty that gives the Americans broad military access to Greenland. During the Cold War, the US had up to 50 military bases and radar stations on the island. Today, only one remains - the Pitufik space base, where about 150 American soldiers are deployed.
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