'We'll shoot first, ask later': Denmark warns US against invading Greenland, cites Cold War-era directive

Denmark's Defence Ministry recently said that Danish soldiers would shoot without waiting for orders from their commanders if anyone were to invade Greenland. The development comes amid US President Donald Trump's repeated threats to take control of Greenland by force if necessary, citing the Danish territory as vital to America's national security. 

A 1952 Cold War-era directive allows the Danish military personnel to "immediately take up the fight" against any attack on Danish territory without awaiting commands, even if commanders are unaware that a war has been declared. The Defence Ministry confirmed to Danish daily Berlingske that the directive "remains in force". 

Denmark’s Arctic Command in Greenland would assess whether a situation amounts to an attack under established procedures. The directive, created after Nazi Germany’s 1940 invasion, ensures forces respond immediately without orders. Both Denmark and Greenland reject Trump’s proposal to buy or seize the island.

Earlier this week, Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said that a military attempt by the US to take over Greenland would mark NATO's end. Greenland is an autonomous territory of Denmark and is the largest of the country's three constituent parts by land area after Denmark proper and the Faroe Islands. 

“If the United States chooses to attack another NATO country militarily, then everything stops,” Frederiksen told Danish broadcaster TV2. She added, "That is, including our NATO and thus the security that has been provided since the end of World War II." 

For its part, Denmark has been a strong US ally. It has been a founding member of NATO since 1949 and has hosted US military bases in Greenland, including the Thule Air Base, since the 1950s for defence and space operations. Besides this, the Danish armed forces have also participated in US-led missions in Afghanistan, Iraq, Kosovo, and Libya. 

Denmark has provided military aid to Ukraine since 2022, including artillery and training. It also signed a defence cooperation agreement in 2023 for enhanced military ties. 

Meanwhile, Trump said that he must possess all of Greenland instead of just signing a treaty. 

"I think that ownership gives you a thing that you can't do with, you're talking about a lease or a treaty. Ownership gives you things and elements that you can't get from just signing a document," he told the New York Times. The US is a member of a 1951 treaty, which allows it rights to set up military posts in Greenland with the consent of the territory and Denmark. 

US Vice President JD Vance told Fox News that Denmark has failed to do enough to ensure that Greenland can "function as an anchor for world security."  "Europe has failed to contend with the fundamental argument the president, and the entire administration, has made," he said. 

Moreover, Denmark and Greenland's envoys to the US have begun efforts to urge US lawmakers and the Trump administration officials to step back from President Trump's call for a takeover of the Arctic territory.