Denmark’s political and military establishment has dusted off a Cold War–era rule, with the Defense Ministry on Wednesday announcing that if foreign troops land on Danish territory, soldiers are to open fire immediately, without waiting for orders.
The revelation comes as tensions between Copenhagen and Washington have reached a fever pitch over renewed signals from the Trump administration that Greenland’s status is no longer a closed question.
Denmark’s defense ministry confirmed to Berlingske, a center-Right Danish newspaper, that a 1952 order remains active, requiring Danish forces to counterattack any invading power at once, even if no formal declaration of war has been issued. In simple terms, it is a shoot-first, ask questions later doctrine.
The timing of the disclosure isn’t an accident. President Donald Trump and senior figures in his administration have once again raised the possibility of bringing Greenland under American control, arguing that the Arctic island is pivotal to American security in an era of growing Chinese and Russian activity.
Trump’s position has predictably sent shockwaves throughout Europe’s establishment political class, which has long assumed American protection would remain unconditional and unquestioned. Denmark, which administers Greenland as part of its kingdom, insists the territory is “not for sale,” yet has little to no independent capacity to defend it without US military might.
The contradiction has not gone unnoticed. For decades, Copenhagen has relied on the threat of American forces to secure Greenland while simultaneously asserting full sovereignty over it. Now, faced with an increasingly assertive America that is openly reassessing its interests, Danish leaders appear rattled.
Western European governments have rushed into emergency consultations, with the Danish Prime Minister recently claiming that any US move on Greenland could spell the effective end of the NATO alliance. French and German officials, for their part, have spoken of “collective responses,” though they’ve yet to articulate clearly what those responses would actually entail.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot claimed he had received private assurances from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio that Washington D.C. is not, in fact, planning to take Greenland by force. Rubio has reportedly told lawmakers that talk of force does not signal immediate action, suggesting US intentions are more exploratory rather than imminent.
Nevertheless, those reassurances sit uneasily alongside statements from the White House indicating that “all options remain on the table.”
Trump’s press team has been clear that military force is not being ruled out as a matter of principle, especially where US national security is concerned.
Meanwhile, European diplomats privately have admitted the tone has shifted. What may have once been looked at as mere rhetorical pressure now appears to be more concrete, particularly after America’s demonstration of reach in Latin America.
Denmark’s invocation of its 1952 rules of engagement underscores how unprepared Europe truly is for a world where US interests may diverge from the EU. It’s worth noting that the order itself was written in an era when leaders understood that survival depended on decisive action.
Greenland’s strategic value is far from theoretical. It hosts critical early-warning and space-surveillance infrastructure, sits astride key Arctic routes, and is increasingly encircled by rival great powers testing the West’s resolve.
Joint statements from European capitals declaring unity ring hollow to many observers. Without the United States, NATO’s deterrent power collapses, and Europe’s declarations amount to paperwork backed by very little force.
Trump, for his part, has been blunt about this imbalance and continues to harp on it. He has repeatedly reminded allies that most NATO states failed for years to meet even minimal defense spending targets, leaving the American taxpayer to shoulder the burden while being scolded for asserting leadership.
The revival and reassertion of Denmark’s shoot-first doctrine reflects a political class suddenly aware that its past assumptions about permanent American guardianship may no longer be based in reality.
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