Denmark Unprepared to Resist US Invasion of Greenland, Politico Warns
A potential US invasion of Greenland under a Trump presidency could be a walkover, according to a Politico analysis comparing the military capabilities of the two nations. With a military strength of 17,000 soldiers and a budget of $9.9 billion in the previous year, Denmark would have no chance against the US military, the best-funded in the world, with 1.3 million soldiers.
Moreover, Copenhagen has already transferred most of its heavy military equipment to Ukraine, leaving it with little to defend against a potential US invasion.
“If Trump were to try to fulfill his threat and take Greenland by force, it would be the shortest war in the world” said Ulrik Pram Gad, a leading researcher at the Danish Institute for International Studies, as cited by Politico.
Denmark has no defense capabilities that could resist a US invasion, and the US would have the upper hand, Pram Gad noted.
While some Danish coast guard ships do operate in southern Greenland, they are not equipped with the necessary software to engage in combat, as the software was not purchased and installed, according to press reports.
Pram Gad expressed confusion over Trump’s intentions, saying, “Is this a joke? Is this a threat of a threat between allies? We don’t really know, but this will be the modus operandi for the next four years.”
Although it is unclear which country would win in a war, Denmark might have a better chance in a legal sense, Politico reported. Copenhagen could investigate whether the EU is obligated to defend Greenland, whether it can rely on NATO common defense agreements, and what obligations Washington has under the 1951 treaty, which allowed the US to establish military bases in Greenland because Denmark could not defend the island itself.
Trump has repeatedly stated that regaining control over Greenland is an “absolute necessity for national security” and promised to “make Greenland great again” if it were to join the US. According to CNN, Trump’s advisors have warned Danish officials that the president-elect has serious intentions regarding Greenland.