Jared Evan

(Jewish Voice News) Denmark has issued its starkest warning yet: any foreign invasion of Greenland will be met with immediate military force — no hesitation, no waiting for political approval. The declaration, delivered by Denmark’s Defense Ministry, signals just how alarmed Copenhagen has become as President Donald Trump continues to openly float the possibility of the United States seizing the strategic Arctic territory.

The ministry told Danish outlet Berlingske that under long-standing military rules of engagement, Danish troops would be required to counter any invasion instantly, without awaiting further orders. As The Associated Press noted, the policy stems from a 1952 Cold War–era directive that remains fully in force. The rule instructs soldiers to “immediately take up the fight” in the event of an attack — even if commanders are unaware that a formal state of war has been declared.

That doctrine, designed for sudden Soviet incursions during the Cold War, has suddenly snapped back into relevance as European leaders confront Trump’s repeated assertions that Greenland is vital to U.S. national security. Denmark’s defense ministry stressed Wednesday that any violation of Greenland’s territory would automatically trigger a military response, according to AP reporting.

The warning comes as Denmark’s European allies rush to present a united front. France, Germany, Poland, and other NATO partners have publicly rallied behind Copenhagen, emphasizing that Greenland’s sovereignty is not negotiable. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said Paris is coordinating closely with European partners to shape a collective response, telling France Inter radio that Europe wants to act “together,” not unilaterally.

Barrot also sought to tamp down fears of imminent U.S. military action, saying U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio had “discarded” the idea that Greenland could face an intervention similar to the recent U.S. operation targeting Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, according to European media accounts.

Still, anxiety remains high. Finnish lawmaker Johannes Koskinen, who chairs Finland’s parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee, called for the issue to be urgently raised at NATO, noting that while Greenland is not an independent NATO member, it is fully covered under Denmark’s alliance obligations. The NATO North Atlantic Council is expected to meet as early as Thursday.

Rubio confirmed Wednesday that he plans to meet Danish officials next week at the request of both Denmark and Greenland’s foreign ministers, signaling that diplomatic channels remain open. Meanwhile, Bloomberg reported that U.S. officials are scrambling to assemble business deals and economic incentives to deepen American engagement with Greenland, citing people familiar with the discussions.

Both Denmark and Greenland have repeatedly and unequivocally rejected the idea that the island is for sale.

Greenland, home to just 57,000 people, has occupied Trump’s imagination since at least 2019, when he first floated the idea of purchasing the territory. Vice President JD Vance defended the administration’s position this week on Fox News, arguing that Denmark has failed to ensure Greenland can function as a “global security anchor.” He claimed the territory is essential not only to U.S. security, but to missile defense for the entire Western world.

Yet inside the United States, public support for such ambitions is thin. A YouGov poll cited by European outlets found that just 8% of Americans support using military force to seize Greenland, with 73% opposed. Even the idea of purchasing the territory fared poorly, drawing support from only 28% of respondents.

The White House has insisted that Trump would prefer diplomacy, but officials have refused to rule out military action — a stance that has only intensified European unease.

That unease exploded into coordinated political action this week, as POLITICO reported that eight of Europe’s most powerful leaders formally rallied to defend Greenland’s sovereignty. In a joint statement, they declared that Arctic security must be achieved collectively through NATO and in full respect of international law and the will of Greenland’s people.

The statement was signed by Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, with additional backing from leaders in the Netherlands, Greece, Luxembourg, and Slovenia, POLITICO reported.

Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever echoed the message, warning that the West is strongest when it stands united. “Not when it divides itself,” he wrote in a public statement supporting Denmark’s position.

Greenland’s government has since requested an urgent meeting with Secretary Rubio to address what it called Washington’s “significant statements” about the Arctic territory. Prime Minister Frederiksen also met with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to discuss Arctic security, thanking Canada for its “strong support” of Denmark amid the escalating standoff.

The diplomatic push followed Trump’s latest remarks doubling down on his claim that the U.S. “needs” Greenland — comments that came on the heels of a controversial American operation targeting Venezuela. White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller further inflamed tensions by questioning Denmark’s claim to the territory, while Trump himself mocked Copenhagen’s security efforts, sneering that Denmark had contributed little more than “one more dog sled.”

For Denmark and its allies, the message is now unmistakable: Greenland is not a bargaining chip — and any attempt to take it by force would trigger immediate resistance and a potentially historic rupture within NATO itself.