Danish troops were combat ready in Greenland: report

Copenhagen: Troops sent to Greenland by Copenhagen were ordered to be combat ready in case the United States attacked the autonomous Danish territory, Danish public broadcaster DR reported on Friday.

US President Donald Trump backed down on threats to seize Greenland by force after meeting NATO chief Mark Rutte on Wednesday, saying he had reached a "framework" of a deal on the Arctic island.

Prior to that, Trump had not ruled out the use of force, insisting that the US needed Greenland for "national security".


DR said a Danish military order last week said soldiers in Greenland should be equipped with live ammunition.

It also outlined a multi-phase operation that included the possibility of sending additional forces and assets later, if needed.

Civilian and military aircraft then began transporting soldiers and equipment to Greenland, according to DR.

The deployment was officially a part of the Danish-led military exercise Arctic Endurance -- which Copenhagen has said will continue "throughout large parts of the coming year."

A few days after Trump announced that the United States would get Greenland "one way or the other", eight European countries sent several dozen troops to Greenland, officially to prepare for the exercise.

Some have since departed, including a group of about 15 Germans and some Swedes, while others continue to arrive.

DR also reported wide political support, both from the Danish government and the opposition, to take up the fight in case of a US attack.

Speaking to reporters Friday, Danish Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen declined to comment on the report.