Trump's threats raise alarm, NATO discusses deploying troops to Greenland

NATO countries discussed deploying troops to Greenland in response to Donald Trump's threat to use the US military to seize the Danish island.

It is learned that Germany was among dozens of European allies thought to have held informal talks on "what NATO troops would do" if the US president carried out his threats.

Questions were even raised about whether Article 5, the Western military alliance's mutual defense clause, could be used in the event of a US invasion of another NATO member state.

This comes after Trump began his second term in the White House openly considering a forcible takeover of Greenland, an autonomous part of Denmark.

The US president has said it would be an "unfriendly act" if Copenhagen refuses to give up the Arctic island, as Russia and China both push to strengthen their presence in the area.

"Berlin does not want to send troops to Ukraine because the situation is 'very unclear', but it is not ruling out sending NATO troops to Greenland," a NATO diplomat said.

Otherwise, Trump's remarks have caused division among European nations on how to respond without triggering a transatlantic crisis, writes yahoonews, the Telegraph reports.

Scholz has been Europe's most vocal critic of Trump on Greenland, declaring that "borders should not be moved by force" as an international principle.

But Mette Frederiksen, the Danish prime minister, has urged allies not to respond to the US president to avoid exacerbating current tensions.

She has welcomed US security concerns over the Arctic and promised to increase Denmark's military presence in Greenland, but insisted the island is not for sale.

Frederiksen has reportedly embarked on a European tour to privately secure the support of EU member states and NATO allies, including a stop at Downing Street for talks with Keir Starmer.

Denmark has also revealed plans to spend $1.5 billion on two new inspection ships, two drones and two patrol boats to increase security on the island.

It has promised to upgrade an airfield to allow F-35 fighter jets to operate from Greenland.

Meanwhile, France and Germany have openly declared sending European troops to join the Americans already stationed there, but some European leaders have suggested organizing a more powerful "fight" against the American president's proposals.

In discussions inside NATO headquarters in Brussels, member states have pondered whether Article 5, which states that a military attack on one ally is considered an attack on all, could be used if Trump contemplates an invasion of Greenland.

However, the option was quickly ruled out because it would require the unanimous support of 32 NATO member states, including the US.

Mutual defense has only been triggered once in the history of the alliance, after the September 11 attacks in America.

While Article 4, which allows a capital to initiate urgent consultations if its “territorial integrity, political independence or security” is threatened, was seen as a more appropriate measure. /Telegraph/