Donald Trump
AFP News

When a sitting president instructs his military to draw up invasion plans for a NATO ally's territory, alarm bells should ring loudly across the Western world. Yet that is precisely what has transpired behind closed doors at the Pentagon, according to multiple sources who have expressed deep concern about the geopolitical ramifications.

President Donald Trump has allegedly ordered elite military planners to prepare contingency plans for a potential military operation against Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark, marking an extraordinary escalation in his expansionist rhetoric. The directive, reportedly issued to the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), has triggered significant consternation among senior military leaders and Western diplomats alike.

Sources familiar with the discussions reveal that Trump instructed military planners to draw up plans to seize the Arctic island, though the joint chiefs of staff have reportedly resisted the proposal, arguing that such an operation would be illegal and would lack the necessary congressional support required to authorise military action. The tension between the commander-in-chief and America's highest-ranking military officers reflects a fundamental constitutional crisis waiting to happen.

The push appears to be driven by hardline advisers surrounding the president, most notably Stephen Miller, who have grown increasingly emboldened following the recent operation targeting Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.

Officials believe this faction is intent on acting quickly to secure Greenland before Russia or China can expand their influence in the strategically vital Arctic region. What was once dismissed as campaign rhetoric has apparently evolved into something far more concrete and concerning.

Why Generals Fear Constitutional Collapse

The implications extend far beyond simple military strategy. British diplomats believe Trump may also be motivated by domestic political pressures, particularly concerns about the US economy ahead of the mid-term elections, when Republicans could potentially lose control of Congress.

A military operation overseas, they suggest, could serve as a convenient distraction from economic difficulties at home. The cynicism of such a calculation would be staggering if true.

Such a military action would carry catastrophic diplomatic consequences, potentially placing Trump in direct conflict with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and fundamentally threatening the future of NATO itself. The very foundation of post-war Western security architecture could crumble.

Diplomatic cables reviewed by multiple outlets have outlined what officials describe as an 'escalatory scenario', in which Trump uses military force or political pressure to sever Greenland's ties with Denmark entirely. One cable warns ominously that the outcome could be 'the destruction of NATO from the inside'.

European officials have begun discussing a darker possibility. Some suspect that dismantling NATO may actually be the real objective of the hardline faction surrounding Trump.

Since Congress would not permit Trump to simply withdraw from NATO, the cable suggests, occupying Greenland could force European nations to abandon the alliance in response. 'If Trump wants to end NATO, this might be the most convenient way to do it,' the diplomatic analysis states with chilling clarity.

Attempts are reportedly being made to redirect Trump's attention towards less controversial military operations. Sources indicate that advisers have tried to distract him by discussing the interception of Russian 'ghost' ships — a clandestine network of hundreds of vessels operated by Moscow to evade Western sanctions — or launching a strike on Iran. These alternatives, while hardly benign, would at least preserve the transatlantic alliance.

Finding Compromise in Arctic Politics

Diplomatic channels have begun exploring what officials are calling an alternative 'compromise scenario'. Under this framework, Denmark would grant the United States full military access to Greenland while explicitly denying entry to Russia and China.

Such an arrangement would address legitimate American security concerns in the Arctic without the seismic shock of military invasion or forced territorial acquisition. Yet the military establishment remains deeply sceptical about whether such compromise will gain traction.

One diplomatic source captured the frustration bluntly: 'The generals think Trump's Greenland plan is crazy and illegal. So they are trying to deflect him with other major military operations. They say it's like dealing with a five-year-old'.

The assessment is damning. America's highest-ranking military officers appear to believe they are managing the impulses of someone lacking the maturity or understanding necessary for the office he holds.

Whether diplomatic pressure, constitutional constraints, or the sheer weight of military resistance can prevent this scenario from escalating further remains profoundly uncertain. The coming weeks will test whether democratic institutions can withstand the pressures now being placed upon them.