ISTANBUL

Danish soldiers have been preparing for a possible US attack on Greenland amid President Donald Trump's takeover threats, broadcaster DR reported Thursday, citing sources in Denmark, France, and Germany.

When Danish soldiers were flown to Greenland in January, they reportedly brought explosives to destroy key runways and blood supplies to treat the wounded in a bid to prepare to block a possible US takeover.

A top French official told DR that the Greenland crisis made Europe realize that they need to be able to take care of their own security.

Shortly after Donald Trump’s election, Denmark reportedly sought political support from France, Germany, and Nordic capitals to form a European alliance defending Greenland against US takeover.

"The political leadership, the Defense and the security apparatus in Denmark decided to 'play the game'," the French official said.

The Danish government was reported to have accelerated the deployment of its soldiers to Greenland in early January, especially after the US military intervention in Venezuela.

"When Trump keeps saying he wants to take over Greenland, and then what happened in Venezuela happened, we had to take all scenarios seriously," a source told DR.

Sources also noted that if the US attempted an attack, Danish soldiers would carry ammunition and engage in combat, while the F‑35 fighter jets that rushed north were also heavily armed.

"I grew up during the Cold War, and sometimes I wish I could go back to the relatively stable time when world leaders knew how far they could go without triggering the worst-case scenario," a German official further told DR.

A French official underscored that Europe must "relearn the grammar of power" and should not count on military support from the US.

In recent months, Trump has renewed his interest in US control over Greenland, citing national security concerns about Russia and China. He threatened sanctions against European countries that opposed the move.

Trump later withdrew the threats after his meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, saying they had established a framework for a potential agreement involving Greenland and the broader Arctic region, followed by talks between the US, Denmark, and Greenland.