Guest post: That’s where it blows up
Originally a comment by Dave Ricks at Miscellany Room.
Yesterday (March 19, 2026), the Danish Broadcasting Corporation (DR) reported on the military “exercise” called “Arctic Endurance” in Greenland that started in January 2026, and will continue at a lower level for the rest of the year. I used Google Translate to read these two articles:
The battle for Greenland
Key sources in Denmark and Europe are now telling for the first time what happened in the most critical days when Donald Trump threatened to take Greenland “the hard way”.
The battle for Greenland
It’s one thing to have a marital breakdown, it’s quite another to file for divorce. That’s why “Arctic Endurance” was carefully described as an ‘exercise’.
My quotes are from the first article, which is long and detailed:
• DR explains their sources [italics mine] — “The story is based on 12 central sources at the top of the Danish government, the Armed Forces and central sources in our closest allied countries in Europe, whom DR has spoken to since Donald Trump’s statements about Greenland in December 2024. The information is confirmed by at least two, but typically significantly more, independent sources. The sources assess that the situation around Greenland remains so tense and sensitive that they can only speak anonymously. DR has also verified the information with other sources who have had insight into parts of the process.”
• DR explains the timing [italics mine] — “Eight of DR’s sources describe one triggering factor in particular: the morning of January 3, 2026, when they woke up to the news that the United States had attacked Venezuela and removed the country’s president. That’s where it blows up, says a high-ranking source in the Danish security apparatus. … When Trump keeps saying he wants to take over Greenland, and then what happened in Venezuela happened, we had to take all scenarios seriously, says the source. The source also says that the assessment of the threat of a takeover of Greenland included “the fact that the official US is not functioning as usual”: Trump doesn’t have the same level of people around him as before who would talk him out of it. It’s super dangerous.”
• DR lists five countries involved — “With little delay, an advance command with Danish, French, German, Norwegian and Swedish soldiers was first flown to Nuuk and Kangerlussuaq. Immediately after, a main force followed, including soldiers from the Dragoon Regiment in Holstebro, elite soldiers from the Jægerkorps and French alpine hunters trained for war in cold, mountainous areas. At the same time, Danish fighter planes and a French naval vessel were sent towards the North Atlantic.”
• DR explains the point [italics mine] — “The goal of having soldiers on land in Greenland — with as many different flags on their shoulders as possible — was, according to six of the sources, so that the Americans would be forced to take a major hostile action if Donald Trump actually wanted to occupy Greenland militarily. That should deter the US from even trying. … All this even though none of DR’s sources had any illusions that it would be possible to hold out against an American attack. “The cost to the US would have to be raised. The US would have to carry out a hostile act to get Greenland,” says a high-ranking Danish defense source about the historic defense plan that could have plunged Denmark into conflict with our most important ally since World War II.”
• DR explains their article subtitles about blood and explosives — “For regular military exercises, where the purpose is to train with allies, blood and explosives are not packed, defense sources say. On the contrary, it is part of the procedure when preparing for a possible attack. Several other sources confirm to DR that the dispatch of soldiers to Greenland was about preparing a real defense of the Commonwealth.”
