Amid the ongoing conflict involving Iran, reports suggest that the United States is facing increasing diplomatic isolation, with criticism emerging not only from political circles and sections of the public at home but also from some of its traditional allies abroad. According to a report by Denmark’s public broadcaster DR, Danish authorities secretly prepared contingency plans for a potential confrontation with US forces in Greenland several weeks before the conflict escalated. The report claimed that Danish military planners considered measures such as disabling airport runways to prevent American aircraft from landing and stockpiled blood supplies in preparation for possible casualties.
DR cited 12 senior sources from the Danish government, military establishment and allied European countries, stating that the operation was conducted under strict secrecy. According to the report, France, Germany, Norway and Sweden assisted Denmark in these preparations. Small military contingents from some of these countries were reportedly deployed to Greenland’s capital, Nuuk, and to Kangerlussuaq Airport, while Danish aircraft and a French naval vessel were positioned in the North Atlantic. Although the deployment was officially linked to military exercises known as “Operation Arctic Endurance,” the report claimed the broader objective was to deter any potential US military action.
The report linked these preparations to repeated statements by US President Donald Trump expressing interest in acquiring or taking control of Greenland, which remains a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark. Despite both countries being members of NATO, Trump had frequently argued that Greenland was strategically important for American security and raised concerns about Russian and Chinese activities in the region. Tensions reportedly intensified after a US military operation in Venezuela earlier in the year, after which Trump suggested that Greenland could be addressed within a matter of months.
According to DR, Danish and European officials took those comments seriously enough to begin planning for a range of possible scenarios. One Danish security source reportedly said that the developments in Venezuela, combined with Trump’s repeated remarks about Greenland, made it necessary to consider every possibility. European officials quoted in media reports said that several major European military powers quietly aligned themselves with Denmark’s position during that period.
The revelations prompted criticism in the United States. Congressman Mike Levin described the reported preparations as extraordinary, arguing that the fact that close NATO allies felt compelled to prepare for a potential conflict with the US reflected a significant deterioration in trust. He warned that strained relations with allies could leave America more isolated and potentially benefit geopolitical rivals such as Russia and China.
The report also suggested that some NATO allies and other US partners were reluctant to support Washington’s position in the Middle East. According to the article, European governments declined requests to back American operations in the Persian Gulf, while countries such as Japan and Australia chose not to deploy naval assets despite disruptions caused by tensions around the Strait of Hormuz. Critics of US policy have argued that the conflict was driven by decisions made in Washington and supported by Israel, while several traditional allies preferred to stay out of the confrontation.
Although Trump later stated at the World Economic Forum in Davos that he did not intend to use force in Greenland and instead favoured negotiations, the report argued that concerns among allies had already emerged by that point. It concluded that developments surrounding Greenland and the conflict with Iran have contributed to perceptions among some allies that US foreign policy has become increasingly unpredictable.
