Trump orders special forces to draft Greenland invasion plan —UK Sunday Daily Mail report

Summary:

• Daily Mail reports Trump has ordered US special forces to prepare invasion plans for Greenland.

• Senior US military leaders are resisting the plan, calling it illegal and lacking congressional backing.

• Advisers led by Stephen Miller are said to be pushing the idea after the Venezuela operation.

• British diplomats see a possible political motive ahead of US mid-term elections.

• European officials warn extreme scenarios could fracture NATO.

For markets:

• Escalatory Greenland rhetoric raises geopolitical tail risks in the Arctic region.

• Any strain on NATO cohesion would be negative for European security confidence.

• Heightened geopolitical uncertainty typically supports safe-haven assets.

• FX volatility could rise if US-Europe relations deteriorate.

• Energy and defence sectors may see increased risk-premium pricing.

The UK’s Sunday Daily Mail reported that US President Donald Trump has instructed his top special forces commanders to draw up contingency plans for the invasion of Greenland, a move that senior US military leaders are reportedly resisting. According to sources cited by The Mail on Sunday, advisers close to Trump, particularly political strategist Stephen Miller, have been emboldened by the recent operation to capture Venezuela’s leader Nicolás Maduro, and want to act quickly to seize the Arctic island before Russia or China can make a move.

British diplomatic sources believe Trump may also be driven by domestic political motives, hoping a dramatic foreign-policy action could distract American voters from weak economic performance ahead of this year’s mid-term elections. However, the plan has alarmed senior military figures, with the Joint Chiefs of Staff reportedly pushing back on the grounds that an invasion would be illegal and lack congressional support.

One insider told the paper that generals are attempting to divert Trump’s focus toward “less controversial measures,” such as countering alleged Russian “ghost ships” or a potential strike on Iran, likening the effort to dealing with “a five-year-old.”

Diplomats have reportedly war-gamed a range of scenarios, from “escalatory” use of force or coercion to sever Greenland’s ties with Denmark, to a “compromise scenario” in which Denmark grants the US expanded military access while formally barring Russia and China. A diplomatic cable cited by The Mail warned the most extreme scenario could “lead to the destruction of NATO from the inside.”

According to the cable, hardline figures around Trump may see occupying Greenland as a way to force European NATO members into abandoning the alliance, since Congress would not allow the president to unilaterally withdraw the United States from NATO. Under the compromise approach, Denmark would let the US expand legal military rights on the island — rights it already enjoys in practice — potentially aligning Greenland with Washington’s strategic goals.

European officials reportedly believe the window for action is narrowing ahead of the mid-term elections, and have pointed to the upcoming NATO summit as a possible moment to cement a deal. A diplomatic source told the Daily Mail that British positioning will be key, noting that UK support for Europe could shape how allies respond to Trump’s proposals. Generals, meanwhile, are said to consider Trump’s Greenland plan “crazy and illegal” and are trying to distract him with other military priorities.