Denmark considered destroying Greenland runways amid fears of US attack

Denmark is reported to have quietly prepared to blow up its own runways in Greenland – as European allies rushed troops north – amid fears that the United States might attempt to seize the Arctic territory by force in January.

According to reporting by Danish national broadcaster DR, citing multiple senior sources in Copenhagen and across Europe, Danish forces deployed to Greenland in January 2026 carried explosives intended to destroy key airstrips in Nuuk and Kangerlussuaq, in order to deny access to any incoming US military aircraft in a worst-case scenario.