Trump orders army chiefs to draw up Greenland invasion plans after Maduro capture success

Donald Trump is so keen to get his hands on Greenland he is looking to pay each islander $100k to convince them to join the US, but has also ordered military chiefs to draw up invasion plans

Donald Trump has ordered his military top brass to draw up plans for an invasion of Denmark – but his army chiefs are resisting over fears it would be illegal, it is claimed.

The Orange Manbaby’s inner circle – emboldened by the smash-and-grab capture of Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro last weekend – are said to be pushing to seize the land quickly before Russia or China make a move on the Danish territory.

The US President, 79, is also keen to distract voters from the performance of the American economy before the mid-term elections later this year, according to reports in the Mail On Sunday.

Sources have told the paper that Trump has asked the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) to prepare the invasion plan, despite opposition from European leaders who last week issued a rare rebuke to Trump, saying Greenland “belongs to its people”.

He is said to have been resisted by the joint chiefs of staff on the grounds that it would be illegal and would not be supported by Congress.

They are instead trying to “distract” Trump by steering him towards plans such as intercepting Russian “ghost” ships or launching a strike on Iran, which would be seen as less controversial diplomatically.

Washington officials have dreamt up what they call an “escalatory scenario”, a situation where Trump uses military action or “political coercion” to break Greenland away from Denmark.

The “worst-case” scenario in these exercises led to the “destruction of Nato from the inside”, a diplomatic source said. And they fear this could be the real aim of the Maga hardliners around Trump.

The sourced added: “Since Congress would not allow Trump to exit Nato, occupying Greenland could force the Europeans to abandon Nato. If Trump wants to end Nato, this might be the most convenient way to do it.”

They added: “The generals think Trump’s Greenland plan is crazy and illegal. So they are trying to deflect him with other major military operations. They say it’s like dealing with a five-year-old.”

Last week, US officials revealed the Orange Manbaby is exploring plans to take over Greenland, ranging from buying it to taking it by force.

A White House spokesman said: “The President and his team are discussing a range of options to pursue this important foreign policy goal. Utilising the US military is always an option.”

For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletter by clicking here.