Trump to invade Greenland soon? US President orders military to prepare attack plans for the Arctic island, but...

US President Donald Trump has reportedly ordered his special forces commanders to draw up plans for an invasion of Greenland, but has met resistance from senior military figures.

According to a report by The Daily Mail, which cited military sources in the know, Trump has ordered the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) to draw up invasion plans for the Arctic island, but the joint chiefs of staff have pushed back against the US President, arguing that such a move would be illegal and would not receive the support of the Congress.

Policy 'hawks' around Trump, led by Stephen Miller, are largely behind this rush to move forward with a Greenland invasion, The Mail reported, saying that some of the president's advisors have become emboldened by the swift success of US military operations in Venezuela to capture President Nicolas Maduro.

The rush by Trump's advisor's to take Greenland is also reportedly to stop Russia or China from making a move, reported the publication.

What we know about Trump's plans for Greenland

Citing sources, The Mail reported that generals were trying to “distract” Trump by offering less controversial alternatives, such as attacking Russia's ghost ships that Moscow operates to evade Western sanctions or launching strikes against Iran, where anti-government protests have taken hold.

The concern among senior military leadership is not just with regards to Congress' approval—leaders are reportedly also worried that an attack on Greenland would compromise Washington's relationship with its allies, such as the UK and the European Union, and would lead to an implosion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

“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,” the publication quoted a diplomatic source as saying.

The Mail further reported citing diplomatic cables that Trump administration officials are war-gaming two scenarios, an ‘escalatory scenario’ and a ‘compromise scenario'.

The first, which has been described as the 'worst-case' scenario as leading to ‘the destruction of NATO from the inside’, involves Trump using military force or political coercion to sever Greenland's ties with Denmark and occupy it.

On the possibility of this, The Mail cited a cable as saying, “Some European officials suspect this is the real aim of the hardline MAGA faction around Trump. 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.”

The second scenario of compromise involves a situation where Denmark gives the US full military access to Greenland while denying Russia and China the same—while the US military already has a base on the Arctic island, the Pituffik Space Base, Trump had earlier called for ownership, saying, “Countries have to have ownership and you defend ownership, you don't defend leases. And we'll have to defend Greenland.”

Diplomats also believe that if Trump is pushing for a compromise, he will aim to get it done by summer, before preparations get fully underway for the US mid-term elections in November.

“European officials fear that, for Trump, the window of opportunity before the mid-terms is closing in the summer, therefore action is expected sooner rather than later. The NATO summit on July 7 seems like the natural timing for a compromise deal,” The Mail quoted a diplomatic cable as saying.

The publication, citing diplomatic sources, also reported that the UK's position would be key as the situation continues to develop, and it remains to be seen whether the Keir Starmer-led government sides with European allies or jumps ship to back Trump.