U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered special forces commanders to develop an invasion plan for Greenland, but faces resistance from senior military officials, Daily Mail reports.
"Sources report that political 'hawks' in the circle of U.S. President, led by political advisor Stephen Miller, are so inspired by the success of the operation to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro that they want to quickly seize the island before Russia or China take any action," the publication writes.
At the same time, British diplomats believe that Trump also wants to distract American voters from the state of the U.S. economy ahead of the midterm elections later this year, after which he may lose control of Congress to the Democrats.
According to sources from the publication, the president has asked the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) to prepare an invasion plan, but the Joint Chiefs of Staff are resisting this on the grounds that it would be illegal and would not be supported by Congress.
"The generals consider Trump's plan for Greenland 'mad and illegal.' Therefore, they are trying to divert his attention with other major military operations. They say it's like dealing with a five-year-old child," one source noted.
At the same time, the generals have tried to distract Trump by proposing less controversial measures, such as intercepting the Russian shadow fleet or striking Iran.
In one diplomatic telegram, the 'worst-case scenario' is described as 'the destruction of NATO from within.'
"Some European officials suspect that this is the true aim of the radical MAGA faction around Trump. Since Congress will not allow Trump to exit NATO, the occupation of Greenland could force Europeans to abandon NATO. If Trump wants to end NATO, this could be the most convenient way to do it," the message states.
European officials fear that for Trump, the window of opportunity before the midterm elections is closing in the summer, so he may start acting sooner. The NATO summit on July 7 seems like a natural time for a compromise agreement.
Trump's Plans for Greenland
Earlier, Politico reported that to obtain Greenland, Trump needs to take just four simple steps: an influence campaign to strengthen the independence movement in Greenland, offer Greenland a favorable deal, engage Europe, and as a last resort, conduct a military invasion.
Additionally, Bloomberg reported that Canada fears it may become Trump's next 'target' after the high-profile operation in Venezuela and recent threats regarding Greenland.
