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As Donald Trump heads to Davos, Switzerland, there is a chance his takeover of Greenland could be scuppered by his own generals thanks to an old law.
10:14, Wed, Jan 21, 2026 Updated: 11:30, Wed, Jan 21, 2026
Donald Trump could face a mutiny from his own generals if he invades Greenland (Image: Getty)
Donald Trump could face a mutiny by his commanders if he attempts to invade and takeover Greenland thanks to a 75-year-old law.
Since his capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro earlier this month, Trump has become increasingly antagonistic towards Greenland, a sovereign territory of NATO ally Denmark.
But a law from 1951 could see his own generals rebel against him and scupper the 79-year-old US leader's expansionist plans.
The law, that forms part of the 1951 Uniform Code of Military Justice, states that soldiers can refuse an illegal order, which means Trump’s generals could resign if they’re ordered to take Greenland.
This, combined with the fact that each US soldier is allowed a moral conscience under the US Constitution’s First Amendment, complicates what some see as Trump’s imperialist ambitions in the Arctic.
Greenlanders have made their feelings clear (Image: Getty)
The revelation of this law comes ahead of Trump’s appearance at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, an event where he is expected to speak as US planes head to Greenland.
There has been intense speculation surrounding what Trump’s plans are for Greenland - whether he will take it by force, or follow through with his plan to impose sanctions on countries that defy him.
So far, the countries subject to these sanctions are the UK, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Finland. These sanctions, announced earlier this month, will start at 10 percent on all imports into the USA, before rising to 25 percent in June if Greenland has not been purchased by America.
Asked by NBC if he would follow through on these threats, Trump replied that he would and hinted that Europe should spend more time looking east than west.
He said: “I will, 100 percent…. Europe ought to focus on the war with Russia and Ukraine because, frankly, you see what that's gotten them... That's what Europe should focus on - not Greenland.”
Meanwhile, in Greenland, the territory around which this latest Trump-related fracas focusses, there is growing upheaval and anxiety about what the next few months holds for the island.
Last week, the leaders of the five political parties in Greenland issued a joint statement on behalf of the people in which they said Greenlanders didn’t want to join the USA as a state.
They said: “We don’t want to be Americans, we don’t want to be Danish, we want to be Greenlanders. The future of Greenland must be decided by Greenlanders. No other country can meddle in this.
“We must decide our country’s future ourselves – without pressure to make a hasty decision, without procrastination, and without interference from other countries.”
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This statement appeared to be ignored by Trump, who just before heading to Davos on Tuesday evening was asked by a reporter at the White House how far he was willing to go over Greenland.
He replied: “You’ll find out.”
English (US) · 