Donald Trump has ordered special forces commanders to prepare plans for an invasion of Greenland, but the proposal is facing resistance from senior military figures, The Mail on Sunday understands.Sources said policy hawks around the US President, led by political adviser Stephen Miller, feel emboldened by the reported success of the operation to detain Venezuela’s leader, Nicolás Maduro. They are said to want swift action to secure the island before Russia or China takes steps of its own.

British diplomats believe Trump is also driven by a wish to divert voters’ attention from the state of the US economy ahead of the mid-term elections later this year, after which he could lose control of Congress to the Democrats.

Such a move would place him in direct conflict with Sir Keir Starmer and would, in effect, bring about the collapse of Nato.

Sources divulged that the president asked the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) to prepare an invasion plan. The proposal has met opposition from the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who argue that it would be unlawful and would not receive congressional backing.

One source said efforts had been made to divert Trump’s attention towards less contentious options, including intercepting Russian “ghost ships” — a covert fleet of vessels used by Moscow to bypass Western sanctions — or considering military action against Iran.

Diplomats have conducted war games around what they describe as an “escalatory scenario”, in which Trump uses force or political pressure to break Greenland’s ties with Denmark.

One diplomatic cable terms a worst-case outcome that results in “the destruction of Nato from within”.

It adds that some European officials suspect this is the underlying objective of the hardline Maga faction around Trump. Since Congress would not permit a US withdrawal from Nato, the occupation of Greenland could compel European states to abandon the alliance.

“If Trump wants to end Nato, this may be the most convenient route,” the cable says.

Under a ‘compromise scenario’, Denmark would grant the United States full military access to Greenland while denying access to Russia and China.

• OIC meeting held after Israel’s announcement to recognise “Somaliland”.
• Decision sets dangerous precedent under international law: secy general.
• Organisation warns against cooperation in Palestinian displacement schemes.

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has strongly condemned and categorically rejected Israel’s decision to recognise the so-called “Somaliland” as an independent state, calling the move a blatant violation of the sovereignty, national unity, territorial integrity, and internationally recognised borders of the Federal Republic of Somalia.

The condemnation was issued during the 22nd Extraordinary Session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers, held on Saturday at the headquarters of the OIC General Secretariat in Jeddah. The emergency meeting was convened to discuss the serious developments in Somalia following Israel’s announcement on December 26, 2025.

Addressing the opening session, OIC Secretary General Hissein Brahim Taha said the meeting was taking place at an extremely delicate and sensitive time. He said that Israel’s recognition of the so-called “Somaliland” region constitutes a dangerous precedent, a flagrant violation of international law, and a direct threat to regional security and stability in the Horn of Africa.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar represented Pakistan during the meeting, which also passed two resolutions — one to condemn Israel’s recognition of Somaliland and another against schemes for the displacement of Palestinians from their land.

In its strongly worded resolution, the OIC affirmed its full and unwavering support for the sovereignty of the Federal Republic of Somalia and expressed strong solidarity with the Somali government and people.

The organisation reiterated its absolute rejection of any actions or measures that could undermine Somalia’s unity, territorial integrity, or sovereignty over its entire territory.

The OIC stressed that Israel’s action constitutes a flagrant violation of international law, the United Nations Charter, and the fundamental principle of respect for state sovereignty and territorial integrity.

It warned that the move poses a direct threat to peace and security in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea region, with potentially dangerous implications for regional and international peace.

Reaffirming its long-standing position, the OIC emphasised that the so-called “Somaliland” is an integral and inseparable part of the Federal Republic of Somalia and does not possess any independent international legal status.

The resolution read that any attempt to separate or recognise “Somaliland” represents blatant interference in Somalia’s internal affairs and a direct affront to its unity and sovereignty.

The organisation also strongly condemned what it described as an illegal visit carried out on January 6, 2026, by an Israeli official to Somaliland, asserting that the visit constituted a serious violation of Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Additionally, the OIC categorically rejected any illegal foreign military, security, or intelligence presence on Somali territory, particularly any Israeli presence.

It stressed that attempts to establish military bases, security arrangements, strategic investments, or any foreign presence without the approval of Somalia’s legitimate federal government are an assault on national sovereignty and a “red line that cannot be crossed.”

The OIC called on its member states, as well as international and regional organisations, to refrain from any form of official or quasi-official engagement with “Somaliland” authorities outside the framework of Somalia’s national sovereignty.

In another resolution, the organisation also warned against any cooperation with Israeli schemes to forcibly displace the Palestinian people, stating that such cooperation would amount to complicity in crimes and serious violations of international and humanitarian law.

The OIC categorically rejected any scheme and attempts to displace Palestinians from their land, including in Gaza.

The organisation urged its secretary general to engage the UN Security Council, the UN General Assembly, and the UN secretary general to highlight the gravity of Israel’s actions and called on the international community, particularly permanent members of the UNSC, to uphold their legal and moral responsibilities to protect international peace and security in the Horn of Africa.

• White House says move aimed at advancing foreign policy.
• Order follows Trump’s meeting with top US oil executives.
• Fact sheet says US president preventing revenue seizure.
  

US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order protecting US-held money derived from sales of Venezuelan oil, after the ouster of Nicolas Maduro, the White House said.

In an order signed Friday, Trump — who has made clear that tapping Venezuela’s vast oil reserves was a key goal in the US ouster of Maduro — is acting “to advance US foreign policy objectives,” the White House said in a fact sheet accompanying the order.

The action follows a meeting Friday in Washington where Trump pressed top oil executives to invest in Venezuela, and was met with a cautious reception — with the chief executive of ExxonMobil describing the country as “uninvestable” without sweeping reforms.

ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips exited in 2007 after refusing demands by then-president Hugo Chavez to cede majority control to the state. They have been fighting to recoup billions of dollars they say Venezuela owes them.

Chevron is currently the only US firm licensed to operate in Venezuela.

Trump’s executive order signed Friday declares a national emergency “to safeguard Venezuelan oil revenue held in US Treasury accounts from attachment or judicial process,” the White House fact sheet said.

In effect, it places those revenues under special protection in order to prevent them from being seized by courts or creditors. The action is decreed to be necessary for US national security and foreign policy.

“President Trump is preventing the seizure of Venezuelan oil revenue that could undermine critical US efforts to ensure economic and political stability in Venezuela,” the fact sheet said.

Sanctioned by Washington since 2019, Venezuela sits on about a fifth of the world’s oil reserves and was once a major crude supplier to the United States.

But it produced only around 1% of the world’s total crude output in 2024, according to OPEC, having been hampered by years of underinvestment, sanctions and embargoes.

Trump sees the country’s massive oil reserves as a windfall in his fight to further lower US domestic fuel prices.

The executive order comes one week after US forces seized authoritarian leader Maduro in a nighttime operation in the Venezuelan capital that killed dozens of Venezuelan and Cuban security forces.