India, Jan. 9 -- Denmark's defence ministry has confirmed that its soldiers have the authority to act immediately if the United States or any other country attempts to invade Greenland. Under a long-standing rule, troops are allowed to open fire first and seek orders later.

This policy comes from a 1952 Cold War-era directive. It instructs Danish forces to shoot without waiting for commands if a foreign power threatens any Danish territory. The defence ministry shared this with Danish newspaper Berlingske.

The rule was created after Nazi Germany invaded Denmark in April 1940, when communication systems broke down and the country was caught off guard. Because of that experience, Denmark kept this emergency order in place, and it still ap...