First Minister John Swinney is under mounting pressure to explicitly prohibit the United States military from using Scottish Government-owned airports as potential launchpads for any attack on Greenland.
Greens Warn Against Complicity in US Aggression
The calls came during a tense session of First Minister's Questions at the Scottish Parliament on Thursday 15 January 2026. Gillian Mackay, the co-leader of the Scottish Greens, issued a stark warning, urging Scotland not to become "complicit" in any American military action against its Nordic allies.
Mackay directly challenged the SNP leader, asking him to commit to banning the US military from accessing all publicly-owned Scottish infrastructure, including airports, should they initiate operations against Greenland. This demand is rooted in escalating anxieties over former US President Donald Trump's renewed and intensified rhetoric regarding Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark.
Precedent Set by Recent Military Operation
The political urgency stems from a recent incident where the US military utilised Wick John O'Groats Airport in the Highlands. Assisted by UK forces, US special operations aircraft landed at the Scottish Government-owned facility during a mission to seize a Venezuelan-linked oil tanker, the Bella 1, in the North Atlantic.
This operation was a direct follow-on from the US attack on Venezuela, which resulted in the capture of President Nicolas Maduro. Trump stated at the time that America would run Venezuela until a "safe, proper and judicious transition" could be secured.
With Trump now openly refusing to rule out the use of military force to annex Greenland, European leaders are on high alert. The precedent of using Scottish infrastructure for overseas interventions has raised specific alarms in Holyrood.
Swinney's Response and the International Rules-Based Order
In his response, First Minister John Swinney emphasised his longstanding belief in the international rules-based system as the foundation for global peace and stability. He stated that any use of Scottish Government-controlled infrastructure must be "consistent with the international rules-based system for the arrangements between countries."
"I will ensure that is the case as First Minister," Swinney asserted, adding that he stands with the international community in protecting the right of the Greenlandic people to determine their own future.
However, Gillian Mackay criticised this response as unacceptably vague, arguing that clear, unambiguous guarantees are needed. The exchange highlights the delicate balance the Scottish Government must strike in managing defence and foreign policy considerations within the devolved settlement, especially when US military ambitions threaten to embroil Scottish assets in controversial actions.
The situation places Swinney in a challenging diplomatic and constitutional position, requiring him to defend Scottish interests and international law amid unpredictable global power plays.
