Danish Veterans Feel “Betrayed” by US Threats to Seize Greenland

More than 15 years ago, Danish platoon commander Martin Tamm Andersen was leading his countrymen and U.S. Marines through southern Afghanistan when his vehicle hit an improvised explosive device. In the chaos that followed, as his soldiers suffered serious injuries, American forces halted their firefight with the Taliban to help secure the site and evacuate the wounded.

At the time, American and Danish troops were comrades in arms who risked their lives for each other in common cause. Today, Andersen can barely believe how the relationship has deteriorated as President Donald Trump escalates threats to seize Greenland, a semiautonomous territory belonging to Denmark.

“When America needed us after 9/11 we were there,” the 46-year-old veteran told The Associated Press. “As a veteran and as a Dane, you feel sad and very surprised that the U.S. wants to take over part of the Kingdom of Denmark. It’s a betrayal of the loyalty of our nation to the U.S. and to our common alliance, NATO.”

Trump has repeatedly stated that the United States must take control of the strategically located and mineral-rich island, and views force as one potential way to acquire it. These threats have shocked Denmark, a nation that has been one of America’s most steadfast allies for decades.

Speaking from the Danish War Museum in Copenhagen, where his damaged armored personnel carrier from Afghanistan is now on display, Andersen described the surreal nature of the situation. “It feels like a bad joke somehow. I mean, you can’t really fathom that this is actually something that is being said out loud. It just seems too crazy.”

Denmark, a founding NATO member since 1949, has been a stalwart ally to America through multiple conflicts. The country suffered 44 casualties in Afghanistan—the highest per capita death toll among coalition forces—and lost eight more soldiers in Iraq. Danish troops served alongside American forces in some of the most dangerous regions of both countries.

For Danish veterans, Trump’s threats feel deeply personal. Søren Knudsen, a veteran who served two tours in Afghanistan, was watching television last year when he heard U.S. Vice President JD Vance say on Fox News that Denmark was “not being a good ally.” Vance accused Denmark of “not doing its job” and argued that the United States needed to take more “territorial interest” in Greenland for the sake of U.S. security.

The 65-year-old Knudsen could not believe what he was hearing. In his Copenhagen home, he keeps a photo of himself with Afghan children in the city of Qalat. At the end of his second tour, U.S. service members gave him an American flag as a parting gift, which he proudly displayed alongside a U.S. Bronze Star honoring his service.

In response to the threats, Knudsen removed both the medal and flag from display and packed them away. He told his wife that he will only take them out of storage when the U.S.-Danish alliance is restored.

“Many veterans who have wounds, whether on their souls or their body, certainly feel this as an offense straight to their heart,” said Knudsen, who serves as deputy president of the Danish Veterans Association. He hears daily from other veterans expressing sorrow and hurt at how the U.S. administration has turned against Denmark.

Danish veterans are particularly angered by how White House rhetoric disregards the right to self-determination of Greenland and Denmark. They also strongly reject Trump’s claim that Denmark is incapable of protecting Western security interests in the Arctic, after fighting alongside U.S. forces in wartime.

Both Andersen and Knudsen understand concerns about security in the region but believe Denmark is ready to continue doing whatever is necessary within the NATO alliance to defend the Arctic. They maintain that the bonds formed with American troops during their service remain strong, and are convinced that their former comrades do not share Trump’s views.

Danes frequently point out that the U.S. already has access to Greenland under a 1951 defense agreement. Northwestern Greenland houses the U.S. Pituffik military base, which falls under the Pentagon’s Space Force. It is the U.S. that has chosen to reduce its military presence in Greenland in recent years, while Denmark and Greenland have indicated they would welcome an increased American military footprint if needed.

However, Trump told The New York Times last week that “ownership gives you things and elements that you can’t get from just signing a document.”

Knudsen’s response is somber: a U.S. invasion of Greenland “would probably bring me to tears.”

“I would be very sorry if it happened, because I would also see this as the final moments of the NATO alliance,” he said. “And I would probably see it as the final moment of my admiration and love of what has been the American experiment for 250 years.”