Danish Veterans of US Wars Decry Trump's Greenland Threats as 'Profound Betrayal'
Danish military veterans who served alongside American forces in Afghanistan and Iraq have voiced their deep distress and sense of betrayal following President Donald Trump's escalating threats to seize Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark. These veterans, who risked their lives in common cause with US troops, describe the rhetoric from the White House as a shocking repudiation of their shared sacrifice and the NATO alliance.
'When America Needed Us, We Were There'
Former platoon commander Martin Tamm Andersen, 46, vividly recalls a harrowing day in 2010 in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. His vehicle, now displayed at the Danish War Museum in Copenhagen, struck an improvised explosive device. "The world turned sand-coloured," he remembered. With soldiers wounded—one with a broken back—Andersen called for help. US Marines halted a firefight with the Taliban to secure the site, treat the injured, and assist with evacuation.
"When America needed us after 9/11 we were there," Andersen stated, his voice heavy with emotion. "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."
A Surreal and Personal Blow
For Danish veterans, the threat feels intensely personal. Denmark, a NATO member since 1949, suffered significant losses in US-led conflicts: forty-four soldiers killed in Afghanistan—the highest per capita toll among coalition forces—and eight more in Iraq. Andersen, who also served in Iraq and lost friends in both wars, believed his service advanced freedom and democracy.
"It feels surreal. It feels like it's a bad joke somehow," Andersen confessed. "You can't really fathom that this is actually something that is being said out loud. It just seems too crazy."
Packing Away Symbols of Friendship
The sense of hurt manifested tangibly for Søren Knudsen, 65, a veteran of two Afghan tours and deputy president of the Danish Veterans Association. Watching US Vice President JD Vance accuse Denmark of "not being a good ally" on Fox News last year, Knudsen was stunned. In his Copenhagen home, he had long displayed a framed American flag—a parting gift from US service members—and a US Bronze Star medal alongside his other military honours.
In anguish, he removed and packed away these symbols. "I told my wife that I would take them out of storage only when the U.S.-Danish alliance is restored," Knudsen revealed. He hears daily from fellow veterans expressing sorrow and offence. "Many veterans who have wounds, whether on their souls or their body, certainly feel this as an offence straight to their heart," he said.
Security Concerns and Existing Agreements
Both Andersen and Knudsen emphasised they understand US security concerns in the Arctic region. However, they strongly object to Trump's assertion that Denmark is incapable of protecting Western interests there. They note the US already has access to Greenland under a 1951 defence agreement, including the Pituffik military base, now part of the US Space Force. Denmark and Greenland have stated they would accommodate an increased American military presence; it is the US that has reduced its footprint in recent years.
"We are convinced that Denmark is ready to continue doing whatever it takes within the NATO alliance to defend the region," Andersen asserted. Both veterans maintain friendships with American comrades; Knudsen's wife is American-born, and his brother-in-law is a US Marine. They believe these individuals do not share Trump's views.
Fear for NATO and a 250-Year Experiment
The initial European shock has evolved into profound sadness and fear for continental security amidst Russian aggression. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has warned that a US seizure of Greenland would mean the end of NATO. Knudsen echoed this grave concern.
"A U.S. invasion of Greenland would probably bring me to tears," Knudsen admitted. "I would be very sorry if it happened, because I would also see this as the final moments of the NATO alliance. 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."
As Trump told The New York Times last week, "ownership gives you things and elements that you can't get from just signing a document." For Danish veterans who once fought shoulder-to-shoulder with Americans, such statements represent not just a geopolitical threat, but a painful rupture in a bond forged in blood and sand.
