Hundreds of Danish veterans, many of whom fought alongside American soldiers, staged a silent protest outside the United States Embassy in Copenhagen on Saturday in response to the Donald Trump administration’s threats to take over Greenland and the belittling of their combat contributions.
– Denmark has always stood by the USA and we appeared in world crisis hot spots whenever America asked for it. We feel betrayed and mocked by the Trump administration, which deliberately ignores Denmark’s combat cooperation with the USA – the organization Danish Veterans & Veteran Support stated in a statement.
– Words cannot describe how much it pains us that the contributions and sacrifices of Denmark in the fight for democracy, peace and freedom are being forgotten in the White House – it is stated in the statement.
The veterans first gathered at a monument dedicated to fallen Danish soldiers, then marched to the nearby US Embassy, where they planned to observe five minutes of silence – one minute each for the Danish army, air force, navy, emergency services and police.
Thousands and thousands of Danish veterans, their families, and supporters are standing together in Copenhagen, protesting Trump’s deeply disrespectful statements and his mockery of the sacrifices made by Danish men and women who fought in US wars. pic.twitter.com/oexmSfzHDR
— Pelle Dragsted (@pelledragsted) January 31, 2026
Danish veterans are outraged by the White House’s rhetoric, which they see as ignoring the right to self-determination of Greenland, a territory of NATO ally Denmark. They also strongly object to Trump’s assertion that Denmark is incapable of protecting Western security interests in the Arctic.
Forty-four Danish soldiers died in Afghanistan, the highest per capita death toll among coalition forces. Another eight Danish soldiers lost their lives in Iraq.
Tensions rose further on Tuesday when 44 Danish flags – one for each Danish soldier killed in Afghanistan – that had been placed outside the embassy were removed by embassy staff.
The US State Department later said that, as a general rule, security personnel remove items left after demonstrations and other “legitimate forms of free expression”. The flags were then returned to those who left them.
(Vijesti.ba)
