There are moments in historical past which are troublesome to neglect, which change the course of occasions. Danes have skilled a number of such moments in the previous few months, however to me, probably the most defining one occurred a couple of weeks in the past, when Vice President JD Vance stated Denmark is “not being a superb ally” to america.
Danes have been surprised and stung. Our nation has been nothing lower than a stalwart ally of America. Many people felt as if we have been shedding a longtime good friend — nearly as if a brother have been abandoning us: The USA has been Denmark’s closest ally for 80 years. We now have adopted American presidents into wars that many Danes felt weren’t ours to battle.
For the reason that finish of World Conflict II, america and Denmark have had a robust partnership — each international locations are founding members of NATO. Since 1949, NATO’s Article 5 precept of collective protection has been on the coronary heart of this partnership, making a safer world for us all. The one time Article 5 has ever been invoked was on Sept. 12, 2001. Lower than 24 hours after the terrorist assault on america, its European and Canadian allies stood as much as help People.
Hundreds of Danish troops went on to serve in Iraq and Afghanistan after Sept. 11. Greater than 50 of them died. That isn’t a small quantity, particularly in a rustic of solely six million folks. Denmark misplaced roughly as many service members per capita in Afghanistan as america did.
In 2011, Danish pilots flew missions in Libya alongside U.S. and different NATO forces. When America has referred to as, Denmark has stepped up.
Anger and grief prevail after we take into consideration what to say now to the Danish dad and mom who misplaced their kids in these wars. How are those that have sacrificed what’s most pricey to them purported to interpret the notion that Denmark isn’t a superb ally?
It hasn’t at all times been straightforward to elucidate to the Danish folks why they need to be concerned in American-led wars, however general, we perceive the significance of alliances and cherish our partnership with america.
I perceive that modifications in American political management deliver modifications in coverage — that’s the proper of any administration. If President Trump has considerations about safety within the Arctic, after all, our international locations ought to work collectively to deal with them. However that isn’t the identical as suggesting that Denmark is failing to uphold its commitments in Greenland or wherever else. And it’s not a pretext for America buying Greenland, because the president has steered.
It is usually true that Denmark and different European international locations have lengthy lived below the safety of the U.S. navy, within the sense that america has invested extra in its personal protection than the remainder of us. And it’s true that it took us too lengthy to do what a number of American presidents had urged us to do: spend extra on our personal safety.
It took a warfare on our continent to make us understand that peace can by no means be taken with no consideration. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Denmark has been the second-largest donor of weapons and assist to Ukraine as a share of G.D.P. and among the many largest donors in complete. Right this moment, Denmark invests over 2 p.c of our G.D.P. in protection — above the NATO guideline — and in each 2025 and 2026, we are going to spend greater than 3 p.c.
As our international minister, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, said in March: “We are going to shoulder our share of the duty. Nobody ought to doubt that.”
In Greenland, Denmark has invested billions to assist present authorities providers. It’s unfair to say, because the vp did final month, that Danes “have underinvested within the folks of Greenland.”
He might have a degree when he stated that now we have underinvested in Greenland’s safety. However on this regard, we don’t bear the duty alone. In relation to the navy protection of the Arctic, NATO acknowledges that it’s a shared duty.
And america, too, performs a particular position on this. Within the 1951 Greenland protection settlement between america and Denmark, america has had nearly limitless entry to put money into protection amenities in Greenland. On this settlement, the governments of america and the Kingdom of Denmark acknowledge “their respective and joint duties in Greenland, in accordance with NATO plans.”
All of us might have accomplished higher. Within the post-World Conflict II period, there have been over a dozen American navy installations in Greenland. Right this moment, just one American base stays, with round 150 everlasting personnel — the Pituffik House Base, which Mr. Vance lately visited. The Danish navy presence isn’t strong both. However as Mr. Rasmussen stated final month in a publish on X: “We respect that america wants a larger navy presence in Greenland” and “we, Denmark and Greenland, are very a lot open to discussing this.” Denmark has simply determined to extend spending on Arctic safety by greater than $2 billion. America is welcome to extend its funding, too. We are able to even do it collectively.
Danes hope that our partnership with People can proceed. We wish to preserve this friendship, however we are going to stand agency on our rules. I’ll go away the ultimate phrase to our prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, who made a strong assertion throughout her go to to Greenland on April 3: “The U.S. is an enormous nation, and Denmark is a small one. We now have seemed as much as you, and you’ve got impressed us.”
However, she added: “While you demand to take over part of the Kingdom of Denmark’s territory — after we are met by stress and by threats from our closest ally — what are we to consider in in regards to the nation that now we have admired for thus a few years? The nation that, if any, has stood up for others’ freedom. You already know us, you realize what we stand for, and you realize that we don’t give in.”
