Danish veterans protest at U.S. embassy

Hundreds of Danish veterans held a silent protest outside the U.S. Embassy in Copenhagen in response to President Trump's comments about a possible purchase of Greenland and his downplaying of Danish military contributions. The veterans expressed outrage that the White House disregards Greenland's right to self-determination and questions Denmark's ability to protect Western interests in the Arctic. During the protest, embassy staff removed 44 Danish flags honoring soldiers killed in Afghanistan, but later returned them. Participants emphasized that Denmark has consistently supported the United States in crisis regions: 44 Danish soldiers died in Afghanistan—the highest per-capita fatality rate among coalition forces—and another 8 in Iraq.

Context

From 2001 to 2014, Denmark participated in military operations in Afghanistan, where 44 service members were killed, underscoring its close military ties with the United States.