Veterans Feel Betrayed as Trump Threatens Greenland
For over 15 years, Danish platoon commander Martin Tamm Andersen has witnessed his countrymen and U.S. Marines put their lives on the line together in Afghanistan's heat and sand. The Taliban attack that shook Andersen to his core still haunts him today. In an instant, the world turned from normal to chaotic - a vehicle was blown apart, soldiers were injured, and Andersen saw one of his comrades bleeding heavily from his face.
Despite the bravery displayed by both Danish and American troops during this time, the current situation has left Andersen feeling betrayed. President Donald Trump's repeated threats to seize Greenland, a semiautonomous territory belonging to Denmark, have raised concerns among veterans who served alongside him. For Andersen, it feels like a bad joke - how could the U.S. administration justify such actions after years of camaraderie and shared sacrifice?
Andersen, 46, believes his service in the US wars was dedicated to the cause of freedom and democracy. He fought in both Iraq and Afghanistan, where many good friends were killed or wounded. His experience has left him with a profound sense of sadness, hurt, and fear. Trump's claims that Denmark is not capable of protecting Western security interests in the Arctic are particularly disturbing for Andersen.
SΓΈren Knudsen, 65, another veteran who served twice in Afghanistan, also expresses his outrage at the US administration's stance on Greenland. As a member of the Danish Veterans Association, he has been speaking out against Trump's rhetoric, which disregards Denmark's right to self-determination and undermines the NATO alliance.
Both Andersen and Knudsen are convinced that their American comrades do not share Trump's views. They believe that Denmark is ready to continue defending the region within the NATO alliance, but they will not stand idly by as the U.S. threatens to take control of Greenland through force.
Danes note that the US already has access to Greenland under a 1951 defense agreement and that northwestern Greenland houses the US Pituffik military base under the Pentagon's Space Force. However, Trump claims that "ownership gives you things and elements that you can't get from just signing a document."
For Knudsen, a U.S. invasion of Greenland would bring him to tears. He believes it would mark the final moments of the NATO alliance and his admiration for the American experiment.
The Danish veterans' outrage echoes across Europe, where many are expressing sadness, betrayal, and fear about what such a move could mean for European security at a time of Russian aggression.
For over 15 years, Danish platoon commander Martin Tamm Andersen has witnessed his countrymen and U.S. Marines put their lives on the line together in Afghanistan's heat and sand. The Taliban attack that shook Andersen to his core still haunts him today. In an instant, the world turned from normal to chaotic - a vehicle was blown apart, soldiers were injured, and Andersen saw one of his comrades bleeding heavily from his face.
Despite the bravery displayed by both Danish and American troops during this time, the current situation has left Andersen feeling betrayed. President Donald Trump's repeated threats to seize Greenland, a semiautonomous territory belonging to Denmark, have raised concerns among veterans who served alongside him. For Andersen, it feels like a bad joke - how could the U.S. administration justify such actions after years of camaraderie and shared sacrifice?
Andersen, 46, believes his service in the US wars was dedicated to the cause of freedom and democracy. He fought in both Iraq and Afghanistan, where many good friends were killed or wounded. His experience has left him with a profound sense of sadness, hurt, and fear. Trump's claims that Denmark is not capable of protecting Western security interests in the Arctic are particularly disturbing for Andersen.
SΓΈren Knudsen, 65, another veteran who served twice in Afghanistan, also expresses his outrage at the US administration's stance on Greenland. As a member of the Danish Veterans Association, he has been speaking out against Trump's rhetoric, which disregards Denmark's right to self-determination and undermines the NATO alliance.
Both Andersen and Knudsen are convinced that their American comrades do not share Trump's views. They believe that Denmark is ready to continue defending the region within the NATO alliance, but they will not stand idly by as the U.S. threatens to take control of Greenland through force.
Danes note that the US already has access to Greenland under a 1951 defense agreement and that northwestern Greenland houses the US Pituffik military base under the Pentagon's Space Force. However, Trump claims that "ownership gives you things and elements that you can't get from just signing a document."
For Knudsen, a U.S. invasion of Greenland would bring him to tears. He believes it would mark the final moments of the NATO alliance and his admiration for the American experiment.
The Danish veterans' outrage echoes across Europe, where many are expressing sadness, betrayal, and fear about what such a move could mean for European security at a time of Russian aggression.