Even if he is joking around, Denmark deserves better than President-elect Donald Trump’s refusal to rule out using force to turn its Greenland territory into the 51st American state. Denmark similarly deserves better than the silly grins on the faces of Donald Trump Jr. and Charlie Kirk as they run around Greenland pretending it will soon join a new American empire.
Yes, Trump is likely jesting or attempting to push Denmark to increase defense spending in relation to Arctic security operations. Yes, his interest in purchasing Greenland is legitimate, even if highly unlikely to result in an Alaska-style acquisition. Yes, Greenland’s improved security posture matters to American and European security amid escalating Russian and Chinese efforts to militarize the Arctic. Again, however, Denmark deserves better than the jesting insult that its territory might soon be taken by force of American arms.
One reason that the 6-million-citizen European nation deserves better is found in two numbers.
Namely, 37 and 6. Those are the number of Danish soldiers killed in action in Afghanistan and Iraq respectively. 37 in Afghanistan and 6 in Iraq. Applied to the U.S. population, those KIA-casualty rates would amount to 2,035 dead and 330 dead respectively.
Crucially, unlike the forces of many other U.S. allies such as France and Germany, Denmark sent troops into risky forward patrol and combat operations in both Afghanistan and Iraq. In so doing, Denmark proved that it valued its U.S. alliance in the most potent way possible: by risking the lives and limbs of its young people to support American forces in unpopular conflicts.
To be sure, there are good reasons for the United States to be concerned with the trajectory of relations with its European allies. One major concern is the European Union’s skimming racket against the U.S. technology industry. Another is continued freeloading off the back of the U.S. military. But again, Denmark offers an example here of American respect rather than derision. The country spends more on defense as a percentage of GDP even than America’s closest ally, the United Kingdom, easily exceeding the NATO 2%-of-GDP defense spending and 20%-of-budget equipment expenditure targets.
We need allies like Denmark. Allies that would fight alongside other allies in the event of a Russian attack on NATO and might, just might, also be willing to join any future U.S. war against China. While Denmark retains a close relationship with Beijing, its Iver Huitfeldt-class air defense frigates are world-leading.
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If Trump needs to publicly pick on an ally that is increasingly an ally only in name, he should look to Spain. But Denmark deserves better than flippant threats and arrogant American grins. What Trump and his cohort are currently doing is only fueling the antagonism of a population that has otherwise elected governments that are stalwart American allies.
Put another way, Trump is sending the message to Denmark that it’s better to be a Chinese puppet than an American friend. After all, at least being a Chinese puppet comes with a payoff. Just ask Trump’s fakest friend, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
This article was originally published at www.washingtonexaminer.com
