Following Vance's Visit, Denmark Conveys to the US: Stop Treating Us Like Dirt
Denmark’s top diplomat emphasized the importance of respectful communication, stating, “This is not how you speak to your close allies.”
TroibNews 
Denmark's foreign minister criticized the United States for its lack of respect just hours after Vice President JD Vance visited an American military base in Greenland.
In a two-minute video message on Friday night, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen addressed Americans directly, calling for an end to the hostile rhetoric from Washington.
“Many accusations and many allegations have been made. And of course, we are open to criticism,” Rasmussen stated. “But let me be completely honest: We do not appreciate the tone in which it is being delivered.”
Relations between Washington and Copenhagen have reached a historical low since former President Donald Trump's repeated threats to acquire Greenland, a self-governing Danish territory. Trump has criticized Denmark for not adequately defending the Arctic.
Trump has not dismissed the possibility of using military force or economic pressure to obtain Greenland, the world’s largest island, located about a four-hour flight from New York. His remarks, ranging from offers to make Greenlanders “rich” to more aggressive comments, have raised concerns in both Denmark and Greenland, prompting strong pushback.
During his visit to the Pituffik Space Base, an American military facility in Greenland's remote north, Vance previously condemned Denmark for "not doing its job" regarding Arctic security.
On Friday, he reiterated that criticism, suggesting that Greenlanders would be “better coming under the United States security umbrella than you have been under Denmark’s security umbrella” given what he described as serious threats from Russia and China.
By Friday night, Rasmussen had clearly reached his limit.
“This is not how you speak to your close allies,” Denmark’s top diplomat declared. “And I still consider Denmark and the United States to be close allies.”
Rasmussen acknowledged the U.S. argument for requiring a stronger military presence in Greenland, as mentioned by Vice President Vance, and expressed his willingness to engage in discussions about it.
While the U.S. once operated over a dozen military installations in Greenland—including an experimental underground base with a small nuclear reactor—today, the only remaining facility is the Pituffik Space Base.
“We — Denmark and Greenland — are very much open to discussing this with you, with an open mind,” Rasmussen remarked, emphasizing the longstanding military cooperation and shared NATO membership between Copenhagen and Washington.
Both nations had grown complacent in their approach to the Arctic, he indicated, but noted that the “status quo” era was coming to an end.
“The fact is that we have all been harvesting the peace dividend,” he commented. “We all acted on the assumption that the Arctic was and should be a low-tension area. But that time is over.”
Ramin Sohrabi for TROIB News
In a two-minute video message on Friday night, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen addressed Americans directly, calling for an end to the hostile rhetoric from Washington.
“Many accusations and many allegations have been made. And of course, we are open to criticism,” Rasmussen stated. “But let me be completely honest: We do not appreciate the tone in which it is being delivered.”
Relations between Washington and Copenhagen have reached a historical low since former President Donald Trump's repeated threats to acquire Greenland, a self-governing Danish territory. Trump has criticized Denmark for not adequately defending the Arctic.
Trump has not dismissed the possibility of using military force or economic pressure to obtain Greenland, the world’s largest island, located about a four-hour flight from New York. His remarks, ranging from offers to make Greenlanders “rich” to more aggressive comments, have raised concerns in both Denmark and Greenland, prompting strong pushback.
During his visit to the Pituffik Space Base, an American military facility in Greenland's remote north, Vance previously condemned Denmark for "not doing its job" regarding Arctic security.
On Friday, he reiterated that criticism, suggesting that Greenlanders would be “better coming under the United States security umbrella than you have been under Denmark’s security umbrella” given what he described as serious threats from Russia and China.
By Friday night, Rasmussen had clearly reached his limit.
“This is not how you speak to your close allies,” Denmark’s top diplomat declared. “And I still consider Denmark and the United States to be close allies.”
Rasmussen acknowledged the U.S. argument for requiring a stronger military presence in Greenland, as mentioned by Vice President Vance, and expressed his willingness to engage in discussions about it.
While the U.S. once operated over a dozen military installations in Greenland—including an experimental underground base with a small nuclear reactor—today, the only remaining facility is the Pituffik Space Base.
“We — Denmark and Greenland — are very much open to discussing this with you, with an open mind,” Rasmussen remarked, emphasizing the longstanding military cooperation and shared NATO membership between Copenhagen and Washington.
Both nations had grown complacent in their approach to the Arctic, he indicated, but noted that the “status quo” era was coming to an end.
“The fact is that we have all been harvesting the peace dividend,” he commented. “We all acted on the assumption that the Arctic was and should be a low-tension area. But that time is over.”
Ramin Sohrabi for TROIB News
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