Danish war veterans plan to demonstrate in front of the US embassy in Copenhagen to protest Trump's remarks.
According to TV2, Danish veterans expressed their outrage at statements made by US President Donald Trump, which they believe diminish the role of US allies in NATO and directly insult the sacrifices of soldiers who fought alongside US forces, prompting them to call for a silent demonstration in front of the US embassy in Copenhagen.
Widespread anger among veterans
Danish veterans have joined the chorus of criticism against the Trump administration following its recent remarks regarding NATO allies' contributions. They expressed feeling "betrayed" and "mocked," asserting that the US administration is "deliberately ignoring" Denmark's role in fighting alongside the United States, according to a formal appeal issued by the Danish Veterans and Veterans Support Organization (Danmarks Veteraner & Veteranstøtten) in collaboration with other military organizations, the source reported.
Call for a demonstration in front of the US embassy
The organizers announced their intention to hold a demonstration on January 31, in which participants will march to the US Embassy in Copenhagen. Carsten Rasmussen, head of the Danish Warriors organization, told TV2 that the organizers initiated the call for this silent vigil because they “lack the words to describe what they consider a betrayal by the Trump administration.”.
Preparations for the demonstration in 20 cities
Organizers announced that buses will depart from more than 20 Danish cities to transport soldiers and veterans to Copenhagen next weekend. The demonstration, dubbed the “No Word-manifestation,” will take place in front of the US Embassy.
A silent vigil and a symbolic march
Carsten Rasmussen explained that the participants did not want a "shouting contest," but rather a moment of silence befitting the sacrifices of the soldiers. The veterans and their families will gather at 1:00 PM at the Danish Memorial at Kastellet Fortress before marching to the U.S. Embassy, where they will observe a minute of silence in honor of the Army, Air Force, Navy, Emergency Services, and Police.
The Danish Warriors organization has around 3,600 members, but the initiative is also open to friends and family members, all of whom have been invited to participate in this symbolic event, according to TV2.
Trump's remarks reignite controversy
The US president reignited the controversy in an interview with Fox News, when Trump said that forces from allied countries, including Denmark, “stayed a little bit further back and away from the front lines” during their participation in the fighting in Afghanistan in support of the US campaign against the Taliban. He added that the United States had been “very good with Europe and with many other countries,” stressing that the relationship “should be reciprocal.”.
A former Danish soldier describes the remarks as inappropriate.
According to the source, Carsten Rasmussen, who served in Afghanistan in 2007 and 2008 and was then the highest-ranking Danish officer at Kandahar Air Base, described Trump's remarks as "inappropriate." Rasmussen recounted his experience, saying that during his first twenty days in Afghanistan, he saw about thirty coffins of fallen soldiers, then stopped counting because he could no longer bear the sight. He added that the coffins were loaded onto aircraft draped with British, Canadian, Australian, Dutch, Danish, and American flags, emphasizing that all those countries "stood together in this war.".
Activating Article 5 after the September 11 attacks
The report noted that NATO only invoked Article 5, which states that an attack on one member state is considered an attack on all members, once, following the September 11, 2001 attacks. After that, NATO countries sent thousands of troops to Afghanistan, where more than a thousand non-American soldiers were killed during the war.
A previous Danish stance against Trump
The report also recalled the position of former Danish Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen, who in 2018, during a NATO meeting, spoke directly to President Trump when the latter threatened to withdraw from the alliance. Løkke asserted at the time that Denmark had lost more soldiers in Afghanistan than the United States had, relative to its population.
Details of Danish involvement in Afghanistan
Back in 2001, the Danish Parliament decided in December 2001 for Denmark to participate in the US-led international operation in Afghanistan. In January 2002, a further decision was made to participate in the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). A total of 10,980 Danish soldiers participated in these missions, many of whom were redeployed multiple times, bringing the total number of deployments to 19,997 since 2002. This participation resulted in the deaths of 44 Danish soldiers, 37 of whom were killed in combat, while 214 others sustained injuries of varying severity. These figures are based on data from the National Museum, the Armed Forces, the Ministry of Defence, and the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, via the Ritzau news agency.
Daily fighting in Helmand, Afghanistan, at the front line
Carsten Rasmussen confirmed that Danish soldiers were engaged in daily combat engagements in Helmand province in Afghanistan, categorically denying any claim that they had retreated from the front lines.
Support from a former Danish politician
The veterans' criticism was also supported by former Danish politician Marcus Knuth, who also served in Afghanistan. Knuth wrote in a Facebook post that Trump's remarks were "the biggest insult ever," explaining that the reality was that, during its heavy involvement in Iraq, the United States had asked European countries to assume primary responsibility in Afghanistan, a decision made under former US President George W. Bush.
British and European criticism
The criticism wasn't limited to Denmark. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer expressed his dismay at Trump's remarks, describing them as "offensive and appalling," and noting that they hurt the feelings of the families of the dead and wounded. He reminded everyone that 457 British soldiers had died in Afghanistan, making it Britain's deadliest war since the 1950s. Starmer added that if he had made such remarks, he would have apologized. The Guardian reported that the White House rejected Starmer's criticism, according to TV2.
