COPENHAGEN, Denmark — The removal of flags commemorating fallen Danish veterans who fought in Afghanistan by staff at the United States embassy in the country’s capital has caused a public outcry.
The move came ahead of a silent march that will take place here on Jan. 31 to pay respect and show solidarity to the veterans following remarks made by U.S. President Donald Trump, which discredited the role NATO allied troops played during the war.
In a recent interview with Fox News, the president claimed that while allies sent soldiers to help U.S. troops, they “stayed a little back and a little off the frontlines.” Trump added that the U.S. “never really needed them” in the conflict.
The comments sparked a significant wave of anger among Danish leaders and veterans, who stated that such remarks were disrespectful and insulting to the sacrifices made by Danish troops and those of other countries.
After the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, Washington invoked NATO’s Article 5 for the first and only time in history. Denmark was among the first countries to respond to the call for collective defense and deployed troops, as well as military equipment, which played an important part in supporting U.S. operations during the war in Afghanistan in 2002.
A total of 44 Danish soldiers were killed before the Scandinavian country officially pulled out all of its personnel in 2021. The flags placed in flower boxes at the U.S. building in Copenhagen had their names on them before they were removed by embassy staff.
Danish media TV2 reported that they were taken down “as part of the building’s security measures.” Following widespread outrage, the flags were reinstalled and authorized to remain in place.
Residents told Defense News that the tensions between the two countries in recent weeks, centered on a threat made by the Trump administration to use military force to seize control over Greenland, have caused a major loss of confidence in Washington as a credible ally.
“It really hurts to hear those comments and erodes trust. … They were a friend, a big brother for us. It’s been hard to grasp everything that has unfolded,” said Hans Peter H. Michaelsen, a defense analyst who served for over 40 years in the Royal Danish Air Force.
One American citizen who has been residing in Copenhagen for over a year said that he and his family also plan to attend the Jan 31. demonstration to show support.
Elisabeth Gosselin-Malo is a Europe correspondent for Defense News. She covers a wide range of topics to military procurement and international security, and specializes in reporting on the aviation sector. She is based in Milan, Italy.
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