Avoiding the NATO Burden: "Denmark has made the skill of cheating the US into an art" Writes Danish Editor; "Denmark Deserves No Respect from America"

In Denmark, one finds a ubiquitous core narrative that the country is one of the United States’ closest allies. “We have always stood by the United States,” claim Danish prime ministers, politicians, and commentators. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen recently stated that “the United States is Denmark’s most important and strongest ally in NATO.”

Thus reads the opening of André Rossmann's article, With an Ally Like Denmark, the U.S. Doesn't Need Enemies. The publisher of the 24nyt website (24 News) goes on:

All of this is a lie, because the reality is that Denmark has always pursued a deeply solidarity-lacking policy towards the U.S. Although Uncle Sam is the ultimate guarantor of Denmark’s security, Denmark repeatedly fails the Americans and actively works against US interests worldwide.

While the United States entered World War II on the side of the Allies as early as December 1941, Denmark was Nazi Germany’s second-largest trading partner after Italy and maintained full diplomatic relations with the country until May 5, 1945. Denmark was indeed belligerent, but it was on the German side, not the US side.

In the 1960s, Danish governments distinguished themselves as opponents of the Vietnam War and the American war effort. In 1971, thus, the Social Democratic government gave full diplomatic recognition to North Vietnam. The government also fully supported the international Vietnam Tribunal, which was held at Christiansborg in October 1972 to discuss American war crimes in Vietnam. The American government was highly critical of the Danish statements and threatened to recall their ambassador.

While the United States during the Cold War was engaged in a bitter arms race with the Soviet bloc and guaranteed Denmark's security, Danish governments opposed American interests by pursuing a policy of accommodation towards the Soviet Union and the GDR as well as a solidarity-lacking "footnote policy", with Denmark repeatedly making reservations in NATO for a number of decisions regarding the modernization and expansion of the alliance's nuclear strike force. Denmark also opposed the American desire to modernize radar installations in Greenland. Denmark has thus broken the solidarity in NATO and damaged NATO by expressing independent views that went against the American ones.

Denmark has failed the United States by not establishing a credible defense. Since Denmark's defense is in ruins, the United States decided in 2023 to take over the defense of the Danish straits and belts. Denmark's defense agreement with the United States is the final proof that the Danish military is worthless and that the United States does not consider Denmark to be its core ally. Not surprisingly, the defense agreement with the United States became a sleeping pillow for the government. The implementation of the Framework Agreement on Defense has been postponed until a number of partial settlements have been initiated, which have not yet begun. And Danish politicians are happy that Denmark can once again avoid having to carry its share of the NATO burden.

Related: The Systematic Destruction of Denmark's Military Over 30 Years: "Ships that cannot sail; Planes that cannot fly; And cannons that cannot fire — Everything is missing"

In relation to NATO, Denmark has for decades opposed American interests by pursuing a peddling strategy that is about securing security policy guarantees from the United States while at the same time avoiding having to carry its share of the burden in NATO. Denmark has made the skill of cheating the US into an art. In January 2025, Denmark's real contribution to NATO is approximately 1.7 percent of GDP excluding donations to Ukraine, directly contrary to the agreement of 2 percent of GDP. The SVM government claims that Denmark spends 2.4 percent of its GDP on defense and security, but the Danish attempt to cheat NATO has been condemned and rejected by several NATO countries and the former Secretary General of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, as the donations to Ukraine do not contribute to Denmark's or NATO's defense capabilities.

Both NATO and the US are of course aware that Denmark talks a lot about solidarity in its speeches, but does not want to help shoulder the burden. In the US, the Danes are perceived as disloyal parasites who have been and continue to freewheel at NATO's expense and let the US foot the bill. This view is, of course, prevalent throughout the security establishment in the United States, both the Democratic and Republican.

In the UN, Denmark works against American interests by voting against America's friend, Israel. Denmark consistently supports anti-Semitic forces in the UN, and in all the Muslim-dominated UN bodies where Israel is condemned, Denmark votes with the rest of the EU countries to condemn Israel. Each year, Denmark typically votes for 15 out of 20 condemnatory resolutions against Israel. In other words, official Denmark supports the forces that want Israel removed from the world map.

Denmark works against American interests by refusing to support the United States in its confrontation with China. In 2008, Denmark entered into a strategic partnership with China, and the following year it sent the controversial "verbal note" to state that Denmark is against Tibetan independence. Before the corona crisis, Danish politicians, business people, and media people portrayed the Chinese dictatorship as an enviable democracy and a reliable superpower that is a champion of globalization, free trade, and the environment. Journalist Rasmus Tantholdt went so far as to say on TV2 News that “we have more in common with China than with the USA”. It is also thought-provoking that 46 percent of Danes, according to a Kantor Gallup poll, agree or mostly agree that the United States, the sole guarantor of Danish security, is a threat to Denmark.

Denmark opposes American interests in relation to Iran. To this day, Denmark boycotts US sanctions against Iran – a cruel regime that oppresses its own population, supports terror and warfare in its neighboring countries and sends regular death squads to Europe, including Denmark. Most recently, Denmark joined INSTEX, a European trade initiative aimed at circumventing American sanctions against Iran.

Denmark has outwitted the United States by revealing the top-secret intelligence cooperation between Denmark and the United States, where the American NSA was allowed to tap the cables of telecommunications companies on Danish soil in order to intercept Russian and Chinese telecommunications traffic. Instead of handling the matter in deep confidentiality, the Danish government chose to fire the head of FE, Lars Findsen, and exempt four other employees from duty, thereby revealing the intelligence cooperation with the United States to the world.

In Greenland, too, Denmark is working against the United States' security policy interests. National tunnel vision, navel-gazing, and sheer stupidity prevent Danish politicians from understanding that the United States and Denmark have a common strategic interest in putting an end to China's and Russia's military buildup in the Arctic, that Denmark does not have the opportunity to develop the island's resources and defend Greenland militarily on its own, and that it is actually the United States, and not the Danish defense, that guarantees Greenland's connection to Denmark. During his first presidential term in 2019, Donald Trump, as is well known, expressed a desire to buy Greenland. At the time, this was rejected as absurd by "Nasty" Mette Frederiksen. No wonder Trump has now decided to take off the velvet gloves, put Denmark thoroughly in its place and take over control of Greenland.

Ever since Donald Trump became US president in 2016, Denmark’s opinion-forming elite has shamed, demonized, mocked, and character-assassinated him as if he were the de facto enemy and not Denmark’s strongest ally. And this continues to this day. Instead of apologizing for Denmark’s repeated failures and acknowledging America’s willingness to take on the obligation that the Danes have not lived up to, the Danes write and speak about Trump as if he were the epitome of absolute evil.

The opinion-forming elite believes that Trump’s tough stance towards Denmark in connection with Greenland is an expression of the failure of a close ally as well as a lack of respect for Denmark. However, it is Denmark that repeatedly fails the US and works against the country’s interests. And therefore Denmark deserves no respect from the US.