A soldier from Greenland who fought alongside American forces in Afghanistan has delivered a stinging condemnation of former US President Donald Trump's repeated threats to invade and annex the Arctic island.
A Soldier's Stark Warning to the US
Salik Augustinussen, a soldier born in Greenland and serving in the Danish Defence, issued a powerful statement warning that any US military action ordered by Trump against Greenland would constitute a betrayal. He stressed that US troops would be "attacking the brothers and sisters who stood side by side with you" after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001.
Augustinussen served in Afghanistan as part of the Danish contingent, which was deployed after the US invoked NATO's Article 5 for the first and only time following 9/11. Denmark lost 43 troops in Operation Enduring Freedom, suffering the highest death rate of any nation in the conflict until 2009.
Betrayal of a Key NATO Ally
In his statement, Augustinussen highlighted the deep military bond forged in conflict. "When the US was attacked in September 11 2001, Denmark did not hesitate to help. Soldiers from the Kingdom of Denmark and the US as allies stood side by side to fight the enemy," he said.
He directly addressed the potential for a US-led invasion, stating: "If the US President decides to let the military go invade Greenland, you are attacking me and my family. You are doing blue on blue to all of NATO members. You are attacking the Kingdom of Denmark."
Despite Denmark's status as a steadfast NATO ally, Trump has repeatedly threatened to annex Greenland, part of the Danish realm, claiming the Scandinavian nation cannot protect it from Russian and Chinese influence.
Greenlandic and Danish Rejection of US Takeover
The sentiment from the soldier is echoed by political leaders and the public in Greenland and Denmark. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has consistently stated that Greenland is not for sale and its future is for its people to decide.
Polling from January 2025 by Verian shows overwhelming opposition to joining the United States. The survey found that only six per cent of Greenland's population favoured becoming part of the US, while 85 per cent preferred either remaining within the Kingdom of Denmark or pursuing full independence.
The organisation Veteran Project Greenland, which supports veterans on the island, said the "unstable security situation" caused by annexation rhetoric from the White House had "shaken us." They labelled the US conduct as "disrespectful" towards the Greenlandic people and the veterans who have fought alongside American forces for decades.
Criticism has also come from within Trump's own Republican Party, with members noting the US can already station troops and access resources in Greenland through existing agreements with Denmark, making an invasion unnecessary.
