A soldier from Greenland who fought alongside American forces in Afghanistan has delivered a powerful and emotional condemnation of former US President Donald Trump's repeated threats to invade and annex the Arctic island.
A Soldier's Plea to Former Allies
Salik Augustinussen, a soldier born in Greenland and serving in the Danish Defence, issued a stark warning. He stated that any US troops following an order to invade would be attacking the very "brothers and sisters who stood side by side with you" after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001.
In a statement shared with The Mirror, Augustinussen highlighted the immediate solidarity shown by the Kingdom of Denmark after the US was attacked. Greenlandic soldiers, as part of the Danish armed forces, were among the 18,000 troops deployed to Afghanistan after the US invoked NATO's Article 5 for the first and only time in the alliance's history.
"I stood side by side with my brothers and sisters in arms from the US, from Europe, from NATO in Afghanistan to fight with you after what happened in the US 9/11," Augustinussen wrote. "If the US President decides to let the military go invade Greenland, you are attacking me and my family."
Denmark's Sacrifice and Trump's Threats
The soldier's rebuke underscores the deep sense of betrayal felt in Denmark and Greenland. Denmark, a steadfast NATO ally, lost 43 troops during Operation Enduring Freedom, suffering the highest death rate of any contributing nation until 2009.
Despite this shared history and sacrifice, Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to annex Greenland, which is a largely autonomous territory within the Danish realm. He has made insulting claims that Denmark cannot protect the vast island from Russian and Chinese aggression, demands that have shocked Copenhagen and Nuuk alike.
Augustinussen framed a potential invasion as a catastrophic breach of alliance trust: "You are doing blue on blue to all of NATO members. You are attacking the Kingdom of Denmark." He ended his statement with a poignant sign-off: "Best regards, from a soldier serving in Greenland, from a soldier who stood with you when you needed it most."
Political Backlash and Public Opinion in Greenland
Trump's annexation rhetoric has drawn criticism from within his own Republican Party, with figures noting the US can already station troops and access resources through existing agreements with Denmark. In fact, the US has reduced its military presence in Greenland since the Cold War ended, and Danish officials have stated they would not block a lawful increase in US soldiers if requested.
Nevertheless, Trump has insisted the US will take control of Greenland "one way or the other." This stance has caused alarm. Veteran Project Greenland, a support organisation for veterans on the island, said the "unstable security situation" had "shaken us," calling the US conduct "disrespectful" towards the Greenlandic people and veterans.
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 public opposition to joining the United States. The survey found:
- 85% of Greenlanders do not want to become part of the US.
- Only 6% were in favour of joining the US.
- The remainder preferred either full independence or continued status within the Kingdom of Denmark.
The heartfelt intervention from Soldier Salik Augustinussen has cast Trump's transactional geopolitical threats in a deeply personal light, reminding the world of the human bonds and shared blood that underpin the NATO alliance.
