The former chief of NATO has accused Donald Trump of making Russian “gangster”-style threats against Greenland as protests against US intervention got underway in Denmark.
Anders Fogh Rasmussen, former head of NATO and former Danish prime minister, warned the US president was using his threat over Greenland as “a weapon of mass distraction from the real threats” such as Russia’s war in Ukraine.
His comments come as thousands of demonstrators protesting against Trump’s threats flocked to City Hall in Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, on Saturday.
Protestors plan to march to the US embassy in the Danish capital, with other demonstrations also set to begin in Greenland on Saturday.
The Danish protestors could be seen in rallies held around Denmark on Saturday, holding “Greenland is not for sale” and waving Greenland’s red and white “Erfalasorput” flag.
President Trump has made repeated threats to take control of Greenland from Copenhagen, warning that he could use military force to do so, claiming the country was “very important for national security.”
Speaking to the Financial Times, Mr. Rasmussen said in relation to Trump’s threats over Greenland: “For me, it’s been a painful process. Since childhood, I have considered the United States as the natural leader of the free world. I’ve even spoken about the US as the world’s policeman”.
Rasmussen’s remarks are particularly damning for the US administration, as he once sent Danish troops to fight with the US in Afghanistan.
“Now we see the United States use a language that’s pretty close to the gangsters that they should control in Moscow, Beijing, etc,” he added.
Rasmussen, who was Denmark’s prime minister from 2001 to 2009 told the FT he was concerned the world’s attention was now focused on “something that does not represent a threat, neither to Europe nor to the United States”, instead of focusing on getting Russian President Putin around the negotiating table over Ukraine.
He added: “Divisions in the West play into Russian hands. I’m sure Moscow hopes Greenland becomes the iceberg that sinks Nato. So this goes beyond Denmark and Greenland . . . Conquering Greenland would be the end of the world order as we know it.”
On Friday, Trump announced potential tariffs for countries that support his plans over Greenland.
Speaking at a rural health roundtable event, he said: “I may put a tariff on countries if they don’t go along with Greenland, because we need Greenland for national security.”
NATO allies have sent military reinforcements to Greenland in a move to bolster its defences amid the uncertainty. A small contingent of French military personnel, consisting of 15 people, arrived in the territory’s capital Nuuk on Thursday.
Finland is sending two military liaison officers for a fact-finding mission, while the UK is sending one military officer to the Arctic to assist.
Germany deployed a reconnaissance team of 13 personnel as well as an A400M transport plane, but officials said they would only stay in the territory until Saturday.
