Danish PM Mette Frederiksen on January 24, 2026, called President Trump's comments "unacceptable," saying they deeply hurt veterans and questioned allied soldiers' commitment in Afghanistan.
In a Fox News interview, Trump claimed NATO allies avoided frontline roles in Afghanistan and that the US never truly needed them, prompting outrage across Europe, including from Britain (457 deaths) and Denmark (44 deaths, highest per capita).
Danish veterans plan a silent march in Copenhagen on January 31 protesting the "betrayal"; Denmark deployed ~12,000 personnel with significant sacrifices, underscoring NATO's shared burden in the post-9/11 mission.
Danish PM Says Trump Comments On NATO Role In Afghanistan 'Unacceptable'
Frederiksen highlighted Denmark's heavy sacrifice, noting it as one of the NATO countries with the highest proportional losses.
Summary
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen strongly condemned US President Donald Trump's remarks questioning the commitment of NATO allies during the Afghanistan war, calling them "unacceptable" and deeply hurtful to veterans. In a post on Facebook (and referenced across platforms like Instagram), Frederiksen expressed solidarity with Danish veterans and their families, stating, "I fully understand that Danish veterans have said no words can describe how much this hurts." She added, "It is unacceptable that the American president questions the commitment of allied soldiers in Afghanistan."
Trump's comments, made during a Fox News interview aired on January 23, 2026 (from Davos), claimed that NATO allies "sent some troops to Afghanistan" but "stayed a little back, a little off the front lines," while asserting that the US "never really needed" its allies and had borne the primary burden. The remarks sparked widespread outrage among European NATO members, particularly those with significant casualties in the 20-year mission triggered by NATO's invocation of Article 5 after the 9/11 attacks. Denmark, with a population of around 5.4 million at the start of the conflict, deployed approximately 12,000 soldiers and civilians to Afghanistan between 2002 and the withdrawal, suffering 44 combat deaths—the highest per capita losses among non-US coalition partners.
Frederiksen highlighted Denmark's heavy sacrifice, noting it as one of the NATO countries with the highest proportional losses. In response to the backlash, Danish veterans' groups announced a silent protest march in Copenhagen on January 31, 2026, from Kastellet fortress to the US Embassy, organized by the Danish Veterans Association. Its chairman, Carsten Rasmussen, described Trump's words as "lies and mockery" amounting to a "betrayal" of allied veterans. The controversy adds to existing transatlantic tensions, including ongoing disputes over Trump's interest in acquiring Greenland and broader NATO burden-sharing debates.
A White House spokeswoman defended Trump's position, stating that the US has "done more for NATO than any other country in the alliance has done combined" and emphasizing greater European responsibility for defense
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