He lost 52 soldiers fighting with the US. Now he is threatened by Trump

All his adult life, Colonel Soren Noodsen moved forward when his country called. And when his colleagues did.

He was the most senior officer of Denmark with American soldiers, especially in Afghanistan, and for a time. He counted 58 rocket attacks during his duty.

“I was awarded a bronze star medal by the United States and gave me stars and stripes. They have been hanging on my wall in our house since then and I proudly showed them to everyone.”

Then something changed.

“Following the statement of JD Vance on Greenland, the President’s disrespect for the internationally accepted boundaries, I took down those stars and straps and removed the medal,” Soren says, his voice is breaking a bit.

Prior to the Congress this week, the US President doubled his desire to seize the world’s largest island: Greenland, an autonomous region of the state of Denmark.

“My first feeling was that it hurts, and the second is that I am angry,” Colonel Noodson Lamants.

I meet him in the first weeks of his retirement outside the Amalineburg Palace at the center of Copenhagen, outside the 18th -century royal residence of Denmark.

Suddenly, pipers strike and stream by soldiers.

Changing today’s guards comes at a time when the Trump administration has not only worked, but has defined most of the assumptions around the US-European security that have been held fast for 80 years.

“It is about values ​​and when those values ​​we thought was a colleague, it becomes very difficult to see.” Soren says with his American wife Jeena.

“Denmark involved independently and in the efforts where my husband served,” she says.

“So it comes as a shock to listen to dangers from a country that I also love and feel that the alliance is being trampled. It seems personal, not some abstract foreign policy strategy.”

However, Soren has not given all hope.

“This is my hope and my prayer is that I will be able to put back (flag) on ​​the wall one day”, he believes.

There is no indication that their prayers will be answered soon.

Greenland, an autonomous region of the Denmark state, goes to the election next week, with all the main parties with all the main parties supporting freedom in the future.

An acquisition by Donald Trump – is not potentially on the ballot paper – by force.

Denmark’s monument not away from the Royal Palace is lost in a recent battle for its soldiers.

The names of those killed with their Western colleagues carved on stone -covered walls.

The segment of Afghanistan’s US -led attack is particularly large.

Denmark lost 44 soldiers in Afghanistan, which was more than any other partner other than the US, as a ratio of its less than six million population. In Iraq, eight Danish soldiers died.

This is why the President’s words do so sting.

A person placed very well to consider what Trump’s ambitions for Greenland are actually for Anders Phog Rasmusen.

He said, “The announcement of President Trump’s intention probably takes Greenland with force, when it comes to Ukraine, President is like Putin’s rhetoric.”

Former Prime Minister of Denmark and former General General of NATO coalition argued that this is the moment that is Denmark and the rest of Europe should take steps to protect itself better if not ready for America.

“Since my childhood, I have praised the United States and his role as the world policeman. And I think we need a policeman to ensure international law and order, but if the United States does not want to execute that role, Europe should be able to defend itself to stand on its feet.”

Phog Rasmusen, however, does not believe that the policeman is about to turn on Falna.

“I don’t think at the end of that day that the American does not think at the end of that day that Americans will take Greenland with force.”

President Trump first talked about Greenland acquisition in his first post before returning to the theme earlier this year.

But now, after blinding the Allies with Ukraine, Tariff, as well as its latest tricks in the Middle East, Denmark is trying to assess the right threat immediately.

For many small danes, Greenland’s control is simple – a bottomless colonial hangover.

This does not mean that they want it to be assigned directly instead of America.

Music student Molly says, “We have connections to Greenland.” “Denmark and Greenland are quite different, I would say but I still have friends from there, so it personally impresses me.”

“I find it really scary,” says 18 -year -old music student Lucas.

“Whatever he sees, he leaves after that. And talk with oil and money, he does not care about the climate, he does not care about anything or anything.”

His friend Clara Chips in Trump are now so powerful that he can “affect his day-to-day life” from thousands of miles away, which is an era of unprecedented danger.

In the light of President Trump’s suspension of military aid for Ukraine and his deep reluctance to the protection of Europe, Denmark has been in the heart of drive to promote defense spending throughout the continent.

The country has just announced that it will allocate more than 3% of its GDP for defense spending in 2025 and 2026 to protect against future aggression from Russia or other places.

Meanwhile, security analyst Hans Tino Hansen stands in front of a huge screen, which he calls his “Ops Room” at his Copenhagen headquarters.

“This is the map where we update the picture of our danger on a daily basis based on alerts and events worldwide,” Hans says, which has been running the risk intelligence information for the last 25 years.

As part of Denmark’s increased defense spending, it is increasing its strength in “High North” with an additional two billion euros and three new Arctic naval ships and long -range drones declared in January.

Hans believes that Arctic security can be carried forward, not by an American acquisition – but with new deals that restore us effects.

“If you make more compromises, both on both defense and security, but also on economic and raw materials, then we are going back more or less where we were in the 50s and 60s.”

But the story moves forward compared to the mid -20th century.

“If you look at this globe, Greenland is the most located location on Earth,” the world famous geologist Professor Minic Rosing, pesticides in their wooden panel office.

The peace of his room reflects the nature of a person who grew up in the nuke Fojord of the island in the settlement of only “seven or eight people”.

But an important reason is that their homeland is now coming under the investigation from outsiders, with the Arctic ice -rich mineral deposits.

We have seen how Ukraine’s natural resources have caught President Trump’s eye in the same way.

“All these minerals that they talk like rare metals, rare earth elements – they are not really rare. Rare that is rare is their use,” he said.

Professor Rosing says that Greenland’s vastness and lack of infrastructure are just two elements.

“They are a small part of the mining industry and the economy of extracting them is very uncertain, while investing is very high. The risk of investment is very high relative to the potential advantage.”

The current Greenlandic government says that after next week’s election, there will be a vote on independence at some point.

However, certainly inadvertently, President Trump’s designs on the island have highlighted the desire found between Inute which has finally become free from 300 years of Danish control.

But Professor Rosing believes that despite all the latent mineral wealth, his companions Greenlanders are not in a hurry to further the annual block grant equal to £ 480m (€ 570m) received from Copenhagen.

It eats more than half of the island’s public budget.

“People talk about health services, schools, next outboard engines that they want on their boat and what is the price of gas and all these things that ordinary people do,” they say.

“It’s not that they stand with a big knife, waving it in the air and shouting freedom, freedom.”

In terms of Trump’s clear passion with Greenland, Phog Rasmusen fears that a disturbing conclusion may be drawn.

A one who would provide Danes inability to trade with a person whose considering regional integrity is so wildly inconsistent.

“I understand American strategic interest in minerals well, but when it comes to mining in Greenland, they have not shown any interest,” they say.

“It leaves me with the concern that it is probably not about safety, perhaps it’s not about minerals, perhaps it is a question of expanding the United States region.

“And this is really a point where we are not able to accommodate President Trump.”

Additional Reporting by Costas Kallaryzis