4 in 10 Danes view US as a threat: Survey

COPENHAGEN, Denmark

A growing number of Danes perceive the US as a threat to Denmark, according to a survey released Friday.

The poll, conducted by Verian for the Danish daily Berlingske, found that 41% of Danes now view the US as either a significant or direct threat.

Mikkel Vedby Rasmussen, a political science professor at the University of Copenhagen, described the findings as “completely drastic” and said the rhetoric of US President Donald Trump is a key factor.

"When Danes, who are rational people, listen to what the new US leadership is saying, they can recognize rhetoric that sounds like it’s coming from the Kremlin. That’s why they don’t trust them," he told Berlingske.

Tension over Greenland

Much of the tension between Denmark and the US centers on Greenland. On Tuesday, Trump reiterated his intention to annex the territory during his address to a joint session of Congress.

“We need Greenland for national security and even international security,” he said. “We’re working with everybody involved to try and get it, but we need it really for international world security, and I think we’re going to get it. One way or the other, we’re going to get it.”

He also said he supports Greenlanders’ right to self-determination. “If you choose, we welcome you into the United States of America,” he added.

A survey conducted in January showed that 85% of Greenland’s population opposes joining the US.

Greenland will hold general elections on March 11. On Wednesday, the Danish foreign minister warned against foreign interference in the vote.

Greenland, the world’s largest island, has been an autonomous territory of Denmark since gaining home rule in 1979. Before that, it was fully integrated into the Danish state and was a Danish colony from 1721 to 1953.

Strategically located between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, Greenland is rich in minerals.

Trump tried to purchase Greenland during his first presidential term, but both Denmark and Greenland have rejected any proposals to sell the territory, with the Danish government asserting its continued sovereignty over the island.