Denmark Squandered Defenses Arming Ukraine, With Little Left To Defend Greenland

Denmark has taken pride in being among the top four military donors to Ukraine over the past more than three years of war. The tiny Scandinavian country has consistently touted its huge financial contribution to the fight against Russia. 

“The information from NATO underlines that military support for Ukraine is an absolute priority for the government. In my view, this is a clear expression of Denmark’s support for Ukraine as long as it is needed. And it is a support that we in Denmark can be proud of,” Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen recently said.

But now Denmark has found itself embroiled in the unusual Greenland controversy, which escalated when President Trump said he has refused to take “military force off the table” in discussions on a potential US acquisition of Greenland.

Trump talking annexation of what is still a territory of Denmark – which itself is a NATO ally of the United States – is deeply awkward to say the least.

“Many accusations and many allegations have been made. And of course we are open to criticism,” Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said in the wake of Vice President JD Vance’s provocative visit to Greenland. “But let me be completely honest: we do not appreciate the tone in which it is being delivered. This is not how you speak to your close allies. And I still consider Denmark and the United States to be close allies.”

Russian sources are now highlighting the fact that Denmark has “gambled its security away to arm another country 1,000 km away” amid the ongoing spat over Greenland’s fate with the US.

For example Sputnik has pointed out that “While it has a population of just 6 millino and a $428 billion GDP, Denmark has consistently led the Western alliance in the proxy war against Russia in Ukraine, with its arms deliveries the FOURTH LARGEST after the US, Germany and the UK, totaling $8.2 billion, and non-military aid adding up to $1.15 billion.”

The Russian state media outlet featured the following list:

Denmark has cleared out its arms caches of up to 100% of certain weapons to arm Kiev, including:

• 19 F-16s (over 60% of Denmark’s fleet)
• All 19 (100%) of its CAESAR howitzers
• At least 30 of 195 Leopard 1A5 and 14 of 107 of Leopard 2A4 tanks
• Over 50 of 125 M113 APCs
• 500 Stinger MANPADs, 2,700 LAW anti-tank weapons
• Harpoon coastal defense systems, Marder IFVs, engineering equipment, radars, drones, small arms, and soldiers’ gear, from uniforms to field hospitals, living containers and first aid.

The publication then concludes, “Who knew that blowing your defense capabilities on a proxy war against Russia could come with serious risks?”

Danish support for Ukraine broken down by year, via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark:

Indeed, in this ongoing major diplomatic spat with the Trump administration, which also involves disagreement over who can provide and sustain better Arctic defense, Denmark now has less military muscle to back up its claims to being able to properly secure Arctic regions like Greenland.