America’s Strategic Alliance with Denmark and NATO

A statement by 14 former officials in Democratic and Republican Administrations—including four NATO Ambassadors, 3 Assistant Secretaries of State for Europe, and 3 NSC Senior Directors

The following is a joint statement by: Nicholas Burns, Michael Carpenter, Eliot Cohen, Ivo Daalder, Eric Edelman, Daniel Fried, Frank Kendall, Jon Finer, Philip Gordon, Douglas Lute, James O’Brien, Liz Sherwood-Randall, Julie Smith, and Thomas Wright. Full affiliations at end.

Alliances are enablers of American power. They are not charity, and they are not burdens. They consistently benefit U.S. citizens at home and around the world. Looking to the future, they can do four things for us that we cannot do on our own: (1) generate capabilities that amplify American power; (2) create and sustain a basis of legitimacy for the exercise of American power; (3) disrupt or avert impulses to counterbalance American power; and (4) steer partners away from strategic apathy or self-reliance that is contrary to American interests.

The current President’s threats to use military force or other coercive measures to take Greenland away from our ally Denmark is strategically foolish in both the near and longer term. It will fracture one of our longest and strongest bilateral relationships in the world, turn one of the most pro-American countries in Europe against the United States, and potentially destroy our more than 76-year-old NATO alliance with Europe and Canada. No other country on earth has an alliance network like ours, and our adversaries are salivating at the opportunities that such a rupture would create for them to replace us. Our alliances are our single greatest geo-strategic advantage over competitors. Russia and China have nothing to compare

The net benefit to the American people of our alliance with Denmark and NATO has been manifest over decades of sustained support for advancing American interests, goals, and values. Denmark is frequently the first country to raise its hand in response to a new U.S. request for support in doing hard things, and it stays the course with us, even when the going gets tough.

Here are only some of the actions Denmark has taken to support U.S. security initiatives from the end of the Second World War to today:

• Denmark was one the twelve founding signatories of the NATO Treaty in 1949, bringing Greenland into the Alliance.

• Denmark provided medical care to wounded U.S. soldiers fighting in the Korean War, including conducting battlefield medical evacuations for the critically injured.

• Denmark participated in building a NATO partnership with the countries of the former Soviet Union after the end of the Cold War, including training Central Asian militaries for use in Partnership for Peace operations.

• Denmark contributed to the NATO air campaign against Serbia after the collapse of Yugoslavia and deployed combat forces as part of NATO’s peace enforcement missions in Bosnia and later Kosovo.

• Denmark was one of the very first allies to advocate for the first – and only – invocation of the Article 5 “attack on one is an attack on all” clause of the NATO Treaty immediately after September 11, 2001.

• Denmark joined the American-led military operation in Afghanistan, including deploying its troops into the most difficult regions such as Helmand Province without caveats and sustaining significant losses and injuries, with more troop deaths than any country other than the U.S.

• Denmark joined the American-led military operation in Iraq, contributing ground forces and training expertise, and without any caveats on use of its forces.

• Denmark participated in counter-ISIS efforts in Iraq, Syria, and elsewhere.

• Denmark participated in the NATO air campaign in Libya.

• Denmark participated in all NATO counter-piracy operations off the coast of Somalia, commanding naval task forces.

• Denmark participated in the removal of all declared chemical weapons from Syria, performing a key mission that U.S. forces were legally unable to undertake.

• Denmark has pharmaceutical companies that provide vaccines not currently manufactured in the United States to protect the American people against emerging pathogenic threats.

• Denmark has worked intensively with the U.S. both bilaterally and in NATO and the Arctic Council to counter Russian and Chinese pernicious activities in the Arctic, including with forces in Greenland.

• Denmark provides ongoing support to Ukraine, including being the lead country for providing F-16 aircraft. As a percentage of GDP, Denmark is the largest contributor of aid to Ukraine of any country in the world, far outstripping the U.S. and other major countries.

• Denmark cooperates intensively with multiple U.S. Federal agencies on disrupting violent homeland threats, including from state actors and from terrorists.

• Denmark was one of the first countries in NATO to recognize the importance of discussing China at NATO and strongly supported all U.S. efforts to deepen NATO’s relationships in the Indo-Pacific.

In sum, Denmark is the best kind of ally – one that has never missed an opportunity or shirked a responsibility to stand with the United States. Looking to an uncertain future, Denmark is exactly the kind of ally we need, both bilaterally and within NATO.

It makes no strategic or economic sense to upend this relationship at precisely the time when we need it more than ever. From Denmark’s entry into NATO in 1949 to the UN Charter, we have repeatedly and consistently recognized and accepted Denmark’s historic role in Greenland. Indeed, if we want to reopen long-settled precedents, this could prompt questions about our presence in a variety of our strategically significant overseas territories.

Threats to take over Greenland by force are all the more counterproductive because they are entirely unnecessary. Under the 1951 Greenland Defense Agreement and longstanding agreements with Denmark, the United States already operates Pituffik Space Force Base, which provides crucial missile defense early warning of potential attacks on the homeland, space surveillance, and Arctic domain awareness. Danish and Greenland officials have offered to discuss expanded strategic and economic cooperation with the United States – consistent with our close alliance – and NATO allies are also prepared to do more.

If the real reason underlying the threats to Denmark is concern about security in the Far North and Arctic region, let’s be clear: The best way to address those concerns is through NATO, not unilaterally. Seven of the eight Arctic nations are members of NATO, including Greenland. To deter threats to American security, the combined the strength, experience, training, and forces of all NATO countries will be far more effective than for the U.S. to do it alone, even if it somehow acquired Greenland. Far from strengthening U.S. security, musing about taking Greenland only weakens Alliance solidarity, undermines American credibility as a trusted ally, and diminishes deterrence.

In sum, NATO, including founding member Denmark, is a force multiplier for the United States in multiple dimensions, including providing us with access, basing, and troop contributions. So rather than break the bonds that give us unique legitimacy and capabilities, we should strengthen NATO’s presence in the region and reinforce the Alliance relationships that will enable us to secure our borders, protect our interests, and advance our values far into the future.

Statement co-signatories

Nicholas Burns, U.S. Ambassador to NATO (2001-2005); U.S. Ambassador to China (2021-2025)

Michael Carpenter, Senior Director for European Affairs, White House National Security Council (2024-2025); Ambassador to the OSCE (2021-2024); Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia (2015-2017)

Eliot Cohen, Counselor of the Department of State (2007-2009)

Ivo Daalder, U.S. Ambassador to NATO (2009-13)

Eric S. Edelman, Undersecretary of Defense for Policy (2005-2009); U.S. Ambassador to Turkey (2003-2005); U.S. Ambassador to Finland (1998-2001).

Daniel Fried, Ambassador to Poland (1997-2000); Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs (2004-2009)

Frank Kendall, Secretary of the Air Force (2021- 2025); Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics and U.S. National Armaments Director (2011 to 2017)

Jon Finer, Principal Deputy National Security Advisor, White House National Security Council (2021-2025)

Philip Gordon, National Security Advisor to the Vice President (2022-2025); Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs (2009-2013)

Douglas Lute, Lieutenant General, U.S. Army, Retired; U.S. Ambassador to NATO (2013-17); White House National Security Council Staff (2007-13)

James C. O’Brien, Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs (2023-2025)

Liz Sherwood-Randall, White House Homeland Security Advisor (2021-2025); Senior Director for European Affairs, White House National Security Council (2009-2013); Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia (1994-1996)

Julie Smith, U.S. Ambassador to NATO (2021-2024)

Thomas Wright, Senior Director for Strategic Planning, White House National Security Council (2022-25)