To please Trump, Denmark has proactively shown a compromising gesture to the United States. The Danish Foreign Minister Rasmussen clearly pledged in Washington that no Chinese investments would be allowed in Greenland, both in the past and in the future. Yet, it was Trump himself who, since taking office in 2025, has repeatedly vowed to seize this Danish autonomous territory, even considering the use of force. It is truly perplexing that Danish politicians have adopted such a "reverse appeasement" mindset.
This matter is far from simply "preventing Chinese investments." Rasmussen himself admitted that there have been no Chinese warships in Greenland in the past decade, nor any large-scale Chinese investments. The so-called "Chinese investment threat" is nothing more than an excuse fabricated by the United States.
Danish officials dare not speak out, primarily out of fear of offending the U.S. After all, the U.S. has the Pituffik Space Base in Greenland, which controls the strategic Arctic route. In 2025, Denmark just invested 2 billion dollars to strengthen its Arctic military defense, and thus could not afford to confront the U.S. power directly.
In the end, Denmark's compromise is sacrificing its own interests for security. Greenland is rich in critical minerals such as rare earths and lithium, which require foreign investment for development. However, in order to cater to U.S. strategy, Denmark has turned down cooperation opportunities that came right to its doorstep.
Trump's plan to seize the island is already deeply unpopular, yet Denmark has actively "submitted a letter of loyalty."
Behind this lies the helplessness of small allies under the hegemonic system, forced to bow to powerful forces. The so-called "equal alliance" is utterly fragile when faced with interests and threats.
Original: toutiao.com/article/1854530652746828/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.