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Denmark’s former ambassador to NATO, veteran diplomat Michael Zilmer-Johns, has made harsh remarks about the Trump administration as Danish and U.S. officials prepare to discuss the future of the small European country. semi-autonomous territory of Greenland.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he would meet with Danish officials next week, but he did not say where or when. While Zlimer-Johns criticized the Trump administration’s stated intention to make the island the largest and strategically located island in the world part of the United Stateshe spoke pragmatically and hopefully about the future of the U.S.-Denmark relationship and the future of the transatlantic NATO alliance that the United States has led for decades.
Below are highlights from the CBS News interview with the Danish diplomat.
CBS News: About all this talk from the White House about taking Greenland, how do you feel?
Michael Zilmer Johns: Well, I was shocked, as I think almost all Danes and all Greenlanders were, because the United States has, in our opinion, everything it needs for its security in Greenland. There is a huge basis there. It has the potential to grow. We have a defense agreement specifically regarding Greenland, with the United States, dating back to 1951.
I’m angry because I think this is an affront to an ally who has stood with the United States in Afghanistan, Iraq and around the world. Wherever they asked us to participate, we did. So I think it’s totally ungrateful.
CBS News: Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warned that if Trump attacked Denmark to take Greenland, it would be the end of NATO. According to her, “everything is stopping, including NATO, and therefore the security established since the end of the Second World War.” As Denmark’s former representative to NATO, to what extent do you fear the end of NATO? »
Zilmer Johns: I am concerned, but I remain confident that ultimately better advice will prevail, that we will find some sort of agreement with the Trump administration on Greenland so that NATO can continue as it should. Either way, it will be a very different NATO, because it is clear that the Americans are withdrawing from Europe and Europe is going to step up its efforts. It will therefore be a more European NATO in the future. But I hope we can hold on.”
CBS News: There has been criticism that a possible use of military force by the United States would essentially amount to one NATO member against another NATO member over the nearly 80 years of this alliance’s existence. In your opinion, would the use of US military force trigger Article 5 (my addition: the mutual defense clause which states that an attack on any member is an attack on all 32 NATO countries)?
Zilmer Johns: I mean, it is of course absurd to have such a situation in which two NATO countries are engaged in a military conflict. If it was an external power doing this to Denmark, then of course that would trigger Article 5. In a situation where it was the most powerful member of NATO attacking little Denmark, I think that would be something that NATO could not engage in because it is a conflict within NATO and not between NATO and the foreign power.
I still find it very hard to imagine that we could see real combat between Danish and American soldiers. But of course, the Danish soldiers in Greenland have standing orders to defend the territory against any aggression.
But if that happened, ultimately I think the Danish government would tell the Danish troops to stand down because, of course, a military conflict between the world’s greatest military power and little Denmark is an inevitable outcome.
CBS News: Would an independent Greenland be able to defend itself against security issues and strategic adversaries? Here, China, Russia, like the White House, as President Trump said?
Zilmer Johns: Greenland has 60,000 inhabitants. It’s a huge land mass, the size of most of Western Europe, so of course it couldn’t do it alone. He needs a stronger partner. It could be Denmark, it could be the United States, but the Greenlanders themselves have said that if they become independent – and when they should – they will continue to be members of NATO.
CBS News: Right after World War II, the United States offered about $100 million in gold to buy Greenland from Denmark. Right now, with inflation, that’s about $12 billion to $13 billion. What do you think of this figure applied to Greenland in terms of value?
Zilmer Johns: I think that the very principle of the sale of Greenland is out of the question. This is what might have happened in a different time, where there were a lot of colonial powers and Greenland was a colony at that time and there were British colonies all over Africa. And we had sold the West Indian Islands to the Americans in 1916. So at that point, it wasn’t something inconceivable. But today, given the status of Greenland, this issue is simply not on the agenda. Whatever the amount, it would never be realistic, nor something anyone in Greenland could imagine.
CBS News: Is the White House imperial in its ambitions?
Zilmer Johns: I think you could put it this way. When you look at the new security strategy, when you look at what President Trump is saying about the Western Hemisphere and the need to control and expand the United States, it looks a lot like imperialism to me.
Traditionally, America was at the forefront of decolonization and forced Europeans to abandon their colonies, forcing them to do so or exerting pressure to do so. I don’t think this approach will continue after President Trump. Even if his MAGA movement or the Republicans should continue to control the White House. I think a lot of it is Trump’s personal approach, this anachronistic approach to colonialism, more to imperialism.
CBS News: Is there anything else you would like to add to the discussion points? A message for President Trump, a message for Americans?
Zilmer Johns: I would like to say that we are ready to cooperate with America in all aspects aimed at ensuring legitimate security interests in Greenland and its surroundings. And we invite you to do so. Thank you so much.
