A recent YouGov poll revealed that nearly half of the population in Denmark views the United States as a threat to their country. In a surprise twist, some of the respondents even considered the US to be a greater threat than Iran. The survey also revealed that a majority of Danes are opposed to America’s intentions to buy Greenland, the Arctic island currently under Danish control.
The research comes amid strained relations among the parties involved, particularly after US President Donald Trump showed interest in acquiring Greenland. About 57,000 residents occupy the island that is now in the grip of a strong campaign for independence.
In the survey, which asked more than 1,000, 46% consider the US either “a very big threat” or “a fairly big threat.” That compares to 44% for North Korea and 40% for Iran. But for the Danes, Russia still remains the biggest worry, at 86 percent, due to the ongoing war in Ukraine.
What’s more, fully 72% of those surveyed were against the sale to the US, adding that any decision on the same should be left to them, the people of Greenland, and not Denmark.
This poll comes days after the Danish head of state, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, toured European capitals to seek support against Trump after what she termed an “undiplomatic” conversation with the American head of state. “I want to make sure that all of Europe stands together, not just in connection with the kingdom of Denmark but also in general,” she said during her tour, pressing for a unified European response to the current US administration.
