US threatens to annex Greenland - 2025/2026

[Rikissa]

If something isn't dangerous, and it is placed in a public area outside a US embassy, do the embassy staff have the right to remove it?

Well, it appears that the staff at the US embassy in Copenhagen did consider Danish flags with the names of Danish soldiers fallen in Afghanistan placed outside the embassy area as a threat to USA.

Staff at the US embassy in Copenhagen have removed 44 flags decorated with the names of Danish soldiers that were killed in Afghanistan, put up after US President Donald Trump’s recent criticism of allied countries’ military contributions.

US embassy removes flags with names of fallen Danish soldiers | Euractiv

Copenhagen's mayor for environmental affairs, Line Barfoed called the move "disrespectful"

www.euractiv.com

 

[Herat]

If something isn't dangerous, and it is placed in a public area outside a US embassy, do the embassy staff have the right to remove it?

Well, it appears that the staff at the US embassy in Copenhagen did consider Danish flags with the names of Danish soldiers fallen in Afghanistan placed outside the embassy area as a threat to USA.

US embassy removes flags with names of fallen Danish soldiers | Euractiv

Copenhagen's mayor for environmental affairs, Line Barfoed called the move "disrespectful"

www.euractiv.com

I am ashamed at reading this.

Very much ashamed.

 

[Gators North]

I wonder, why did the President name it "The Golden Dome" when gold, (granted, while not gallium or mercury) is a very soft and structurally weak metal? Why not The Titanium Dome or better yet, The Chrome Dome, steel and chromium, two of the strongest metals on Earth. Just some thoughts.

How about calling it the Don Dome lol?

 

[Gators North]

The US missile defence and deterrence system is becoming obsolete due to advancements in stealth missile systems from China and Russia. I do not believe that the US is concerned about Canada or Greenland, but only the airspace above those countries. If the US could intercept a missile in Canada or Greenland airspace, I do not believe the US would care how that impacted either country.

Alternatively, is the plan to build the dome on Greenland and Canada Arctic borders, but the US also wants to own that land? That's another problem, since neither Canada nor Greenland will allow the US to buy, or take, pieces of their country.

The US says that Canada needs to pay $71B for the "bogged down" project, even though the project appears to have limited benefit for Canada. The US also says that Greenland must belong to the US, again with limited benefit to Greenland.

Clearly there are serious problems with the project if the US needs money from Canada and land from Greenland (where the US is free to set up a military base as needed). The Dome project should have a plan that does not rely on other countries beyond approval to use airspace or to lease land for a military base.

Personally, I don't think the technology exists to extend the Iron Dome from current range of roughly 180 miles to roughly 2200+ miles (distance Canada-US border to Canada Northern border). A similar distance is needed to reach Greenland. (see google maps: distance tool). The goal is to detect missiles at the time they are launched in Russia and China.

Bottom line, if the US builds their Dome, Canada will automatically be covered regardless of paying for it.

"Canada will need to pay US$71 billion to be included in the Golden Dome defence system, U.S. President Donald Trump revealed Monday."​

June 2025

Trump raises the price for Canada’s inclusion in the Golden Dome defence system

Canada will need to pay US$71 billion to be included in the Golden Dome defence system, U.S. President Donald Trump revealed.

www.ctvnews.ca

"While Trump himself may have his own motivations, the U.S. defence establishment is genuinely worried about recent developments in Russian nuclear weapons technology, including stealthy hypersonic missiles and nuclear torpedoes that could target U.S. ports.​

​

Fears that American missile defence and deterrence are being rendered obsolete are the impetus behind Golden Dome."​

...​

Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles that nuclear adversaries would fire at each other take the shortest direct route on a ballistic trajectory from their silos or launchers to targets. The shortest flight paths from China or Russia to the United States — and the other way — would take many of them over the Arctic region."​

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/icebreaker-pact-canada-finland-united-states-9.7061953

January 25, 2026

Can it save Israel from an Iranian attack? Capabilities of David’s Sling system

Israel’s David’s Sling is a mid-tier air defence system capable of intercepting missiles up to 300 km away. Developed with the US, it uses hit-to-kill Stunner interceptors to stop cruise and ballistic missiles.

www.wionews.com

Why should Canada have to pay anything for this? Seems kind of ridiculous to me. Your project - you pay for it. MOO

 

[Gators North]

I am ashamed at reading this.

Very much ashamed.

Me too.

 

[Herat]

How about calling it the Don Dome lol?

Dumb Dome

*there, I fixed it.

 

[otto]

First it was Canada that had to recognize that the relationship with the US is permanently altered, now the EU has arrived at the same conclusion. Although the US government backed away from military aggression against Greenland, the damage is done.

"The recent geopolitical tug-of-war over Greenland is, according to French President Emmanuel Macron, "a strategic wake-up call for all of Europe." He said this in a joint statement in Paris with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen.

This wake-up call highlights the need to strengthen European sovereignty, contribute to Arctic security, and resist foreign interference and disinformation. Combating climate change also plays a crucial role in this.

In addition, the French President reiterated France's solidarity with Greenland's territorial independence.
...

"The transatlantic relationship is dead. We must draw the necessary conclusions from this," said Charles Michel, former President of the European Council and former Belgian Prime Minister, on the French-language channel RTL-TVi.
...

After Trump threatened to take Greenland militarily, the European Council convened an emergency meeting, but that summit proved unnecessary when Trump suddenly withdrew the threat.

Michel believes that Europe "must become more radical and swift in the way we take action for ourselves." "If you smile in diplomacy after the first blow, you'll get a second, and then a third," said Charles Michel."

https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/liveblog/frans-president-macron-benadrukt-solidariteit-met-groenland-ge~1768395068931/

 

[sds71]

STOCKHOLM, Jan 29 (Reuters) - Denmark's King Frederik will travel to Greenland during the week starting February 16, he told journalists on Thursday.

https://twitter.com/x/status/2016881267451568286

 

[Rikissa]

I am ashamed at reading this.

Very much ashamed.

There was a reply with even more Danish flags:

358K views · 10K reactions | The US embassy in Copenhagen removed 44 flags honoring Danish soldiers killed in Afghanistan. The flags had been placed after President Donald Trump criticized allies' military contributions. Hundreds of new flags were la

The US embassy in Copenhagen removed 44 flags honoring Danish soldiers killed in Afghanistan. The flags had been placed after President Donald Trump criticized allies' military contributions....

www.facebook.com

 

[otto]

There was a reply with even more Danish flags:

358K views · 10K reactions | The US embassy in Copenhagen removed 44 flags honoring Danish soldiers killed in Afghanistan. The flags had been placed after President Donald Trump criticized allies' military contributions. Hundreds of new flags were la

The US embassy in Copenhagen removed 44 flags honoring Danish soldiers killed in Afghanistan. The flags had been placed after President Donald Trump criticized allies' military contributions....

www.facebook.com

Another article about the same incident:

"Earlier this week, the US Embassy in the Danish capital, Copenhagen, removed 44 Danish flags that had been placed in flower boxes near the building. The flags symbolized the 44 Danish soldiers who died in Afghanistan.
...

The flags were placed by veterans in response to statements made by US President Trump, where he said that NATO soldiers held back during the war in Afghanistan and "stayed away from the front lines."
...

The Speaker of the Danish Parliament and former Minister of Defense Søren Gade called the action "unacceptable." Gade said he hoped it was a mistake.
...

According to the US State Department, it is customary for security personnel to remove flags, banners, and signs left behind by protesters.

Former soldiers and other Danes have replaced the flags."

Deense vlaggetjes weggehaald bij Amerikaanse ambassade in Kopenhagen

De 44 vlaggen waren geplaatst als herinnering aan in Afghanistan omgekomen Deense soldaten, nadat president Trump zei dat NAVO-troepen "wegbleven bij de frontlinie".

nos.nl

 

[Rikissa]

According to the US State Department, it is customary for security personnel to remove flags, banners, and signs left behind by protesters.

I can understand if flags, banners, and signs are left just outside an embassy building, and that those objects could hinder passage to the building. In this case the large flower pots are several metres from the embassy building, and belongs to the City of Copenhagen, not to the US embassy. Those flower pots line both sides of the street.
Interestingly, the street outside the embassy is "Dag Hammarskjölds Allé", named after the late Secretary-General of the United Nations.

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

maps.app.goo.gl

 

[otto]

I can understand if flags, banners, and signs are left just outside an embassy building, and that those objects could hinder passage to the building. In this case the large flower pots are several metres from the embassy building, and belongs to the City of Copenhagen, not to the US embassy.
Interestingly, the street outside the embassy is "Dag Hammarskjölds Allé", named after the late Secretary-General of the United Nations.

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

maps.app.goo.gl

Of course - if there was a peaceful protest and flags were strewn on the ground at the entrance to the US Embassy, clean it up.

This was something entirely different, where a War Memorial with flags was put on display in flower boxes near the US embassy. The US has no reason or right to interfere with Danish citizen flower boxes. Over-stepping.

 

[Rikissa]

OT - the bus stop outside the Russian embassy in Stockholm was officially renamed in June 2023 to "Fria Ukrainas plats" (Free Ukraine Square", as well as the park just outside the embassy. I don't know if the embassy has protested the name change or chosen to keep quiet, but they do see the park every dag from their windows.

Hållplatsen vid Rysslands ambassad har bytt namn

Alla som åker 1:an och 56:an ska påminnas om Sveriges villkorslösa stöd åt Ukraina. Det var budskapet när Fyrverkarbackens hållplats på Kungsholmen bytte namn till Fria Ukrainas plats.

www-mitti-se.translate.goog

 

[SouthAussie]

The Danish royal household announced "His Majesty the King will visit Greenland" from February 18 to 20 in a short statement on Thursday (Friday morning AEDT).

"The King is expected to arrive in Greenland's capital, Nuuk, on Wednesday 18 February," the statement said.

King Frederik announces royal tour to Greenland amid US takeover concerns

honey.nine.com.au

 

[Rikissa]

The Danish royal household announced "His Majesty the King will visit Greenland" from February 18 to 20 in a short statement on Thursday (Friday morning AEDT).

"The King is expected to arrive in Greenland's capital, Nuuk, on Wednesday 18 February," the statement said.

It would be interesting if he was to bring his two youngest children (15-year-old twins) with him, as they were given four names, and one is Greenlandic.

 

[Rikissa]

The Trump administration isn't popular in Denmark. Danish veterans in protest outside the US embassy. The protest was shown live on a Danish newspaper site. Lots and lots of red and white. The Dannebrog (Danish flag) have been a symbol for Denmark for 806 years!

Danish veterans protest outside U.S. Embassy over Greenland, combat contributions

Danish veterans are furious at the White House's rhetoric, which disregards Greenland's right to self-determination, a territory of NATO ally Denmark.

www.cbsnews.com

 

[Mo Thuairim]

‘Under pressure’: Greenland’s PM gains fans at home and abroad after his rebuke of Trump

Jens-Frederik Nielsen, impressed Danes with his handling of the crisis but he says many Greenlanders are ‘afraid and scared’

... The 34-year-old was sworn in last April after winning a surprise election victory fought against the backdrop of Donald Trump’s threats to acquire his homeland. Those threats morphed into a full-blown crisis this year when, fresh from his seizure of Nicolás Maduro from Caracas, the US president reiterated his desire for Greenland and initially refused to rule out taking it by force.

... A key moment in Nielsen’s handling of the rapidly escalating crisis came in January, on the eve of a tense meeting in Washington DC with the US vice-president, JD Vance. “If we have to choose between the US and Denmark here and now,” he said, “we choose Denmark, Nato and the EU”.

Aqqaluk Lynge, a veteran of Greenlandic politics who co-founded the party Inuit Ataqatigiit (IA), said shortly afterwards it was the moment Greenlanders had been waiting for. “I don’t know if I could have done that when I was his age,” he told the Guardian...

‘Under pressure’: Greenland’s PM gains fans at home and abroad after his rebuke of Trump

Jens-Frederik Nielsen, impressed Danes with his handling of the crisis but he says many Greenlanders are ‘afraid and scared’

www.theguardian.com

 

[otto]

Bottom line - the US government is making numerous, unnecessary threats today against Canada and Greenland in relation to a complex, yet-to-be-built Integrated Air and Missile Defence (IAMD) (a.k.a. gold dome). Sweden's Gripen jets can be integrated into NORAD. They have a shorter, but wider missile detection range. It sounds like US F-35s and Swedish Gripens would work well together with greater success, but the US has made threats against Canada for considering a split fleet of F-35s and Gripens.

The Golden Dome is where Canada's F-35 debate and Trump's Greenland threat meet: Two of the most important defence policy issues facing Canada have a common thread

"James Fergusson, one of Canada's leading experts on the North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD) and missile defence, has watched with dismay the seemingly never-ending drama surrounding Canada's F-35 purchase and, lately, U.S. President Donald Trump's obsessive "need" to annex Greenland for Arctic security purposes.

What is poorly understood and often drowned out is how those two policy issues intersect on the road to Trump's Golden Dome missile defence plan.
...

"I think the U.S., through their analysis, has perhaps arrived at the conclusion that to have an efficient, effective missile defence capability for North America, that having assets, missile defence assets, in Greenland would be a good idea," said retired major-general Charles (Duff) Sullivan. "I must add that the U.S. already has the ability to improve or increase or augment their military capabilities in Greenland. That agreement is already in place."

While Trump calls it the Golden Dome, we call it — more benignly — Integrated Air and Missile Defence (IAMD).
...

The system is, however, a complex, yet-to-be-built web of satellites, radar stations (including over-the-horizon radar), ground and sea-based missile batteries (think Patriots and NASAMs) and fighter jets (think F-35s and F-22s)."

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/f35-greenland-canada-missile-defence-9.7069059