US Embassy in Copenhagen removes flags honoring fallen Danish soldiers, angering veterans

By Caitlin Danaher, CNN

(CNN) — The US Embassy in Copenhagen has angered Danish veterans by removing flags honoring soldiers killed in Afghanistan from an area outside the building.

Video shared by Danish media outlet TV2 showed a security guard removing the flags honoring the 44 Danish soldiers who died in the conflict from planters located outside the embassy on Tuesday.

The Danish Veteran Association slammed the move as “unnecessary and insensitive” in a statement on social media Wednesday. Carsten Rasmussen, national chairman of the association, said he understood the angry reaction but urged a measured response. “When they go low, we go high — and we respond with calm, dignity, and consideration,” he said.

A US State Department spokesperson told CNN the placement of the flags was not coordinated with the US Embassy staff in Copenhagen and that the embassy was unaware of the flags’ significance.

While the placement of such items is not generally prohibited, flags, banners and signs are often cleared by guard staff at the end of their shift “as a general rule,” the spokesperson added.

“Additional flags subsequently placed are currently in place and will remain so,” the spokesperson said.

A spokesperson for the US Embassy in Copenhagen told Danish broadcaster TV 2 that there was “no malicious intent in removing the flags.” The spokesperson added that the embassy has the deepest respect for Danish veterans and those who have contributed to common security, TV2 reported.

Danes responded by placing hundreds more flags in front of the American Embassy, according to video shared by TV2.

The latest diplomatic spat between the two nations came after President Donald Trump roiled NATO allies last weekend when he baselessly claimed that the alliance’s troops “stayed a little back” from the front lines in Afghanistan.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said in a social media post on Sunday that Trump’s comments were “intolerable,” adding that Denmark suffered one of the highest losses per capita in comparison to NATO allies.

The relationship between Copenhagen and Washington has soured in recent weeks after Trump renewed his demands for the annexation of Greenland, the vast autonomous Arctic territory ruled by Denmark.

Tensions reached a fever pitch last weekend when Trump threatened to impose tariffs on European nations. He withdrew the threat after announcing he reached a “framework” on a future deal for the island following a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.

The details of the framework have not yet been revealed, but Trump’s hostile posturing and unpredictability have rattled Denmark, Greenland and their European allies.

CNN’s Kim Norgaard contributed to this report.

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