August M
A dispute has erupted in Copenhagen after the U.S. Embassy removed Danish flags placed outside its building to honor fallen soldiers. The incident has sparked political criticism and prompted an explanation from the embassy.
The developments were reported in a live update by TV 2 News.
Flags raised
On Tuesday, Danish veterans placed 44 Danish flags in flower boxes along a public road outside the U.S. Embassy. The flags were meant to commemorate the 44 Danish soldiers who lost their lives during the war in Afghanistan.
The action followed remarks by former U.S. President Donald Trump, who last week criticised the efforts of allied forces in Afghanistan during an interview with Fox News.
Flags removed
Shortly after the flags were put up, embassy staff removed them. The flags had been placed on what veterans described as public land directly outside the embassy premises.
The removal quickly drew reactions from Danish politicians and veterans’ groups.
Political backlash
Jens-Kristian Lütken, Copenhagen’s Mayor for Health and Care from the Liberal Party, said he was deeply frustrated by the embassy’s actions.
“We have often looked to the Americans for how they honour their veterans,” he told TV 2. “Now they are pissing on our veterans.”
Lütken stressed that Denmark fought alongside the United States in Afghanistan, Iraq and other conflicts, adding that Denmark lost as many soldiers per capita in Afghanistan as the U.S.
Calls for apology
The mayor said he hoped the embassy would issue an apology and describe both the removal of the flags and recent statements about Danish soldiers as “completely unacceptable.”
He also said he expects Copenhagen’s Mayor for Technology and the Environment to investigate whether the embassy had the legal right to remove the flags, given that they were placed on public land.
Embassy response
In a written reply to TV 2, the U.S. Embassy said the situation would have been handled differently had the purpose of the flags been clear.
“If the embassy management had been aware of the purpose of this action, we would have instructed that the flags should remain standing,” the embassy wrote.
The statement marked the first detailed explanation from the U.S. side since the incident.
Sources: TV 2 News
