Relationship dossier
Afghanistan
Denmark
Relationship assessment
A history of Danish military and development engagement, followed by uncertainty over direct ties after the Taliban’s return to power.
Afghanistan toward Denmark
+15Afghan governments cooperated with Danish forces and development efforts during Denmark’s engagement in Afghanistan. The extent of Taliban authorities’ subsequent direct engagement with Denmark is unclear.
Denmark toward Afghanistan
+35Denmark contributed military forces to the international mission in Afghanistan and provided development and humanitarian assistance. Denmark evacuated people from Afghanistan during the Taliban takeover in 2021 and has not recognized the Taliban authorities.
Overall relationship
+20The relationship was shaped by Denmark’s military and development partnership with successive Afghan governments, including cooperation during the international mission. The Taliban’s return to power in 2021 changed the political basis of that relationship, with Denmark withholding recognition and the scope of direct engagement thereafter unclear.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Afghan governments cooperated with Denmark during Denmark’s military and development engagement in Afghanistan. Denmark contributed forces to the international mission and provided development and humanitarian assistance. The relationship changed substantially after the Taliban returned to power in 2021; Denmark has not recognized the Taliban authorities, and the scope of subsequent direct government engagement is unclear.
Key developments
Denmark contributed forces to the international military mission in Afghanistan, including operations in Helmand.
Denmark ended its military contribution to the international mission in Afghanistan.
Denmark evacuated people from Afghanistan during the Taliban takeover.
Major uncertainties
- The extent of direct engagement between Danish officials and Taliban authorities after 2021 is unclear.
- The scale and terms of Danish assistance delivered through channels involving Afghan authorities are unclear.