Relationship dossier
Denmark
United States
Relationship assessment
Close security partnership, with occasional friction over Greenland
Denmark toward United States
+75Denmark has contributed forces to U.S.-led operations in Afghanistan and Iraq and has cooperated with the United States through NATO. In 2023, Denmark signed a bilateral defense cooperation agreement permitting expanded U.S. military access to Danish territory.
United States toward Denmark
+75The United States cooperates with Denmark on defense through NATO and the 1951 agreement governing U.S. defense of Greenland. In 2023, the United States signed a bilateral defense cooperation agreement with Denmark, providing for expanded U.S. military access to Danish territory. The 2019 proposal to purchase Greenland caused diplomatic friction.
Overall relationship
+75The relationship is anchored in sustained NATO and bilateral defense cooperation, including U.S. defense responsibilities in Greenland and Danish participation in U.S.-led operations. The 2023 defense cooperation agreement further deepened practical military ties. The 2019 Greenland purchase proposal was a notable disagreement, but did not displace the broader security partnership.
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
Denmark and the United States have a close, sustained security partnership, including cooperation through NATO, Danish participation in U.S.-led operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, and bilateral defense arrangements concerning Greenland and access to Danish territory. The relationship has also seen friction, notably in 2019 when President Donald Trump proposed purchasing Greenland and Denmark rejected the idea.
Areas of tension
- In 2019, Denmark rejected President Donald Trump's proposal to purchase Greenland, and Trump cancelled a planned visit to Denmark.
Key developments
The United States and Denmark signed an agreement concerning the defense of Greenland.
Denmark participated in U.S.-led military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.
President Donald Trump proposed purchasing Greenland; Denmark rejected the proposal, and Trump cancelled a planned visit to Denmark.
Denmark and the United States signed a bilateral defense cooperation agreement providing for expanded U.S. military access to Danish territory.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of the 2023 U.S.-Denmark Defense Cooperation Agreement may evolve.
- The extent to which disputes over Greenland affect broader defense cooperation is unclear.