Danish Prime Minister Implicity Criticizes Trump At CPH:DOX Opening

CPH:DOX, the world-class documentary festival in Copenhagen, is underway – kicking off with the world premiere of a film that could not be more timely.

Facing War, directed by Tommy Gulliksen, examines the final years of Jens Stoltenberg’s 10-year stretch as secretary general of NATO as he confronted Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the prospect of Donald Trump – a tepid supporter of NATO at best – returning to the White House. Stoltenberg attended the premiere along with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, an indication of the importance of the occasion.

Stoltenberg, who left his post as secretary general last October, is seeing all he worked for — to strengthen the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in the face of an expansionist Russia — unravel under the Trump administration. The premiere happened amid reports the administration is considering surrendering a distinction the U.S. has held for the entire 75-year history of NATO – that of appointing a four-star American general as NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander in Europe (the first to occupy that post was Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower). At a Q&A with Stoltenberg and PM Frederiksen, the former secretary general was asked about those reports.

“I don’t know whether those rumors or those reports are correct or not, but I think we need to prepared for the probability that the United States may reduce [its] presence in Europe,” Stoltenberg responded. “That was something actually President Trump announced the last time he was president and it’s part of the message on burden sharing — the Americans feel that the Europeans are doing too little and that they’re doing too much in the cost of protecting Europe.”

The film shows Stoltenberg’s consistent and strong advocacy for Ukraine as it has dealt with a war of annihilation in which Russia has made targeting of civilians a key feature of its war plan. As secretary general he marshalled support for the embattled country and indicated backing for Ukraine’s bid to become a member of NATO. But just last month, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth ruled out offering NATO membership to Ukraine.

Journalist Adam Holm, who moderated the Q&A, asked Stoltenberg about that vital issue.

“We were closer to membership [for Ukraine] a year or two ago than we are now and that’s because it’s so clearly stated, especially from the United States, that that’s not something that they will support,” Stoltenberg said. “But I will not speculate about how, as I say, long into the future it’ll be before we can get Ukraine in. But I will say that at some stage we have to do what actually was alluded to in the film — that we need to provide Ukraine with some kind of security, and the ultimate and the strongest security we can provide Ukraine is NATO membership. So I think that the way actually to end the war in a stable and just way is to actually allow Ukraine into NATO. In the meantime, we need to find something else and that is to arm Ukrainians so they can protect themselves as much as possible.”

To general astonishment, Pres. Trump in February blamed Ukraine for its own invasion. And on February 28, the president attacked Ukrainian President Zelenskyy while sitting down with him for an Oval Office photo op and later threw him out of the White House. Trump, his Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his Defense Secretary Hegseth have all pressed Ukraine to give up territory in exchange for peace – a position that has been widely criticized as adopting Kremlin talking points.

Prime Minister Frederiksen could hardly have articulated a position on Ukraine and Russia more diametrically opposed to Trump’s.

“We have to be very clear that this war has never been about Ukraine. It’s the biggest mistake that some have put on the table, that this is about Ukraine. This is a war about Russia,” the prime minister told the audience at the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen. “Unfortunately, it’s a war about a Russia with imperial dreams and a willingness of killing people on their way to achieve the Russian goals on building a big empire again.”

Frederiksen added, “We have to admit that those who are fighting for all of us today — all the Europeans and actually all people around the globe believing in democracy and freedom, our values — they are struggling, they’re fighting and they’re dying for us. The least thing we can do is to ensure that they are able to defend themselves… We have to remove all red lines to ensure that Ukraine can actually push the Russians back. But I have to say that I believe that if we allow Russia to take Ukraine, they’re going to continue, they will continue in Ukraine and they will continue somewhere else in Europe. And that’s why this is a very, very fundamental question of do we allow an autocrat in the Kremlin to take decisions in democratic countries? Yes or no? And there can only be one answer to that question: Of course, absolutely, no.”

On Tuesday, Pres. Trump spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin, securing a promise from Putin to temporarily stop attacks on Ukrainian energy facilities.

“Almost immediately after hanging up, the Russians have been sending missiles and drones and they have been attacking Ukraine all night long,” Frederiksen said. “That’s the result of the phone call [Tuesday]. So, we need to see some changes in Russia, and we need to be able to believe that Russia actually wants peace.”

The PM continued, “I understand why everybody is thinking that peace sounds better than war — and there’s nothing that we want more than peace in Ukraine. But a peace made on the premise of Russia and not Ukraine can be more dangerous not only to Ukraine but to all of us. So, therefore, it has to be a peace that we can believe in, just peace, reliable peace, and peace that, of course, respects some of the very, very, very existential values in the modern world of sovereignty, territorial integrity and respect for the international known borders. And that’s not where we are at the moment.”

The moderator concluded by asking Stoltenberg about the “diplomatic key to unlock Putin’s iron stand.”

“It’s strength,” Stoltenberg answered. “And this idea that either you are in favor of diplomacy or you’re in favor of military capabilities — you need military capabilities in order to conduct meaningful diplomacy. It’s not either or.”

Stoltenberg, who served as Norway’s prime minister from 2005-2013, said it would be a mistake to strike an agreement that would see Russia keep its territorial gains in Eastern Ukraine.

“That will not bring peace. That’s occupation,” Stoltenberg reasoned. “The challenge is not actually to end the war, the challenge is to end the war in a way where Ukraine remains as a sovereign, independent nation. And the only way to get there is to convince President Putin that he will not win on the battlefield, he will not get what he wants on the battlefield in Ukraine. And the only way to get there is to arm the Ukrainians. So, the path to peace is weapons to Ukraine. That’s the message. That’s the reason why this film is important.”

Facing War is nominated for CPH:DOX’s main prize, the DOX:AWARD, “recognizing the best and most important new documentaries.” It screens again tonight at the Dagmar Teatret and numerous other times all the way to the festival’s closing day on March 30.