Troels Lund Poulsen

Defence Minister Poulsen's Davos 2026 performance demonstrates crisis communications executed under pressure. His 398 quotes and 73.3% positive sentiment came while responding to Trump's provocative statements about acquiring Greenland - a situation that could have generated hostile coverage for Denmark.

The coverage timeline shows sustained attention across the full forum period, peaking on January 22 (129 quotes) as Greenland discussions intensified. His messaging struck a careful balance: thanking allies for 'standing up for Greenland and Denmark' while maintaining that one NATO state attacking another remained 'hypothetical.' This diplomatic threading allowed him to defend Danish sovereignty without escalating tensions.

German media's prominence among his sources - DIE WELT, Frankfurter Allgemeine, Frankfurter Rundschau, and Merkur.de - reflects European concern about Trump's NATO posture and solidarity with Denmark. Danish outlets Avisen.dk and Ekstra Bladet provided domestic amplification, while coverage extended to international outlets including Al Jazeera, Newsweek, and 7NEWS Australia.

Poulsen's push for greater NATO presence in the Arctic ('NATO should do more in the Arctic') transformed a defensive position into proactive policy advocacy. His careful statement that NATO Secretary-General Rutte could not negotiate on behalf of Denmark maintained Danish sovereignty while acknowledging alliance relationships. The near-total concentration on geopolitics (393 of 398 category mentions) shows his message discipline kept coverage focused on security rather than domestic political implications.