Podcast Summary: Amanpour – Former Danish PM Helle Thorning-Schmidt

Date: January 22, 2026
Host: Christiane Amanpour
Guests: Helle Thorning-Schmidt (Former Danish Prime Minister), Sia Mak Namazi (former Iranian-American prisoner), Bishop Rob Hirschfeld, others

Episode Overview

This episode of Amanpour delves into three major global stories:

• The recent crisis over Greenland and its geopolitical implications for Denmark, Greenland, the US, and Europe—with insights from former Danish PM Helle Thorning-Schmidt.
• Harrowing coverage of Iran's brutal crackdown amid internet blackouts, featuring testimony from eyewitnesses and Iranian-American former prisoner Sia Mak Namazi.
• The fallout from the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown in Minnesota, with a conversation between Bishop Rob Hirschfeld and Michelle Martin about the church's response to mounting political and moral challenges.

The episode weaves together questions of sovereignty, international law, humanitarian crises, democracy, and the moral obligations of individuals and nations.

Segment 1: Crisis Over Greenland – Interview with Helle Thorning-Schmidt

(00:56 – 16:25)

Current State of the Crisis

• President Trump drops tariff and military threats against Denmark and Greenland after reaching a security agreement with NATO.
• Details of the deal remain unclear, but Greenland’s sovereignty is affirmed and NATO/EU solidarity highlighted.
• Christiane Amanpour interviews former Danish PM Helle Thorning-Schmidt for in-depth perspective.

Key Points & Insights

• On Emotional and Political Engagement:

  “Yes, I have been deeply engaged and always deeply engaged in these matters for the Kingdom.” (04:27, Thorning-Schmidt)
  The former PM stresses the Greenland issue is of vital national and personal significance.

• Why the Situation Improved:

  • Trump’s rhetorical reversal: No invasion or coercion of Greenland.
  • Crisis reframed as a defense issue, not a minerals grab—easier for Denmark/NATO to manage.
  • Shifted from bilateral US-Denmark/Greenland dispute to a pan-European and NATO concern.

• On Sovereignty and Negotiation:

  “Of course, the NATO Secretary General... hasn’t entered into any negotiations around sovereignty or the territorial integrity for Greenland or the Kingdom of Denmark.” (06:19, Thorning-Schmidt)
  Only Denmark and Greenland can decide their fate, but the process now involves broader European and NATO cooperation.

• Standing United:

  “As soon as President Trump made this a European problem … there was no going back from Europeans working together.” (08:47, Thorning-Schmidt)

  • Europe presented a unified front, reinforcing international law, sovereignty, and mutual defense.
  • Denmark’s PM and foreign minister conducted diplomatic rounds across Europe to strengthen alliances.

• Next Steps and Concerns:

  “Let’s not forget that Greenland belong[s] to the Inuit people, belong[s] to the Greenland people. … nothing should be decided without… the Greenland government being part of those decisions.” (10:40, Thorning-Schmidt)

  • Call for European/Danish/Greenlandic task force to coordinate further, recognizing local voices and sovereignty.
  • Acknowledges the crisis isn't “blown over”—“the embers are still there.” (10:40, Thorning-Schmidt)

Notable Quote

"The fire might have been extinguished, but the embers are still there." (10:40, Thorning-Schmidt)

Segment 2: Ukraine and European Unity

(11:55 – 15:08)

• Ongoing Ukraine crisis as a core concern, intersecting with Arctic/Greenland tensions.
• President Trump and Zelenskyy meet; talks with Russia planned.
• Divergent European perspectives on unity:

  • Zelenskyy:

    “Europe remains a beautiful but fragmented kaleidoscope of small and middle powers instead of taking the lead in defending freedom worldwide.” (12:36, Zelenskyy)

  • Thorning-Schmidt’s Response:

    “It would have been so easy … to engage in some kind of random peace where Russia had won rather than justice for Ukraine. … Despite that, we have actually managed to stick together.” (13:02, Thorning-Schmidt)

  • Recognizes Europe’s limitations but affirms continued support for Ukrainian justice.

Segment 3: Gaza, Humanitarian Access, and the “Board of Peace”

(14:31 – 16:21)

• President Trump announces plan for a “Board of Peace” for Gaza, possibly rivalling the UN.
• New Israeli restrictions on NGOs in Gaza.
• Helle Thorning-Schmidt, as CEO of Save the Children, delivers a moral plea:

  “I'm urging the Americans … to get NGOs and humanitarian organization[s] to get on to the ground in Gaza. … Push the Israelis to get medical aid and humanitarian organizations into Gaza.” (15:08, Thorning-Schmidt)

Segment 4: Iran’s Digital Blackout and Violent Crackdown

(16:26 – 33:16)

Special Report: “The Night Iran Went Dark”

• On January 8th, internet blackouts suddenly descended across Iran as protests—sparked by economic grievances—intensified into anti-government uprisings.

• CNN features wrenching testimony from an escaped protester and visual records of the regime’s violent operations:

  “The blood was all over the street. … I saw two layers of dead bodies … minimum 1,500 up to 2,000 just in one warehouse. … Many [were] children's.” (19:12–19:37, Kira, protester)

  “They were shooting at us from the top of the building… aiming with lasers and the shooters were shooting people in the face. They massacred people.” (20:00, Kira, protester)

• New regime tactics: live ammunition, military-grade weaponry deployed to major urban centers.

• Regime frames violent crackdown as defense against “foreign agitation” (Israel, US).

Quote

“Everywhere we have had witness testimonies, they have been doing it the same way, you know, using live ammunition, military grade weapon with the aim of killing as many as possible, even those injured on the ground.” (21:33, Mahmoud Amiri-Muhaddam, activist)

Interview: Sia Mak Namazi on Iran’s Regime

(24:02 – 35:42)

• Namazi, held for almost eight years in Evin Prison, shares his view:

  • Iran’s regime is “a hollowed out shell… a kakistocracy, defined as rule of those least qualified to rule.” (27:52, Namazi)
  • The only remaining source of power: mass murder and terror.

• Comparison with 1979 Revolution:

  “The Shah, for all his faults, left the country instead of… slaughtering people. The Islamic Republic has no such compunctions.” (26:14, Namazi)

• On the collapse of the regime and the bleak outlook for democracy:

  “Regime collapse is likely. Democracy is not.” (27:52, Namazi)

• Inside Insight on Iranian Governance:

  • The state functions as a mafia-like network with competing underbosses—corruption ubiquitous.
  • “Every sector… resembles a Ponzi scheme… the numbers are astounding.” (33:33, Namazi)
  • Iranian banks “are all bankrupt,” propped up by cyclical fraud and inflated asset values.

Segment 5: Immigration Crackdown and Clerical Response

(37:42 – 52:34)

ICE Detentions and Moral Crisis

• As the Trump administration expands aggressive ICE tactics in Minnesota, even young children (including 5-year-old Liam Ramos) are being swept up.
• Rising public protest and outrage.

Michelle Martin Interviews Bishop Rob Hirschfeld

• Hirschfeld calls on clergy to prepare for “a new era of martyrdom”:

  “I've told the clergy… to get their affairs in order… because it may be that now is no longer the time for statements, but for us with our bodies to stand between the powers of this world and the most vulnerable.” (42:09, Hirschfeld)

• Defends peaceful protest and moral witness:

  “We have freedom of assembly. We have freedom of speech. Those are not crimes. They shouldn’t be in this country.” (49:06, Hirschfeld)

• Responds to critics, including the Department of Homeland Security and White House:

  “The cross… is always foolishness. … it's always going to upset those who have weapons at their disposal… But to stand alongside those who find themselves vulnerable… is part of our tradition.” (47:28, Hirschfeld)

• Frames ‘martyrdom’ broadly—from risking one’s life, to enduring loss of reputation for standing against oppression.

Segment 6: Healing and Witness through Art

(52:34 – End)

• Kyiv-based Veterans’ Theater: Ukrainian war veterans create their own adaptation of Virgil’s Aeneid as therapeutic performance.

• Oscar-nominated films:

  • Cutting through Rocks—a documentary on female resistance in rural Iran.
  • The Voice of Hindrajab—a Gaza-set drama featuring a real recording of a Palestinian girl’s plea for life.

  “Her voice was so alive, so immediate, that the feeling I had… was unbearable. … I can give space at least for this little girl to be remembered and to be heard.” (Closing, Kaouther Ben Hania)

Notable Quotes

• Helle Thorning-Schmidt:

  • “Everything that the Americans could want in Greenland is actually accessible to them without coercion or invasion.” (06:19)
  • “We must not forget that… there is a strong voice that needs to be heard from the Greenlanders.” (10:40)

• Volodymyr Zelenskyy:

  • “Europe remains a beautiful but fragmented kaleidoscope…” (12:36)

• Protester in Iran:

  • “The blood was all over the street. … Many of them [were] children.” (19:37)

• Sia Mak Namazi:

  • “It is a regime that… has absolutely no problem murdering people. … It's a khakistocracy, defined as rule of those least qualified to rule.” (27:52)

• Bishop Rob Hirschfeld:

  • “It may be that now is no longer the time for statements but for us with our bodies to stand between the powers of this world and the most vulnerable.” (42:09)

Important Timestamps

• [03:57] – Helle Thorning-Schmidt joins for in-depth interview
• [10:40] – Discussion of Greenland sovereignty and pan-European response
• [12:36] – Zelenskyy’s critique of European unity
• [15:08] – Thorning-Schmidt’s plea for humanitarian access to Gaza
• [16:26] – “The Night Iran Went Dark” special report
• [24:02] – Interview with Sia Mak Namazi on Iran’s regime
• [42:09] – Bishop Hirschfeld on “a new era of martyrdom”
• [49:06] – On free speech and protest in America

Tone and Style

The episode is urgent, candid, and uncompromising, combining diplomatic insight, human rights testimony, and moral challenge. Christiane Amanpour’s style remains probing yet empathetic, giving space for personal accounts and direct appeals from her high-profile guests.

For Listeners Who Missed the Episode

This episode masterfully connects the dots between global politics, humanitarian crises, and the search for justice and moral clarity. From the diplomatic drama over Greenland to the brutal realities on Iranian streets, and the question of courage in the face of state power—Amanpour offers a timely, multi-layered examination of our current precarious moment.