The Danish government summoned the American ambassador to express its displeasure following a report that the Trump administration was increasing its surveillance activities in Greenland.
The Danish foreign ministry confirmed that Jennifer Hall Godfrey, the acting U.S. ambassador to Denmark, attended a meeting after a Wall Street Journal report indicated that U.S. intelligence agencies had been ordered to enhance their monitoring of Greenland, which is an overseas territory of Denmark. A representative from the Greenland government was also present at the meeting.
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen stated that the meeting aimed to make it “absolutely clear” that Denmark was unhappy with the situation, emphasizing that any efforts to create divisions within the kingdom would not be accepted. He refrained from discussing the details of the meeting's discussions.
President Trump has previously expressed interest in acquiring Greenland, reiterating in a recent NBC News interview that the U.S. “needs” Greenland for national security reasons and did not dismiss the possibility of using military force to secure it. Trump assured that Greenland's 56,000 residents would be “taken care of and cherished.”
However, a recent opinion poll indicated that most Greenlanders do not wish to join the United States. A visit in March by Vice President JD Vance and his wife reportedly did not improve perceptions among Greenlanders.
Officials from both Greenland and Denmark have indicated that they might consider closing the American Consulate in Nuuk, Greenland’s capital. Rasmus Jarlov, chairman of the Danish Parliament’s defense committee, criticized the consulate's activities as potentially subversive, stating it was meant to foster positive relations between Greenland and the U.S.
Despite calls to shut down the U.S. Consulate, Foreign Minister Rasmussen dismissed the idea, describing it as “a very far-reaching decision” and reaffirming that the United States is still “a very, very close ally of Denmark.”
The Wall Street Journal reported that officials under Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, had instructed agencies like the CIA and NSA to collect information on Greenland's independence movement and its attitudes towards American mining interests, while also identifying individuals in Greenland and Denmark who support U.S. objectives.
Matias Seidelin, a security analyst at OLFI, characterized the reported espionage as “a hostile act,” noting that such actions represent a breach of trust between allies. He pointed out that Denmark has relied heavily on the U.S. for security since World War II, requiring politicians to navigate the delicate balance of maintaining strong relations while addressing concerns over trust.
Denmark's intelligence service, PET, declined to comment on the specific allegations from the Wall Street Journal but stated that the country is facing its “most serious security policy situation since the end of the Cold War.” They highlighted an increased threat of espionage in light of American interest in the region.
Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen condemned the reports of U.S. espionage in Nuuk as “completely unacceptable,” “entirely abnormal,” and “disrespectful toward an ally,” reiterating that Greenland's stance on the matter had been made clear.