US Chargé d’Affaires Summoned Over Espionage Allegations in Greenland

International Desk

Denmark’s Foreign Ministry has summoned the US Chargé d’Affaires over allegations of increased American intelligence activities in Greenland.

A report published in *The Wall Street Journal* claimed that US intelligence agencies had been instructed to show greater respect toward Greenland’s independence movement and the island’s mineral resources.

“This is extremely concerning. We do not spy on our friends,” said Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen, who is currently attending a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Warsaw.

He added, “The fact that those speaking out are not protesting strongly enough also worries us.”

The directive is believed to have been issued during former US President Donald Trump’s administration. The Trump government’s interest in acquiring Greenland has resurfaced in discussions, particularly due to the island’s vast mineral resources and strategic location.

US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard dismissed the report as a “politically motivated leak of classified information” but did not outright deny its authenticity. She stated, “This report is damaging to national security and democracy.”

While the Danish Security and Intelligence Service (PET) declined to comment on the matter, it informed the media that it had observed US interest in Greenland as “normal” but noted that the risk of espionage had increased due to growing international attention on the island.

Denmark’s government also strongly criticized US Vice President JD Vance’s visit to Greenland in March. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said, “This constitutes completely unacceptable pressure on Greenland and its politicians and people.”

Former President Joe Biden also criticized Trump’s remarks. In an interview with the BBC, he said, “No US president should make such statements. We stand for freedom and democracy, not acquisition.”

Greenland, the world’s largest island, has been under Danish control for three centuries. While the island governs its internal affairs, foreign and defense policies are decided in Copenhagen.

The US has maintained a military presence in Greenland for decades, dating back to World War II. However, recent interest in the island’s mineral resources and US strategic ambitions in the Arctic have become the primary sources of tension.