United States to ‘step up espionage’ on Denmark and Greenland as part of takeover goal

American newspaper the Wall Street Journal reports that the US is set to increase espionage activities in Denmark and Greenland in line with the stated objective of the Trump administration of taking control of the territory.

The WSJ story is based on two sources which it says are “familiar with the effort”. The US administration has asked its intelligence services to increase activities in Greenland, according to the report.

High-ranking officials under US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard last week issued a “collection emphasis message” to intelligence-agency heads, in which they were directed to learn more about more about Greenlandic independence movements and views on American resource extraction, the newspaper writes.

That involves US intelligence identifying persons in Greenland and Denmark who support US goals for the territory.

The directive is “one of the first concrete steps Trump’s administration has taken toward fulfilling the president’s often-stated desire to acquire Greenland,” the WSJ writes.

A spokesman from the US National Security Council told the WSJ that the White House doesn’t comment on intelligence matters but repeated Trump’s line that his interest in Greenland is related to security concerns.

Gabbard attacked the WSJ in a statement to the paper, claiming it was “aiding deep state actors who seek to undermine the President by politicizing and leaking classified information.”

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In a statement to news wire Ritzau, Denmark’s police intelligence agency PET said it had no comment on the article but had “naturally” taken note of American interest in Greenland.

“It is PET’s view that, on the basis of American interest and raised international focus on Greenland, there is a raised general threat of espionage and threat of manipulation from foreign states against Denmark as well as Greenland,” it said in the written statement.

PET is in close dialogue with authorities in Greenland over the threat and will introduce necessary security messages on an ongoing basis, it added.

A 1951 defence agreement between Denmark and the United States gives the Americans extensive access to Greenland, including being able to freely increase their military presence on the territory.

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Greenland is an autonomous part of the Kingdom of Denmark. This means that while Greenland has authority over most domestic matters, areas including foreign and security policy remain under Danish control.

The WSJ report comes after months of repeated statements from US President Donald Trump vowing to take control of Greenland.

Vice President JD Vance visited the US military base Pituffik in March, where he criticised Denmark, saying it has not done enough for regional security in Greenland.

The country’s secretary of state, Marco Rubio, has also commented on the matter, reaffirming US hopes that the territory will eventually become part of the US.

Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen, and Greenland’s former and current prime ministers Múte B. Egede and Jens-Frederik Nielsen have all criticised the Trump administration’s advances.

Nielsen has called Trump’s threats “disrespectful”, saying Greenland is not a territory to be bought.

Both Frederiksen and King Frederik have visited Greenland in recent weeks, while Nielsen travelled to Denmark in a show of unity between Copenhagen and Nuuk.

Polls in Greenland have found a large majority opposes becoming part of the US. A majority of Greenlanders want eventual independence from Denmark.