Jake Saunders, Editor
Berlingske newspaper reported Sunday, citing Defense Ministry documents, that the US military has sought intelligence on Danish military bases, airfields, and ports in Greenland—sites that could potentially be used in an invasion of the island.
The report claims Washington has been gathering classified details about strategic facilities in Denmark’s autonomous Arctic territory, despite bilateral agreements that prohibit such actions.
This disclosure comes as President Donald Trump pushes to expand US influence over Greenland, the world’s largest island, rich in mineral resources but home to only about 56,000 people.
Trump insists Greenland is vital for countering Russia and China in the Arctic, a view rejected by Denmark, Moscow, and Beijing. His campaign has strained relations with European NATO allies, who oppose altering Greenland’s status and warn that US actions threaten both international law and alliance cohesion.
In retaliation against European resistance, Trump imposed tariffs on eight NATO members—Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands, and Finland—after they dispatched small military units to Greenland in symbolic defiance of his plans. The move heightened tensions further.
Analysts quoted by Berlingske expressed concern over the growing scope of US intelligence activity in the region. Danish officials are reportedly alarmed, suspecting the surveillance may be tied to political coercion or even preparations for a forceful takeover of Greenland.
Reacting to the revelations, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen told the Wall Street Journal he was deeply troubled, stressing that “we do not spy on friends.”
