Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen announced on Wednesday that he will summon the US ambassador following reports from The Wall Street Journal about increased US espionage activities in Greenland.
Rasmussen described the article as “very disturbing, because friends do not spy on each other,” speaking from Warsaw, where an EU Foreign Ministers’ meeting is taking place. He emphasised the seriousness of the issue and the need for discussions with the ambassador at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, expressing a hope that the claims can be refuted and asserting Denmark’s position on the matter.
According to The Wall Street Journal, US intelligence agencies have been directed to gather more information on Greenland’s independence movement and their views on the exploitation of resources by the Americans. Additionally, they have been tasked with identifying individuals who support US objectives.
Tensions between Washington and Copenhagen have risen in recent months since US President Donald Trump made clear his desire to acquire Greenland. The largely self-governing island, with about 56,000 residents, has repeatedly expressed its wish not to become part of the United States. Officially, Greenland remains a part of the Kingdom of Denmark.
