Denmark PM Condemns Alleged U.S. Spying on Greenland: “You Cannot Spy Against an Ally”
Oslo, Norway – May 9, 2025
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has issued a stern rebuke to the United States following reports that U.S. intelligence agencies have intensified espionage efforts targeting Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark. Speaking to The Associated Press on Friday during a Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) summit in Oslo, Frederiksen declared, “You cannot spy against an ally,” emphasizing the breach of trust between NATO partners.
The controversy stems from a Wall Street Journal report alleging that high-ranking officials under U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard issued a “collection emphasis message” directing agencies, including the CIA, NSA, and Defense Intelligence Agency, to gather intelligence on Greenland’s independence movement and public sentiment toward U.S. resource extraction. The report prompted Denmark to summon the acting U.S. ambassador, Jennifer Hall Godfrey, for an explanation on Thursday. A representative from Greenland’s government, Naalakkersuisut, also attended the meeting, underscoring the unified stance of the Danish kingdom.
Greenland, a mineral-rich Arctic island with a population of approximately 56,000, has been a focal point of U.S. interest due to its strategic location and vast natural resources. U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly expressed ambitions to acquire Greenland, citing national security and economic interests, and has not ruled out military force to achieve this goal, despite Denmark’s status as a NATO ally. In a recent NBC News interview, Trump stated, “I don’t rule out anything,” adding that Greenland is “vital for U.S. national security.”
Frederiksen, while acknowledging the importance of defense cooperation in Northern Europe, called the spying allegations “rumors” but stressed that such actions, if true, are unacceptable. “Cooperation about defense and deterrence and security in the northern part of Europe is getting more and more important,” she said. “Of course, you cannot spy against an ally.”
Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen echoed Frederiksen’s sentiments, labeling the reported espionage “completely unacceptable” and “disrespectful” in comments to Greenland’s Sermitsiaq newspaper. Nielsen, who assumed office last month, has been vocal about Greenland’s sovereignty, stating in April that the island “will never, ever be a piece of property that can be bought by just anyone.”
The diplomatic spat follows a controversial March visit by U.S. Vice President JD Vance to a U.S. military base in Greenland, which Frederiksen described as exerting “completely unacceptable pressure” on Greenlandic leaders and residents. The visit, accompanied by then-National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and Energy Secretary Chris Wright, was widely criticized by Danish and Greenlandic officials. A recent opinion poll indicated that while many Greenlanders support independence from Denmark, there is little appetite for U.S. control.
Nordic and Baltic leaders expressed solidarity with Denmark at the Oslo summit. Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre rejected suggestions that the Arctic operates under a different legal framework, stating, “Sovereignty applies. And Greenland is a part of the Kingdom of Denmark.” Finnish President Alexander Stubb added that the pressure on Denmark and Greenland “doesn’t feel right.”
In response to the Wall Street Journal report, Gabbard’s office did not deny the allegations but condemned the leak of classified information, announcing three “criminal” referrals to the U.S. Justice Department. Gabbard accused the newspaper of “aiding deep state actors who seek to undermine the President.”
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen, who described the report as “very worrying,” emphasized that “we don’t spy between friends.” Speaking in Warsaw earlier in the week, he noted that the summoning of the U.S. diplomat aimed to seek a “rebuttal or other explanation” and warned against efforts to “drive wedges into the unity of the kingdom.”
The incident has reignited tensions over Greenland’s future, with Denmark planning to invest $1.5 billion to bolster the island’s security. As the Arctic grows in strategic importance due to melting sea ice and new shipping routes, the U.S. maintains a military presence on Greenland under a 1951 defense agreement. However, Trump’s aggressive rhetoric and the spying allegations have strained relations with a key ally.
Former U.S. President Joe Biden, in a recent BBC interview, condemned Trump’s approach, questioning, “What president ever talks like that?” and asserting that U.S. policy should focus on “freedom, democracy, opportunity, not confiscation.”
As diplomatic efforts continue, the row underscores the delicate balance between alliance and sovereignty in the Arctic, with Greenland’s fate at the heart of an escalating international debate.
By [Your Name], with contributions from Associated Press and Reuters