Denmark Wants Answers Following Report Of Us Spying In Greenland

Following reported spying by nan U.S. successful Greenland, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said Wednesday, May 7, that he’s summoning nan acting U.S. ambassador to Denmark. The move comes aft a report by The Wall Street Journal connected Tuesday, May 6, citing sources acquainted pinch nan matter, which revealed that nan Trump management ordered U.S. spy agencies to place residents who support Trump’s desire to annex nan semiautonomous island.

What did nan study say?

The WSJ reported that U.S. intelligence agencies were directed to “identify group successful Greenland and Denmark who support U.S. objectives for nan island.” The Journal additionally reports that nan bid instructed agency leaders successful a “collection accent message,” which is typically sent to assistance intelligence agencies successful prioritizing and directing resources to targets of “high-interest.” The Central Intelligence Agency and National Security Agency were among those reportedly included successful nan directive, which told leaders to show “Greenland’s independency movement” arsenic good arsenic “attitudes to American efforts to extract resources connected nan island.”

What happens now?

Rasmussen spoke to nan media during a gathering of EU overseas ministers successful Poland.

“I person publication nan article successful The Wall Street Journal and it worries maine greatly because we do not spy connected friends,” Rasmussen said. “We are going to telephone successful nan U.S. acting ambassador for a chat astatine nan overseas ministry to spot if we tin corroborate this information, which is somewhat disturbing.”

The Wall Street Journal said that it’s uncommon for nan U.S. to spy connected an ally, reserving specified action for dispute countries that are viewed arsenic a threat to America’s nationalist security. 

How is nan Trump management responding?

The U.S. State Department declined to remark connected nan report, saying it does not talk delicate intelligence issues. It deferred to a erstwhile remark from National Security Council spokesperson James Hewitt, who said that President Donald Trump has been very accordant successful his interest for nan information of Greenland and nan Arctic.

“The Wall Street Journal should beryllium ashamed of aiding heavy authorities actors who activity to undermine nan President by politicizing and leaking classified information,” Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said successful a statement. “They are breaking nan rule and undermining our nation’s information and democracy.”

Trump has continually vowed to annex Greenland, and has not ruled retired unit successful taking complete nan Danish territory. Vice President JD Vance besides visited nan island successful March. Shortly after, nan U.S. subject main successful Greenland was fired aft she sent an email to unit distancing herself from Vance, which nan Trump management said “undermined” nan vice president.

Ongoing negotiated dispute

The vow to annex onshore owned by a U.S. state created friction betwixt nan U.S. and leaders of Denmark and Greenland. They person stated that nan Danish territory is not for sale, and asseverate continued talks astir a U.S. takeover of nan land wounded their narration pinch nan U.S, declaring Greenlanders tin determine connected their ain future. A January poll shows that 85% of Greenlanders do not support a U.S. annexation of nan island. The astir 56,000 group who unrecorded location person entree to Denmark’s cosmopolitan wellness care, arsenic good arsenic different benefits of Danish citizenship.

Walking a good line

Denmark has tried to locomotion a good line, seeking to support a bully narration pinch nan U.S. while trying to snuff retired immoderate efforts to annex its land territory successful nan Arctic.

The Trump administration maintains that it’s not giving up connected annexing Greenland, and argues that it is captious to U.S. nationalist security.  The management is besides reportedly willing successful Greenland’s uncommon world minerals, arsenic good arsenic lipid resources. Trump’s goals person created a negotiated spat pinch Greenland and Denmark, arsenic some accepted friends now navigate an progressively rocky relationship.