POLITICS

Denmark says it will summon a US diplomat over report on increased US intel gathering in Greenland

May 8, 2025, 2:44 AM

FILE - Denmark's Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen listens to speakers during a meeting after a...

FILE - Denmark's Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen listens to speakers during a meeting after a ceremony to mark the 25th Anniversary Nordic Embassies in Berlin, Germany, Monday, Oct. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi, File)
Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS

(AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi, File)

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Denmark says it will summon the top U.S. diplomat in the country for an explanation following a Wall Street Journal report about the United States stepping up intelligence gathering on Greenland, a semi-autonomous Danish territory coveted by President Donald Trump.

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen told broadcaster DR outside a meeting Wednesday with colleagues in Poland that Denmark would summon the U.S. chargé d’affaires to seek a “rebuttal” or other explanation following the report.

The Journal, citing two people familiar with the U.S. effort that it did not identify, reported that several high-ranking officials under the U.S. director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, had directed intelligence agency heads to learn more about Greenland’s independence movement and sentiment about U.S. resource extraction there.

The U.S. Embassy did not immediately respond to emails from The Associated Press on Thursday seeking comment on whether the U.S. diplomat in Copenhagen, Jennifer Hall Godfrey, had received a summons. The Danish Foreign Ministry, in an email, did not comment beyond referring to Rasmussen’s remarks.

Rasmussen, who has previously over its criticism of NATO ally Denmark and Greenland, said the information in the report was “very worrying” and “we don’t spy between friends.”

“We are looking at this with quite a lot of seriousness,” he added.

Greenland’s prime minister said last month that U.S. statements about the mineral-rich Arctic island have been disrespectful and it “will never, ever be a piece of property that can be bought by just anyone.”

In a visit to the island last month, Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said, addressing the United States during a visit to Greenland that “you cannot annex another country,” even with the argument made by U.S. officials that international security is at stake.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said Washington will respect Greenland’s self-determination and alleged that Greenlanders “don’t want to be a part of Denmark.”

Politics

FILE - The Supreme Court at sunset in Washington, Feb. 13, 2016. (AP Photo/Jon Elswick, File)Credit...

Associated Press

Trump asks Supreme Court to allow him to end humanitarian parole for 500,000 people from 4 countries

WASHINGTON (AP) — Trump administration on Thursday asked the Supreme Court to allow it to end humanitarian parole for 500,000 people from four countries.

4 minutes ago

FILE - Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., speaks to a reporter near the Senate chamber at the Capitol in W...

Associated Press

What to know about John Fetterman, the Pennsylvania Senator who talks about mental health

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman, the lawmaker known for his unconventional and irreverent brand of politics, is in the news again after a blowup at a closed-door meeting with union allies and former staff aides who aired concerns about his mental health. Fetterman’s life and political career have been upended the past […]

17 minutes ago

President Donald Trump gestures as he speaks with reporters after announcing a trade deal with Unit...

Associated Press

Overhaul of the troubled US air traffic control system will revolutionize the industry, Trump says

Amid safety concerns from a spate of plane crashes and near misses, President Donald Trump said Thursday that a planned massive overhaul of the U.S. air traffic control system will revolutionize flying. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy was expected to reveal details of the multibillion-dollar plan Thursday afternoon following recent deadly crashes and technical failures that […]

23 minutes ago

President Donald Trump, center, with from l-r., Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Vice President J...

Associated Press

What’s in the US-UK trade deal? A broad agreement with limited details

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration announced a trade deal with the United Kingdom Thursday in grandiose terms, but with only limited details about what it will achieve. The agreement will open up the British market to American beef, ethanol, and other agricultural products, the White House said. It will also allow British cars and […]

32 minutes ago

Associated Press

Trump’s tariffs have launched global trade wars. Here’s a timeline of how we got here

NEW YORK (AP) — Long-threatened tariffs from U.S. President Donald Trump have plunged the country into trade wars abroad — all while on-again, off-again new levies continue to escalate uncertainty. Trump is no stranger to tariffs. He launched a trade war during his first term, taking particular aim at China by putting taxes on most […]

45 minutes ago

Former U.S. President Joe Biden speaks at the Advocates, Counselors, and Representatives for the Di...

Associated Press

Joe Biden blames Kamala Harris’ loss on sexism and racism, rejects age concerns

NEW YORK (AP) — Former President Joe Biden says he’s responsible for Donald Trump’s victory last fall, but he attributed Kamala Harris ‘ loss, at least in part, to sexism and racism. Biden, who left office in January, addressed the Democrats’ disastrous 2024 election, concerns about his age and Trump’s divisive leadership during a Thursday […]

1 hour ago

Denmark says it will summon a US diplomat over report on increased US intel gathering in Greenland