US Denmark Greenland tensions

 US-Denmark Tensions Rise Over Alleged Greenland Espionage and Orsted Wind Farm Halt

Tensions between Denmark and the United States have escalated after reports suggested Washington may be attempting to interfere in Greenland’s political future. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen has summoned the US charge d’affaires in Copenhagen following fresh allegations of American intelligence activities on the island.

US Interest in Greenland’s Independence Movement

According to DR’s latest investigation, an American official visited Nuuk, Greenland’s capital, seeking to identify locals who might support a US-backed secession movement. The aim, sources suggest, would be to recruit them into a pro-independence push.

This follows a Wall Street Journal report in May, which revealed that US spy agencies were tasked with monitoring Greenland’s independence movement and public opinion on American mineral extraction plans. At the time, US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard did not deny the claims but accused the Journal of “undermining national security.”

Greenland’s Political Landscape

Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark since 1979, still relies on Copenhagen for foreign and defense policy. While most political parties support independence, they disagree on the timeline. Polls show that the majority of Greenlanders reject any idea of becoming part of the US.

In March, US Vice President JD Vance criticized Denmark during a visit to a US military base in Greenland, accusing it of failing to protect the Arctic region from Russia, China, and other powers interested in its mineral wealth and shipping lanes.

Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen, however, dismissed US ambitions in May:

> “We don’t belong to anyone else. We decide our own future.”

A Diplomatic “Yellow Card”

Analysts have described Denmark’s decision to summon the US diplomat as an unprecedented “diplomatic yellow card.” Jens Ladefoged Mortensen of the University of Copenhagen called Washington’s actions “shocking” given Denmark’s historically pro-American stance.

Orsted Wind Farm Halt Sparks Economic Fallout

The controversy comes as Denmark’s state-backed energy giant Orsted faces pressure from the Trump administration. The Revolution Wind Project—an 80% completed offshore wind farm near Rhode Island, designed to power 350,000 homes—was hit with a stop-work order last week.

President Donald Trump bluntly declared: “We’re not doing the wind.”

Shares in Orsted, which is 50.1% owned by the Danish government, dropped 16% following the order before recovering slightly. The company confirmed it has already installed 45 out of 65 turbines, but the future of the project remains uncertain.

Denmark Caught Between Climate Goals and US Pressure

With Washington targeting both Greenland’s political future and Denmark’s renewable energy sector, experts warn that relations between the two allies may be entering their most fragile period in decades.

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