For the first time, a close European ally of the US has called it a "security risk" in response to President Donald Trump's insistence that Greenland should become an American territory, according to Bloomberg.
Trump first began expressing his desire to take control of Greenland during his first term, but his rhetoric escalated from the start of his second, falsely claiming that Greenland's residents were in favor of the idea and refusing to rule out the use of economic or military means to accomplish it.
Greenland is, however, an autonomous territory of Denmark, with Danish leaders repeatedly stressing that the island is "not for sale." Now, per a new report from Bloomberg, the Danish government has deemed the US to be a "security risk," both for its posturing about Greenland, and for its general efforts to use its global power to try and influence other nations. It represents a notable shift in strategy for a country considered a close ally of the US.
"The Danish Defense Intelligence Service — one of the two key espionage agencies in the Nordic nation — said the US is increasingly prioritizing its own interests and 'Now using its economic and technological strength as a tool of power, also toward allies and partners,' according to its 2025 intelligence outlook published Wednesday," Bloomberg's report explained. "The annual threat assessment of DDIS follows Donald Trump’s repeated suggestions he’d want to take control of Greenland, triggering diplomatic tensions between Copenhagen and Washington."
In the security report itself, Danish authorities said "the United States uses economic power, including threats of high tariffs, to enforce its will, and no longer rules out the use of military force, even against allies."
Despite this historic shift in concern over threats from the US, the report nonetheless said that China and Russia remain the primary threats to Denmark's security. However, it also stressed that "uncertainty about the US’ role as a guarantor of Europe’s security" made these threats, particularly from Moscow, even greater, per Bloomberg.
Additionally, the Danish government in the last year created a new "night watch" program, enlisting agents to monitor statements from the US and Trump for any mentions of Denmark or Greenland. These statements are compiled into a report and presented to Danish officials in the morning, allowing the country to keep tabs on the situation while accounting for timezone differences.