Following reports that the U.S. was gathering intelligence on Greenland, and amidst President Trump’s continued suggestions of purchasing the Arctic island, Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen stated on Friday that “you cannot spy against an ally.”
“Cooperation regarding defense, deterrence, and security in Northern Europe is increasingly important,” Frederiksen told The Associated Press. “Therefore, spying on an ally is unacceptable.”
Frederiksen’s remarks come as Denmark and Greenland resist Trump’s interest in acquiring the autonomous Danish territory, emphasizing it is not for sale. Despite Denmark being a NATO ally, Trump has not dismissed the possibility of acquiring it by military force.
“I don’t rule it out. I’m not saying I’m going to do it, but I don’t rule anything out,” Trump stated earlier in the week during an interview on NBC News’ “Meet the Press.”
“We have a strong need for Greenland. Greenland has a small population, and we’ll take care of and cherish them. We need it for international security,” he added.
The Danish prime minister’s statement followed Denmark’s summoning of the top American diplomat in the country for an explanation regarding a Wall Street Journal report. The report detailed that high-ranking officials under the U.S. director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, instructed intelligence agency heads to gather information on Greenland and views regarding U.S. resource extraction on the island.
Jennifer Hall Godfrey, the acting head of the U.S. Embassy in Copenhagen, met with Danish diplomat Jeppe Tranholm-Mikkelsen at the Danish Foreign Ministry, but the details of their discussion were not released.
Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen told Greenland newspaper Sermitsiaq that the reports of U.S. espionage are unacceptable and disrespectful.
Last month, Nielsen stated that Greenland “will never be a piece of property that can be bought by anyone” and that “the United States’ discussions have lacked respect.”
Gabbard released a statement saying she had made three “criminal” referrals to the U.S. Justice Department over intelligence community leaks in response to The Wall Street Journal report, which cited two sources familiar with the matter.
“The Wall Street Journal should be ashamed of aiding deep state actors who seek to undermine the President by politicizing and leaking classified information,” Gabbard said. “They are breaking the law and undermining our nation’s security and democracy. Those who leak classified information will be found and held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
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