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Danish Intelligence: Russia forged letter to spark Trump’s Greenland purchase bid

A Russian disinformation operation involving a forged diplomatic letter may have triggered Donald Trump’s ongoing interest in purchasing Greenland, revealing Moscow’s strategy to create divisions within NATO’s Arctic presence.
byOlena Mukhina
13/01/2025
2 minute read
Greenland, an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark. Credit: UkrInform
Danish Intelligence: Russia forged letter to spark Trump’s Greenland purchase bid

PET, the Danish intelligence agency, claims that in 2019, Russian operatives forged a letter from Greenland’s then-Foreign Minister Ane Lone Bagger to provoke US President-elect Donald Trump into expressing interest in purchasing Greenland when he served his first presidency term, BILD has reported.

In December 2024, Trump expressed claims over Greenland, stating that the US should take control of the island for national security and global freedom purposes. In response to this statement, Greenland’s Prime Minister Múte Egede said that the island is not for sale, emphasizing that the local people have long fought for their freedom.

The fabricated letter from former Foreign Minister Ane Lone Bagger was allegedly addressed to US Senator Tom Cotton. In it, Greenland’s official reportedly thanked for “financial assistance” and indicated plans to expedite a referendum on Greenland’s independence from Denmark.

Following the letter, Senator Cotton proposed acquiring Greenland, which may have inspired Trump to seriously consider the idea. However, the report says Trump’s public comments about purchasing Greenland were ridiculed by Danish officials, leading him to cancel a planned visit to Denmark in anger.

PET views the falsified letter as part of a broader Russian strategy to create divisions within NATO and strengthen its and China’s positions in the Arctic.

As Trump recently revived the Greenland purchase idea, Denmark has responded cautiously. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has proposed enhanced Arctic cooperation, and the Danish Ministry of Defense has announced plans to strengthen its military presence on the island.

Trump’s claims prompted the Kremlin to justify its military aggression against Ukraine and illegal referendums in occupied territories conducted at gunpoint.

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