For the first time, Danish intelligence has identified the US as a potential security threat to the country under the Trump administration, amid ongoing geopolitical disputes over Greenland, Bloomberg reports.
Previously, US President Donald Trump suggested the possible annexation of the island. Such a precedent could have justified Russia’s seizure of Ukraine’s Crimea and legitimized the occupation. Denmark has also stated that Russia spread disinformation about Greenland to fuel hostility with the US.
US policy in Europe strengthens China and Russia
According to the intelligence report, uncertainty regarding the US’s role as a security guarantor for Europe increases the likelihood that Russia will intensify hybrid attacks against NATO, while China’s use of economic and military levers continues to challenge Western influence.
“The Baltic Sea region is the area where there is the greatest risk that Russia will use military force against NATO,” the intelligence noted.
In the forecast for 2025, published on Wednesday, the Danish Defense Intelligence Service (DDIS) stated that the US is increasingly prioritizing its own interests and “currently uses its economic and technological power as a tool of influence over allies.”
“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,” the report said.
The agency also highlighted the growing US interest in Greenland, which is a territory of the Kingdom of Denmark.
Russia and China remain key risks
The annual threat assessment by DDIS comes after repeated statements by Trump expressing a desire to take control of Greenland, which strained diplomatic relations between Copenhagen and Washington. The US president did not rule out seizing the Arctic island by force.
However, according to DDIS, Russia and China remain the main risks, and the overall threat facing Denmark “has become more serious.”
