Denmark’s politicians are downplaying Trump’s claims of Russian and Chinese threats to Greenland. But Danish intelligence warned about Russia and China in stark terms.
While Denmark’s leaders downplay the threat to Greenland posed by Russia and China amidst President Donald Trump’s outspoken desire to acquire the frozen island, Denmark’s Danish Defense Intelligence Service (DDIS) recently released an assessment bluntly warning of Russian and Chinese military ambitions toward and expansion around Greenland and the Arctic.
Trump said last week that the U.S. needs Greenland “from the standpoint of national security” as he argued that the frozen autonomous territory owned by Denmark was “covered” with Russian and Chinese ships. Top Danish foreign policy and defense officials quickly sought to push back on Trump’s claims, claiming there are not Russian and Chinese ships near Greenland and going so far as to say that it is “delusional” to think Russia and China pose a threat to the massive frozen island.
Chinese propaganda outlets and its foreign ministry echoed the Danish denials and claimed the U.S. was acting out of a sense of self-interest, not based on security concerns.
But the “Intelligence Outlook 2025” report on the security of the Kingdom of Denmark, released just last month, had warned at great length that “China is preparing for a military presence in the Arctic” and that “China’s long-term Arctic interests include Greenland.” The report highlighted Chinese air-based, seaborne, and submersible activities in the Arctic.
The Danish intelligence report had further assessed that the militaries of China and Russia were collaborating more closely in the Arctic, displaying the growing “DragonBear” alliance between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The report noted that Russia “uses every available tool to monitor and chart the waters between Greenland, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, and the United Kingdom” as “part of the preparations for a potential confrontation with NATO” and as the Kremlin deploys submarines, ships, and planes near Greenland.
The U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence’s annual threat assessment in 2025 also detailed Russian and Chinese ambitions in the Arctic, specifically stating that both U.S. foes had specific strategic interests in Greenland. The Pentagon’s Arctic Strategy — penned in 2024 during the Biden Administration — also warned about growing Russian and Chinese military cooperation in the Arctic.
The Embassy of Denmark in Washington, D.C. did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
