Danish intelligence has noted that Washington is prioritizing its own interests amid growing rivalry in the Arctic and heightened interest in Greenland
For the first time, the United States has been identified as a potential security concern in Denmark’s annual intelligence assessment, which points to a more assertive U.S. push for its Arctic interests and renewed pressure regarding Greenland.
Greenland, a semi-autonomous Danish territory with a population of under 60,000, has emerged as a key point of tension between Copenhagen and Washington. U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly expressed his desire to bring the island under U.S. control, describing it as a strategically critical asset due to its Arctic location and mineral resources, and he has not ruled out the use of military force to achieve this goal.
In its annual public risk evaluation released on Wednesday, Denmark’s intelligence agency FE stated that the global order is growing more conflict-prone, as major nations are using economic, technological, and military tools more assertively to advance their national objectives. Alongside its analyses of Russia and China, the report featured a new section named ‘The US is changing the agenda’, which noted that Washington is increasingly focusing on its own interests and “now using its economic and technological strength as a tool of power, also toward allies and partners.”
Beyond tariff-related pressures, the U.S. “no longer rules out the use of military force, even against allies,” the agency added.
This language represents a significant shift for the NATO member country, whose security has historically relied on the U.S.-led military alliance. FE also highlighted increasing uncertainty about how Washington will strike a balance between its strategic priorities in the years ahead—including the sustainability of the U.S.’s role as Europe’s primary security guarantor. Trump has repeatedly called on the alliance’s European members to take primary charge of their own security, including by significantly increasing military spending.
FE noted that the intensifying great-power competition in the Arctic has drastically boosted international focus on the region. “This is especially true of the United States’ growing interest in Greenland and its significance to U.S. national security,” the agency stated.
Denmark, which sees renewed U.S. pressure regarding Greenland as a direct threat to its sovereignty, has responded by bolstering its Arctic defense and expanding military and civil on the island.