The intelligence agencies of the United States have focused more closely in Greenland in recent weeks, which increased by the interest of President Trump in acquiring the island and the trip of vice president JD Vance to an American military base there, according to multiple Americans.
A growing number of intelligence reports on Greenland has been included in the information circulated in the Executive Power and Congress, officials said.
The increase in the analytical approach to a series of intelligence agencies occurs when Trump has repeatedly expressed his desire to acquire the island, saying that it is vital for national security. Greenland is strategically located in the Arctic circle and has large rare earth mineral stores.
Danish officials have negatively reacted to news reports on the intelligence collection intensified in Greenland, a territory of autogamy of the country. The United States ambassador to Denmark has been summoned to a meeting, the Danish government threatens to close a consulate and its Minister of Foreign Affairs condemned an effort from the United States to spy on Denmark, a NATO ally.
Some of the recent intelligence reports have focused on the Russian or Chinese interest on the island, current and previous officials said. They added that the White House was still concerned with the security of the Arctic and the invasion of China and Russia about US interests.
Much of the recent intelligence work seemed to be based on open source intelligence, not classified, some of the officials said.
The officials interviewed for this article talked about the condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of intelligence priorities and frequent threats of the investigations of leaks of the Trump administration.
It does not have a great change in the intelligence collection. Officials expect agencies to concentrate more in Greenland in the coming months, but do not anticipate a large realization of intelligence officers or recognition satellites to the island.
The population of Greenland is lowercase, around 57,000, and the redirection of the assets of collection of the priorities of the superior administration such as China or the southern border of the United States would be heavy, according to the officials.
Even so, they said they expected more work in Greenland and its population.
The Office of the National Intelligence Director sent a “message of collection emphasis” to several intelligence agencies last week, remembering the directors or the interest of Mr. Trump in Greenland. The memorandum, which was previously informed by the Wall Street Journal, requested information on the Independence Movement of Greenland and public attitudes about the extraction of US resources.
The former officials said that the collection of these priorities would probably imply a more detailed examination of open source intelligence instead of placing officers on the island to infiltrate political organizations.
There is significant support for independence in Greenland. While Denmark has control over Greenland’s policy and external defense, the island has significantly autonomy. But it depends a lot on Denmark, which provides subsidies that represent about 20 percent of Greenland’s gross domestic product.
After the magazine published their article, the officials said a escape investigation was underway. Tulsi Gabbard, director of National Intelligence, said in a statement that “Deep State actors” had published the information and were undermining US security.
Since he returned to the presidency, Trump has been constantly about his desire to acquire Greenland. “We need Greenland for national security and even international security, and we are working with all those involved to try to obtain it,” he said in his speech to Congress in March. “One way or another, we will get it.”