Denmark's intelligence agency PET has uncovered evidence that Russian operatives orchestrated a sophisticated deception campaign in 2019, forging a letter that ultimately led to former US President Donald Trump's controversial bid to purchase Greenland.
According to PET's findings, Russian agents fabricated correspondence from then-Greenland Foreign Minister Ane Lone Bagger to US Senator Tom Cotton. The forged letter expressed gratitude for "financial assistance" and hinted at an upcoming independence referendum from Denmark.
The revelation comes as Trump recently renewed his interest in acquiring Greenland, stating in December 2024 that the US should control the island for national security purposes. Greenland's Prime Minister Múte Egede firmly rejected this notion, declaring that the territory is not for sale.
PET analysts believe the forged letter was part of a calculated Russian strategy to create rifts within NATO and expand Russian and Chinese influence in the Arctic region. Russia remains the leading source of global disinformation campaigns, according to Meta's latest Adversarial Threat Report. The fabricated correspondence apparently influenced Senator Cotton to propose acquiring Greenland, which may have sparked Trump's interest in purchasing the territory.
The original 2019 purchase proposal led to diplomatic tensions when Trump canceled a planned Denmark visit after Danish officials dismissed the idea. In response to recent developments, Denmark's government has taken precautionary measures, with Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen proposing stronger Arctic cooperation and the Defense Ministry planning to boost military presence in Greenland.
Moscow has seized upon Trump's renewed claims to justify its military actions in Ukraine and its conduct of illegal referendums in occupied territories.