25-04-2025
Denmark accuses Russia of Greenland disinformation campaign
US President Donald Trump has expressed his ambitions to control Greenland, insisting Washington needs control of it for security reasons. PHOTO: AFP
COPENHAGEN - Danish intelligence on April 25 accused Russia of being behind a disinformation campaign which falsely claimed that a Danish lawmaker was seeking Russian aid to prevent the US from annexing Greenland.
Social media posts circulated in January claimed that the Danish member of parliament Karsten Honge wanted to prevent Denmark's autonomous territory of Greenland from breaking free from Denmark and said his country should ask Russia for help.
The posts included a doctored image showing a Facebook post by Mr Honge, which the politician quickly denounced as 'fake news' in a post to X.
The Danish Defence Intelligence Service (FE) said on April 25 that in their assessment Russia was behind the campaign.
'The fake post originally came from an influencer who has previously promoted Russia's agenda in Ukraine,' FE said.
Fake social media posts claimed that lawmaker Karsten Honge had called for Russian help to stop the US annexing Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory.
PHOTO: X
It added that it had received information from the French anti-disinformation authority, Viginum, that the influencer 'is part of an influence network acting on behalf of the Russian state.'
FE said the campaign 'should be viewed as part of the ongoing influence operation in which Russia is trying to create a rift in the transatlantic relationship and undermine Western support for Ukraine.'
It added that it was less likely that the campaign was intended to affect the outcome of the Greenlandic election held in March.
US President Donald Trump has expressed his ambitions to control Greenland, insisting Washington needs control of it for security reasons.
He has refused to rule out the use of force to secure the Arctic island, straining relations between Washington and Copenhagen. AFP
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