Nordic diplomats have rejected US President Donald Trump’s claims that Russian and Chinese naval vessels and submarines are operating near Greenland, saying there is no evidence of such activity in recent years, according to a Financial Times report.
Diplomats with access to NATO intelligence briefings said no Russian or Chinese ships or submarines have been detected near Greenland’s waters, countering Trump’s assertions. One senior Nordic diplomat said bluntly that the claims were “simply not true” and that there were 'no ships, no submarines'. Another added that any such foreign naval activity is restricted to the Russian side of the Arctic, not around Greenland.
Trump has repeatedly stated that Russian and Chinese vessels are active near Greenland, a strategic and mineral-rich territory of Denmark, and has used the claim to argue that the United States must control the island to keep other powers out.
However, Denmark and Nordic officials dispute this narrative, with Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen calling the image of foreign ships near Greenland 'not correct.' Vessel-tracking data from MarineTraffic and LSEG also show no presence of Chinese or Russian ships near Greenland’s coast.
In response to the controversy, Greenland’s assembly has moved up a meeting to discuss how to address growing US statements about exerting control over the autonomous territory. Many of Greenland’s roughly 57,000 residents aim for eventual independence, and the renewed push from the U.S. has raised significant concern among locals.
This development is part of broader tensions between the U.S. and its Nordic allies over the future of Greenland and the accuracy of assertions regarding foreign military presence in Arctic waters.
