SpyTalk Battlefield Greenland
Jan 23, 2026
Jacob Kaarsbo, former senior Danish intelligence officer and author of Subverted, explains why Greenland suddenly became a geopolitical flashpoint. He discusses Trump’s designs, MAGA-linked influence operations and efforts to stir Greenland separatism. He also covers NATO strains, European moves toward defense independence, and the role of disinformation and foreign actors in Arctic politics.
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Episode notes
Arctic Presence Is Overstated
- Kaarsbo says Chinese and Russian naval presence near Greenland is overstated and mostly business-driven for China.
- He notes no Chinese warship has been around Greenland in over ten years and Chinese moves were largely commercial and blocked.
Trump Undermines NATO Norms
- Kaarsbo says Trump's rhetoric undermines NATO's founding values by disregarding territorial integrity and allied norms.
- He warns Europe cannot rely on U.S. treaty commitments if that mindset persists.
Europe's Defense Dependency Risk
- Europe imports over 70% of its defense equipment from the U.S., which Kaarsbo says is now a vulnerability.
- He predicts Europeans will increasingly buy only what they cannot produce domestically to avoid U.S. political leverage.
