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       Moscow was behind a disinformation campaign alleging that a Danish lawmaker had sought Russian assistance amid Trump's threats to annex Greenland, Denmark's security services have said.

       The fake news operation first surfaced in January, when Donald Trump ramped up threats to seize control of Greenland, an autonomous territory belonging to Denmark.

       The US President alleged Denmark should cede the island to the US to "protect the free world" and threatened economic sanctions if it didn't, heightening tensions between Washington and Copenhagen and casting doubt over the integrity of the NATO Alliance.

       The Danish Defence Intelligence Service (FE) has now accused the Kremlin of using their disinformation operations to sow further division.

       Posts circulating on social media – and amplified by bots – claimed that Karsten H？nge, a Danish left-wing lawmaker, had asked Moscow to provide assistance to Denmark in order to prevent the US from annexing Greenland.

       Disinformation falsely claimed Danish PM had sought Russian help amid US's threats to Greenland Euronews 2025

       They included a doctored Facebook post allegedly published by H？nge, that said: "In a situation of extreme escalation and tension, we have to take extreme measures and ask for help from Russia to solve this problem."

       The fabricated post adds that it's certain the request "will be heard" because the prospect of Greenland becoming part of the US is "as unfavourable" to Russia as it is to Denmark.

       H？nge responded by firmly denouncing the claims as fake news.

       Copenhagen accuses Moscow of sowing division

       The Danish Defence Intelligence Service said that the fake post was first published by an "an influencer who has previously promoted Russia's agenda in Ukraine."

       With support from the French anti-disinformation agency, Viginum, they identified the influencer as a known actor who is part of a Moscow-backed operation.

       "The influence operation should be seen as part of the ongoing influence in which Russia is trying to create discord in the transatlantic relationship and undermine Western support for Ukraine," the FE said, adding that the disinformation was also attended to sway the result of Greenland's March general election.

       Greenlandic non-profit organisations are warning that the island is getting caught in the disinformation cross-fire as geopolitical tensions boil and that it is unprepared for facing these hybrid threats.

       Last December, a study found evidence of "hostile foreign actors" operating in Greenlandic Facebook forums, with the recent rapid advance of AI allowing actors to generate "convincing Greenlandic texts."

       Experts warn the territory is vulnerable to such campaigns due to its limited media landscape and the influence of social networks such as Facebook.

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       "Greenland's media landscape is small and resource-constrained. Unlike larger countries, where media organisations have dedicated teams for investigative journalism and fact-checking, Greenland's newsrooms operate on minimal staff and funding," researcher Signe Ravn-H？jgaard of the University of Greenland, recently said.

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       Nationalist candidate George Simion won the first round of Romania’s presidential election with some 40.1% of the vote, according to the preliminary results on Sunday.

       In a late-night political thriller, the official count saw the outsider independent candidate Nicu？or Dan come into second place and the run-off, leapfrogging the big-tent coalition candidate Crin Antonescu — a result shocking the traditional political establishment in the EU and NATO member state.

       The Simion vs Dan head-to-head is so unexpected that no one would have dared predict it six months ago.

       Pre-election polls all favoured Simion to win the first round. However, the result by Dan, the mayor of Bucharest, sent a clear message to the ruling coalition, which got together to nominate Antonescu as the main party’s candidate.

       Romania now faces a tough battle in the second round in two weeks, where it will have to choose between an inward, nationalist candidate and a pro-EU and pro-NATO one.

       Romanians voted for individuals, not parties

       After the initial exit polls showed Simion in the lead on Sunday, most party leaders and candidates announced they would wait for the final results. However, Simion had already declared a “victory for Romania’s dignity” and called for vigilance in counting the votes to prevent fraud.

       Simion has been riding an anti-establishment wave, fuelled by ultranationalist Calin Georgescu, the ex-presidential candidate whose victory in the cancelled elections in December 2024 has thrown Romania into unprecedented turmoil.

       Also, parts of Romania's diaspora showed strong support for Simion: 77% of Romanians voting in Italy and 80% of those in Spain backed the AUR party leader on Sunday, preliminary results show.

       He broke away from the traditional on-stage appearance next to other party leaders and supporters, opting for a Georgescu-style statement alone at a desk.

       “Today, the Romanian people have voted, the Romanian people have spoken. This is a victory of Romanian dignity, the victory of those who haven’t lost hope, of those who still believe in Romania, in a free, respected, sovereign country,” Simion said on Sunday evening.

       Simion, whose popularity has steadily risen in recent years, is a vocal critic of the EU, particularly its continued support of Ukraine. He also has a standing ban on entry to Ukraine and Moldova.

       Judging by the results, Romanians have chosen to vote for individuals, and not political parties, pointing to the failure of the big tent coalition — which included the centre-left PSD, liberal party PNL and the Hungarian minority party UDMR/RMDSZ — to inspire its supporters.

       According to Euronews Romania sources, the liberals have already lobbed accusations at the PSD of not doing enough to mobilise their voters across the country, especially in rural areas, to throw their weight behind the coalition candidate, Antonescu.

       Some 53% of Romanians went to the polls on Sunday, according to official figures, indicating higher interest among those eligible to vote than in the annulled election in December.

       For more updates, follow Euronews Romania’s live coverage on www.euronews.ro.

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       British counterterrorism officers have taken several Iranian men into custody over a suspected plan to launch an attack at an unnamed site in London, the Metropolitan Police confirmed on Sunday.

       The arrests were made on Saturday across different parts of England, with five men between the ages of 29 and 46 held on suspicion of preparing "a terrorist act".

       Four of those detained are Iranian nationals, while efforts to confirm the identity and nationality of the fifth individual are still ongoing.

       All five are currently being interviewed at police stations and have not been formally charged. Investigators are also carrying out searches at addresses in London, Manchester, and Swindon.

       Authorities said the suspected plot focused on a specific location, the details of which are being withheld “for operational reasons.”

       Commander Dominic Murphy, who leads the Counter Terrorism Command, said police are still trying to determine the motivation behind the suspected plot, as well as whether there is any ongoing danger to the public.

       In a separate case, police revealed that three other Iranian men — aged 39, 44, and 55 — were arrested in London as part of an unrelated investigation into a possible national security breach.

       Home Secretary Yvette Cooper described the arrests as a stark reminder of the need to remain vigilant in the face of evolving security challenges. Cooper said these are “serious events that demonstrate the ongoing requirement to adapt our response to national security threats."

       She added, “The government continues to work with police and intelligence agencies to support all the action and security assessments that are needed to keep the country safe,”.

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       While no direct link to Iran has been established in the main case, domestic security agency MI5 has warned of a growing danger from individuals or operations with ties to Tehran.

       In a statement last October, MI5 Chief Ken McCallum said that security services had disrupted 20 “potentially deadly” plots linked to Iran since 2022, many of which targeted dissidents based in the UK.

       He also warned that rising tensions in the Middle East could cause more hostile actions from Iran in the UK.

       In March 2024, Pouria Zeraati — a presenter at a Persian-language channel critical of Iran’s leadership — was stabbed outside his home in London. Two suspects were later tracked to Romania and arrested over the attack.

       The UK’s national threat level for terrorism remains “substantial”, meaning an attack is considered likely.