Denmark has summoned the top US diplomat in the country following reports that American citizens with alleged links to President Donald Trump have been involved in covert influence activities in Greenland, reigniting tensions over the Arctic territory’s future.
Danish Response
Foreign minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said attempts by “foreign actors” to influence Greenland’s political direction were “unacceptable.” He called in Mark Stroh, the chargé d’affaires at the US embassy in Copenhagen and Washington’s most senior representative in Denmark, for a meeting at the foreign ministry.
Rasmussen stressed that it was vital for both Greenlanders and Danes to “gain some insight into this so that our people know what it is that we risk being up against.”
Allegations of Covert Activity
The move follows a report by Danish broadcaster DR, which claimed that at least three US citizens with ties to the Trump administration had been gathering information and running influence operations in Greenland.
Denmark’s intelligence service, PET, confirmed that Greenland was currently the target of influence campaigns, adding that such efforts aimed to “create a split in the relationship between Denmark and Greenland.”
Although Danish officials emphasized that the three individuals appeared to be acting in an amateur capacity, and no evidence linked them directly to US intelligence, the reports have fueled political unease.
Political Reactions
Former foreign minister Martin Lidegaard warned that the revelations showed “the whole misery over Greenland is not over,” adding that the affair placed a “heavy strain” on US-Danish relations.
Aaja Chemnitz, a Greenlandic member of Denmark’s parliament, condemned the alleged actions: “It is beyond a joke that they try to infiltrate Greenland’s society in this way. It is Greenland itself who must decide what we want and what future we want.”
The controversy comes against the backdrop of Trump’s repeated suggestions that the US might seek control over Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark, and his refusal to rule out the use of force to achieve this.
Wider Context
Earlier this year, the Wall Street Journal reported that a classified message had been sent to US intelligence agencies instructing them to identify Greenlanders and Danes supportive of Trump’s ambitions for the island. Denmark had already summoned the US diplomat in May following that revelation.
The latest dispute also coincides with strained business relations. Just days before the new allegations, the Trump administration ordered a halt to work on an almost-completed offshore wind farm co-owned by Ørsted, a move that unsettled Danish industry. Officials in Copenhagen, however, denied any connection between the decision and the Greenland controversy.
Meanwhile, Denmark is also confronting historic grievances in its relationship with Greenland. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen on Wednesday issued a formal apology to thousands of Greenlandic women who were forcibly fitted with contraceptive coils over several decades, acknowledging the “anger and sorrow” the policy had caused.
Strategic Importance of Greenland
Greenland, with a population of just 57,000, has long been viewed as strategically vital due to its location in the Arctic and its natural resources. While some Greenlanders favor independence, surveys suggest most are cautious about severing ties with Denmark because of economic concerns.
