Denmark’s foreign minister has summoned a senior diplomat at the US embassy in Copenhagen over reports that US citizens were conducting influence operations in Greenland, Public Broadcaster Dr reported on 27 August.
The Danish government believes that at least three US citizens with ties to Donald Trump’s administration were involved in covert influence operations in Denmark, DR reported, citing unnamed sources. The broadcaster did not give the names of these people.
Foreign Minister Lars luke Rasmussen emphasised in a written comment to DR that any attempt to interfere in Denmark’s internal affairs would “of course be unacceptable”.
“I have therefore asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to summon the US chargé d’affaires (diplomat) for a conversation,” the minister said.
The US embassy and the White House have not yet commented on the situation. The Danish Foreign Ministry also did not officially inform about the summoning of the US diplomat.
According to the DR, the three Americans, among other things, compiled lists of Greenlanders who are favourable and unfavourable to President Trump’s plans to annex Greenland to the US.
Donald Trump has repeatedly expressed his favour for Greenland to be under US control in one way or another, or directly incorporated into the US. Both the Danish authorities and most of Greenland’s political forces reject this. Trump justifies his position on the grounds of US national interests, particularly in the security sphere.
Jens-Frederik Nielsen, who took office as Greenland’s prime minister at the end of March, shortly afterwards called on the islanders to unite to resist external pressure.
Nielsen is a supporter of Greenland’s independence and has repeatedly stated that the island has enough resources to develop its economy on its own.
During his first term as president (2017:2021), Trump has already favoured buying Greenland. But Denmark publicly turned him down before he began negotiations.
Greenland is the largest island on Earth. It is located in the north-east of North America and in terms of physical geography, it belongs to it. Politically, however, Greenland belongs to Europe and is part of the Kingdom of Denmark, together with a minority of islands, as an autonomous unit.