Copenhagen – Denmark’s Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen summoned the top U.S. diplomat in Copenhagen on Wednesday following reports suggesting that U.S. citizens are conducting influence campaigns in Greenland, according to state broadcaster DR.
This development comes in response to allegations implicating at least three U.S. citizens associated with President Donald Trump and the White House in efforts to create discord between Denmark and Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory that Trump has suggested should belong to the United States.
What did the Danish FM say?
Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen stated,
“Any attempt to interfere in the internal affairs of the kingdom (of Denmark) will of course be unacceptable.”
“In this light, I have asked the ministry of foreign affairs to summon the American charge d’affaires (diplomat) for a conversation,” he continued.
How are influence campaigns targeting Greenland’s political landscape?
“These are men who travel back and forth between the US and Greenland and who are working to create what you might call a Greenlandic secessionist movement,”
stated Niels Fastrup, one of DR’s investigative reporters. He noted that these individuals are establishing networks, infiltrating groups, and compiling lists of individuals who either support or oppose Trump’s aspirations regarding Greenland. Additionally, the Danish Security and Intelligence Service in Greenland has reported that the territory has been under the influence of several campaigns.
Why does Trump want the United States to control Greenland?
U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed his desire for the United States to exert control over the mineral-rich Arctic island, citing national and international security concerns, and has not dismissed the potential for using force to achieve this goal. Moreover, there is a growing interest from the U.S. in enhancing its military presence on the island, which includes plans for installing radar systems to monitor the waters connecting the island to Iceland and the UK—a crucial route for Russian naval vessels and nuclear submarines, reports 24brussels.
