US envoy summoned over claims of interference in Greenland
COPENHAGEN, Denmark—Denmark’s foreign minister summoned the top US diplomat in the country for talks after the main national broadcaster reported on Wednesday that at least three people with connections to President Donald Trump have been carrying out covert influence operations in Greenland.
In a lengthy written statement, the US Department of State confirmed that the deputy chief of mission in Copenhagen, Mark Stroh, had met with Danish foreign ministry officials. It declined to comment “on the actions of private US citizens in Greenland.”
“The US government does not control or direct the actions of private citizens,” it said.
Right to own future
The department said Stroh had “a productive conversation and reaffirmed the strong ties among the Government of Greenland, the United States, and Denmark.” It said the US values its relationships with both Denmark, a Nato ally, and Greenland and noted that Trump and his top aides had all said they respect “the right of the people of Greenland to determine their own future.”
“We continue to foster engagement and cooperation with Denmark and Greenland to support increased security and prosperity for our nations,” it said.
Stroh is the second American diplomat to be summoned by a European Nato ally this week as the Trump administration shakes up its approach to foreign policy. France had called US Ambassador Charles Kushner to its foreign ministry after he sent a letter to French President Emmanuel Macron alleging the country did not do enough to combat antisemitism.
3 Americans
Trump has repeatedly said he seeks US jurisdiction over Greenland, a vast, semiautonomous territory of Denmark. He has not ruled out military force to take control of the mineral-rich, strategically located Arctic island.
Denmark and Greenland have said the island is not for sale and condemned reports of the US gathering intelligence there.
Public broadcaster DR said Danish government and security sources that it didn’t name, as well as unidentified sources in Greenland and the United States, believe that at least three American nationals with connections to Trump have been carrying out covert influence operations in the territory.
One of those people allegedly compiled a list of US-friendly Greenlanders, collected names of people opposed to Trump and got locals to point out cases that could be used to cast Denmark in a bad light in American media, the broadcaster reported. Two others have tried to nurture contacts with politicians, businesspeople and locals, according to the report.
DR said its story was based on information from a total of eight sources, who believe the goal is to weaken relations with Denmark from within Greenlandic society. It said it had been unable to clarify whether the Americans were working at their own initiative or on orders from someone else. It said it knows their names but chose not to publish them to protect its sources.
The Associated Press (AP) could not independently confirm the report.
“We are aware that foreign actors continue to show an interest in Greenland and its position in the Kingdom of Denmark,” Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said in a statement. “It is therefore not surprising if we experience outside attempts to influence the future of the Kingdom in the time ahead.”
“Any attempt to interfere in the internal affairs of the Kingdom will of course be unacceptable,” Rasmussen said.
