Washington has dismissed Danish concerns after Copenhagen summoned a top US diplomat over alleged covert influence operations.
Washington has told Copenhagen to “calm down” after the US charge d’affaires was summoned by the Danish foreign minister over alleged attempts to push Greenland toward secession. The island is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark.
Copenhagen’s protest came after local media reported that at least three Americans with ties to US President Donald Trump had allegedly been working to weaken relations between Greenland and Denmark and to recruit people for a secession movement.
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said on Wednesday that such attempts were unacceptable and ordered US Charge d’Affaires Mark Stroh to appear at the ministry for talks.
A State Department spokesperson has confirmed Stroh met with Rasmussen and had a “productive conversation” that “reaffirmed the strong ties” between Greenland, Denmark and the US.
Meanwhile, the White House has refused to confirm whether any influence campaign was ever underway, with an official telling CBS News on Wednesday, “we think the Danes need to calm down.”
The spokesman added that he could not comment on the “actions of private US citizens in Greenland,” but stressed that Washington respects the right of the island’s residents to “determine their own future.”
Danish intelligence agency PET has previously warned that Greenland is being targeted by “various kinds of influence campaigns” aimed at creating discord in its relationship with Copenhagen. It has said this could be attempted through “traditional, physical influence agents or via disinformation” and announced it has strengthened its presence in the world’s largest island.
Trump has long indicated that he wants to bring Greenland under US control, calling the island of less than 60,000 people a strategically vital asset. He has not ruled out using military force to achieve that goal, citing its mineral wealth and location in the Arctic. The territory is already home to a US military base and is seen in Washington as important for security in the North Atlantic.
Alleged US attempts to take control of Greenland come amid broader competition with Russia and China in developing the Arctic. Russian President Vladimir Putin has described the region as a zone of “enormous potential” for trade and development.
Image credit: Annie Spratt
