Copenhagen (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Lars Lokke Rasmussen, Denmark’s foreign minister, summoned the top U.S. diplomat in Copenhagen on Wednesday due to reports that U.S. citizens had been running influence campaigns in Greenland, the state broadcaster DR reported, quoting the minister.
This followed the broadcaster’s report that at least three US citizens linked to President Donald Trump and the White House are attempting to sow discord between Denmark and Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory that Trump claims should be part of 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,” the minister said.
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,”
States Niels Fastrup, one of DR’s investigative reporters.
He asserts that they develop networks, infiltrate groups, and compile lists of individuals, whether supportive or opposed to Trump’s efforts to acquire Greenland. The Danish Security and Intelligence Service in Greenland also notified the broadcaster that Greenland has been subjected to several influence campaigns.
Why does Trump want the United States to control Greenland
U.S. President Donald Trump stated that he aims for the United States to control the mineral-rich and strategically important Arctic island, citing national and international security concerns, and has not ruled out the possibility of using force.
The U.S. has shown interest in expanding its military presence on the island, including installing radars to oversee the waters between the island, Iceland, and the UK, which serve as a passage for Russian naval vessels and nuclear submarines.
