Denmark's foreign minister has summoned the top U.S. diplomat in Copenhagen after the national broadcaster reported that three people linked to President Donald Trump carried out covert influence operations in Greenland, the semiautonomous Arctic territory of the Kingdom of Denmark.
Danish Broadcaster Details Alleged Covert Greenland Influence Operation
According to a report by Reuters, the broadcaster, Danish Broadcasting Corporation or DR, citing government and security sources, said three Americans close to Trump compiled names of Greenlanders who support Trump's push to take control of the island and who might join a secessionist movement.
Sources told DR the operation's aim was to "penetrate Greenlandic society in order to weaken relations with Denmark from within and make the Greenlanders submit to the United States."
Danish And U.S. Officials Trade Statements As Ties Stress
Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen confirmed he had summoned Mark Stroh, the U.S. chargé d'affaires. In a statement to TIME, he said, "Any attempt to interfere in the internal affairs of the Kingdom [of Denmark] will of course be unacceptable," adding, "We are aware that foreign actors continue to show an interest in Greenland and its position in the Kingdom of Denmark. It is therefore not surprising if we experience outside attempts to influence the future of the Kingdom in the time ahead."
A State Department spokesperson said Stroh's meeting with Rasmussen was "productive" and that the two "reaffirmed the strong ties among the Government of Greenland, the United States, and Denmark." Asked if Washington is encouraging a pro-secession movement, the spokesperson added: "We have no comment to provide on the actions of private U.S. citizens in Greenland" and said the United States "respects the right of the people of Greenland to determine their own future."
Earlier Trump Statements Fuel Danish Concerns
Danish concerns have simmered for months. After The Wall Street Journal reported in May that Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard ordered U.S. spy agencies to step up intelligence collection on Greenland's independence movement, Danish officials noted the lack of a public denial from the Trump administration.
Trump has repeatedly argued the United States needs Greenland for national security and economic reasons, a stance that has prompted a flurry of reactions from Pentagon pushback on invasion talk and warnings from Greenlandic officials about investment risks.
Photo Courtesy: M21Perfect on Shutterstock.com
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