Denmark summons US envoy over claims of interference in Greenland : NPR

COPENHAGEN, Denmark — Denmark’s international minister summoned the highest U.S. diplomat within the nation for talks after the primary nationwide broadcaster reported Wednesday that a minimum of three folks with connections to President Donald Trump have been finishing up covert affect operations in Greenland.

In a prolonged written assertion, the U.S. State Division confirmed that the deputy chief of mission in Copenhagen, Mark Stroh, had met with Danish international ministry officers. It declined to remark “on the actions of personal U.S. residents in Greenland.”

“The U.S. authorities doesn’t management or direct the actions of personal residents,” it mentioned.

The division mentioned Stroh had “a productive dialog and reaffirmed the robust ties among the many Authorities of Greenland, the US, and Denmark.” It mentioned the U.S. values its relationships with each Denmark, a NATO ally, and Greenland and famous that Trump and his prime aides had all mentioned they respect “the precise of the folks of Greenland to find out their very own future.”

Mark Stroh, the highest U.S. diplomat in Denmark, arrives the Ministry of Overseas Affairs in Copenhagen, Denmark, Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025.

Thomas Traasdahl/Ritzau Scanpix Foto/AP

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Thomas Traasdahl/Ritzau Scanpix Foto/AP

“We proceed to foster engagement and cooperation with Denmark and Greenland to assist elevated safety and prosperity for our nations,” it mentioned.

Stroh is the second American diplomat to be summoned by a European NATO ally this week because the Trump administration shakes up its strategy to international coverage. France had referred to as U.S. Ambassador Charles Kushner to its international ministry after he despatched a letter to French President Emmanuel Macron alleging the nation didn’t do sufficient to fight antisemitism.

Trump has repeatedly mentioned he seeks U.S. jurisdiction over Greenland, an unlimited, semiautonomous territory of Denmark. He has not dominated out navy drive to take management of the mineral-rich, strategically positioned Arctic island.

Denmark and Greenland have mentioned the island is not on the market and condemned reviews of the U.S. gathering intelligence there.

Public broadcaster DR mentioned Danish authorities and safety sources that it did not title, in addition to unidentified sources in Greenland and the U.S., imagine that a minimum of three American nationals with connections to Trump have been finishing up covert affect operations within the territory.

A type of folks allegedly compiled a listing of U.S.-friendly Greenlanders, collected names of individuals against Trump and acquired locals to level out instances that may very well be used to forged Denmark in a foul gentle in American media, the broadcaster reported. Two others have tried to nurture contacts with politicians, businesspeople and locals, in response to the report.

DR mentioned its story was primarily based on info from a complete of eight sources, who imagine the aim is to weaken relations with Denmark from inside Greenlandic society. It mentioned it had been unable to make clear whether or not the Individuals had been working at their very own initiative or on orders from another person. It mentioned it is aware of their names however selected to not publish them to guard its sources.

Mark Stroh, the highest U.S. diplomat in Denmark, arrives the Ministry of Overseas Affairs in Copenhagen, Denmark, Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025.

Thomas Traasdahl/Ritzau Scanpix Foto/ AP

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Thomas Traasdahl/Ritzau Scanpix Foto/ AP

The Related Press couldn’t independently affirm the report.

“We’re conscious that international actors proceed to indicate an curiosity in Greenland and its place within the Kingdom of Denmark,” Danish Overseas Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen mentioned in an announcement. “It’s subsequently not shocking if we expertise outdoors makes an attempt to affect the way forward for the Kingdom within the time forward.”

“Any try and intrude within the inside affairs of the Kingdom will in fact be unacceptable,” Rasmussen mentioned.

Cooperation between the governments of Denmark and Greenland “is shut and primarily based on mutual belief,” he added.

The White Home, just like the U.S. Embassy in Copenhagen, wouldn’t touch upon the substance of DR’s reporting that Individuals with connections to Trump have been finishing up covert affect operations in Greenland. However a White Home official, who was not approved to remark publicly and spoke solely on the situation of anonymity, downplayed Denmark’s issues and prompt “the Danes must settle down.”

The Danish Safety and Intelligence Service mentioned it believes that “significantly within the present scenario, Greenland is a goal for affect campaigns of varied sorts” that would goal to create divisions within the relationship between Denmark and Greenland.

It mentioned it “assesses that this may very well be carried out by exploiting present or fabricated disagreements, for instance in reference to well-known particular person instances, or by selling or amplifying sure viewpoints in Greenland concerning the Kingdom, the US, or different nations with a specific curiosity in Greenland.”

The service, recognized by its Danish acronym PET, mentioned that lately, it has “constantly strengthened” its efforts and presence in Greenland in cooperation with authorities there, and can proceed to take action.