FILE – A view of homes in Nuuk, Greenland, Sunday, June 22, 2025
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Kwiyeon Ha/AP
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 no less than three individuals 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 private U.S. citizens in Greenland.”
“The U.S. government does not control or direct the actions of private citizens,” it mentioned.
The division mentioned Stroh had “a productive conversation and reaffirmed the strong ties among the Government of Greenland, the United States, 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 right of the people of Greenland to determine their own future.”
Mark Stroh, the highest U.S. diplomat in Denmark, arrives the Ministry of Overseas Affairs in Copenhagen, Denmark, Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025.
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“We continue to foster engagement and cooperation with Denmark and Greenland to support increased security 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 method to international coverage. France had known 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 enormous, 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 stories of the U.S. gathering intelligence there.
Public broadcaster DR mentioned Danish authorities and safety sources that it did not identify, in addition to unidentified sources in Greenland and the U.S., imagine that no less than three American nationals with connections to Trump have been finishing up covert affect operations within the territory.
A kind of individuals allegedly compiled an inventory of U.S.-friendly Greenlanders, collected names of individuals against Trump and obtained locals to level out instances that might be used to solid Denmark in a nasty gentle in American media, the broadcaster reported. Two others have tried to nurture contacts with politicians, businesspeople and locals, based on the report.
DR mentioned its story was based mostly on info from a complete of eight sources, who imagine the purpose 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.
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The Related Press couldn’t independently verify the report.
“We are aware that foreign actors continue to show an interest in Greenland and its position in the Kingdom of Denmark,” Danish Overseas Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen mentioned in a press release. “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 mentioned.
Cooperation between the governments of Denmark and Greenland “is close and based on mutual trust,” 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 licensed to remark publicly and spoke solely on the situation of anonymity, downplayed Denmark’s considerations and advised “the Danes need to calm down.”
The Danish Safety and Intelligence Service mentioned it believes that “particularly in the current situation, Greenland is a target for influence campaigns of various kinds” that would intention to create divisions within the relationship between Denmark and Greenland.
It mentioned it “assesses that this could be done by exploiting existing or fabricated disagreements, for example in connection with well-known individual cases, or by promoting or amplifying certain viewpoints in Greenland regarding the Kingdom, the United States, or other countries with a particular interest in Greenland.”
The service, recognized by its Danish acronym PET, mentioned that lately, it has “continuously strengthened” its efforts and presence in Greenland in cooperation with authorities there, and can proceed to take action.
