Denmark Summons US Diplomat Over Alleged Covert Operations in Greenland

Denmark’s foreign minister has summoned the top US diplomat in Copenhagen after reports emerged that American citizens were allegedly running covert operations in Greenland.

According to Denmark’s broadcaster DR, sources claimed the objective was to infiltrate Greenlandic society and encourage its secession from Denmark in favor of the US. However, the report could not confirm who the individuals were working for.

Danish intelligence services have warned that Greenland is being targeted by various influence campaigns. Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen stressed that “any attempt to interfere in the internal affairs of the Kingdom of Denmark is unacceptable,” adding that the US chargé d’affaires had been called in over the matter.

The BBC has asked the US embassy for a response.

US President Donald Trump has repeatedly expressed his interest in annexing Greenland, while Vice President JD Vance has accused Denmark of neglecting investment in the territory. During a recent visit to Greenland, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen reminded the US that “you cannot annex another country.”

Rasmussen told the BBC that Denmark is “aware that foreign powers continue to show interest in Greenland’s role within the Kingdom of Denmark,” adding that outside attempts to influence its future were to be expected.

Although Denmark is a close ally of the US as both a NATO and EU member, many Danes have been unsettled by Trump’s insistence on gaining control over Greenland. Earlier this year, the US president even suggested he would not rule out using force to seize it.

Denmark’s PET security and intelligence agency has cautioned that such influence campaigns could seek to fuel divisions between Denmark and Greenland, using both physical operatives and disinformation. The agency confirmed it has boosted its presence in Greenland and strengthened cooperation with local authorities.

Since the US currently lacks an ambassador in Copenhagen, Foreign Minister Rasmussen summoned Mark Stroh, the chargé d’affaires and senior US diplomat in Denmark.

This is not the first time the Danish government has raised concerns. Earlier this year, Rasmussen also summoned the US ambassador over a Wall Street Journal report that claimed American intelligence agencies had been instructed to intensify operations in Greenland.

DR’s latest report described an American visiting Greenland’s capital, Nuuk, where he allegedly tried to identify Greenlanders who supported US-led independence efforts, potentially to recruit them into a secessionist movement.

The earlier Wall Street Journal article also highlighted US interest in Greenland’s independence movement and its mineral resources. At the time, US intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard did not directly deny the claims but accused the Journal of undermining national security by publishing them.