Denmark Summons Us Envoy Over Alleged Meddling In Greenland – Copenhagen Warns: ‘hands Off Our Internal Affairs’

Copenhagen has hauled successful America’s chargé d’affaires aft Danish nationalist broadcaster DR reported a covert push to sway authorities successful Greenland – nan autonomous Arctic territory Donald Trump erstwhile floated ‘buying’.

The Foreign Ministry called nan gathering ‘preventive’, but nan reside was pointed. Foreign curate Lars Løkke Rasmussen said immoderate effort to interfere successful nan Kingdom’s home matters would beryllium “unacceptable”, and urged some Denmark and Greenland to ‘build resilience’ against power ops.

Greenland power row: what DR reported and really Copenhagen reacted

According to DR, astatine slightest 3 Americans linked to Donald Trump person been travelling to Nuuk and moving power activities designed to “fracture relations” betwixt Greenland and Denmark. Their reported brief: representation nan movers and shakers, from those unfastened to person ties pinch Washington to those implacably opposed – and amplify dividing lines successful US media.

The broadcast lands connected well-tilled ground. The Wall Street Journal reported successful May that US intelligence had been tasked pinch gathering accusation connected Greenland’s independency activity and attitudes towards US entree to earthy resources. Denmark’s premier curate Mette Frederiksen snapped backmost astatine nan time: ‘You don’t spy connected an ally.’ The US envoy was summoned past arsenic well.

DR’s latest claims opportunity visiting Americans urged locals to spotlight historical scandals that formed Denmark successful a harsh ray – notably nan separation of Inuit children from their parents aft arguable ‘parental aptitude’ tests, and nan forced-contraception run that affected astatine slightest half of Greenland’s fertile women, mostly from nan 1960s to nan 1980s. On Wednesday, Frederiksen issued a general apology to nan victims, acknowledging nan argumentation continued nether Danish wellness authorities until 1992: ‘We cannot undo nan past, but we tin judge work – and opportunity sorry.’

Rasmussen stressed nan summons is astir deterrence arsenic overmuch arsenic anger. Denmark, he said, is not naïve astir nan strategical liking Greenland attracts and expects much attempts to style statement crossed nan Kingdom.

Why Greenland keeps drafting Washington’s eye

It is nan Arctic, not romance, that brings suitors. Greenland’s location and resources — alongside nan US Space Force guidelines astatine Pituffik (Thule) — make it a prize successful great-power competition. After his election, Donald Trump said nan US “needed” Greenland for nationalist information and many times expressed liking successful acquiring it; Nuuk, backed by Copenhagen, replied that nan land is not for waste and decides its ain future.

The authorities connected nan crushed aren’t ambiguous. A January canvass successful Greenland’s Sermitsiaq (also carried by Denmark’s Berlingske) recovered 85% opposed to immoderate early US sovereignty, only 6% successful favour. That hasn’t cooled high-level attention: successful March, US vice-president J.D. Vance planned a sojourn that had not been invited by Nuuk; aft an outcry successful Greenland, Denmark and crossed Europe, he trimmed nan travel to nan Pituffik aerial guidelines only.

Denmark’s information services person besides warned of imaginable overseas power – Russia was cited this outpouring – astir Greenland’s elections. No conclusive interference was found, but nan alert level remains heightened.

What happens adjacent – and why nan stakes spell beyond a negotiated scolding

Wednesday’s gathering astatine Denmark’s Foreign Ministry is astir drafting a line: friends aliases not, power operations are disconnected limits. It besides reflects a wider trend. As ambiance alteration opens Arctic oversea routes and mineral access, extracurricular powers are testing really acold they tin property their interests successful small, strategically captious communities. Greenland, pinch home-rule authorities and heavy taste ties to Denmark, sits astatine that responsibility line.

For Copenhagen, nan calculus is twofold. Externally, it wants to deter meddling — American, Russian aliases different — without turning each rumour into a rupture pinch partners. Internally, it must reckon pinch achy chapters successful nan Danish-Greenlandic relationship, which are now resurfacing successful nan accusation battles of 2025. Frederiksen’s apology complete forced contraception is portion justice, portion inoculation: reside nan grievance, blunt its weaponisation.

Analysts successful Copenhagen opportunity nan DR revelations are short connected specifics, but nan Government’s forceful consequence intends they cannot beryllium waved away. As Marc Jacobsen of nan Royal Danish Defence College put it, Trump whitethorn beryllium “focused elsewhere” correct now, but initiatives launched earlier this twelvemonth are moving, and he “really cares astir this”.

Denmark is locking shields pinch Nuuk while signalling to Washington that courting Greenland is 1 thing; nudging its authorities is rather another. Greenland’s authorities won’t slice truthful quickly. Expect much summonses, statements and scrutiny arsenic nan Arctic climbs further up nan world agenda.

Stay tuned pinch Euro Weekly News for much news from Denmark