The top U.S. diplomat in Denmark reaffirmed Greenland’s right to decide its future after Danish intelligence alleged private Americans sought to influence the Arctic territory’s politics.
Chargé d’Affaires Mark Stroh met with Danish and Greenlandic officials in Copenhagen on Wednesday. Denmark summoned him in response to a report by public broadcaster DR, saying at least three Americans with ties to President Donald Trump were suspected of promoting opposition to Danish rule in an effort to encourage Greenland’s secession.
‘Provocative Conversation’
The U.S. State Department said in an emailed statement late on Wednesday that Stroh had a “productive conversation” and reiterated Washington’s commitment to strong ties with both Denmark and Greenland.
“The United States respects the right of the people of Greenland to determine their own future,” the State Department said.
It added that the U.S. government does not control or direct the actions of private citizens and declined to comment on intelligence matters.
Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, holds the right to declare independence.
Trump has repeatedly expressed interest in acquiring Greenland for strategic reasons and has not ruled out the use of force to achieve that goal.
Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen commented to DR: “We are a partner, we are an ally, and we expect that the diplomatic rules of the game will apply. We expect that international law and sovereignty will be respected.”
US Ambitions
A March general election in Greenland – a former colony but now a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark – saw a pro-business party advocating a gradual independence process secure victory.
Meanwhile, a party favouring rapid independence from Denmark and closer ties with the U.S. garnered a quarter of the vote, highlighting growing momentum for independence.
Seeking to counterbalance U.S. ambitions in the region, Denmark has been trying to improve strained relations with Greenland, rallying European allies for support.
While Trump has also since expressed respect for Greenland’s right to determine its own future, his comments about potentially taking the territory by force have fuelled uncertainty among its 57,000 inhabitants.
“The United States should not be allowed to influence our future in this way. It is solely up to the Greenlandic people,” Aaja Chemnitz, a Greenlandic member of the Danish parliament, told Reuters.
Suspected Influence Operations
Chemnitz said she believed the suspected influence operations were part of Trump’s broader campaign seeking to gain control of the territory.
“I definitely think that this links back to the U.S. government,” Chemnitz said.
Denmark’s national security and intelligence service, PET, warned in a statement that Greenland remains a target for influence campaigns that could aim to exploit disagreements or promote specific views about both Denmark and the United States.
Trump has picked PayPal co-founder Ken Howery as U.S. ambassador to Denmark, but the U.S. mission in Copenhagen is currently led by Charge d’affaires Mark Stroh, its website says.
(With inputs from Reuters)
