Denmark’s Ministry of International Affairs on Wednesday summoned a prime United States diplomat within the nation to debate intelligence stories that US residents have secretly tried to affect folks in Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory coveted by US President Donald Trump, to oppose Danish rule.
Here’s what Denmark has accused the US of doing and why Trump has ambitions to amass Greenland.
What has Denmark accused the US of?
Denmark summoned Mark Stroh, the US cost d’affaires in Denmark, after the Danish public broadcaster, DR, reported on Wednesday that at the least three Individuals with hyperlinks to Trump had been finishing up covert operations that sought to encourage Greenland to interrupt away from Denmark and as a substitute be a part of the US. DR cited unnamed sources.
Greenland, which is located between the Arctic Ocean and the North Atlantic Ocean, is the world’s largest island and is geographically a part of North America.
The three American people, who DR reported had been being intently watched by Danish authorities, weren’t named by the broadcaster. Their alleged actions embody compiling lists of Greenlanders who assist Trump and gathering details about tensions between Denmark and Greenland.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen stated: “Any interference in inside affairs within the kingdom of Denmark, and Greenlandic democracy, is unacceptable.”
“I be aware that the Individuals haven’t clearly rejected the DR report in the present day, and that’s after all critical,” Fredriksen instructed Danish tv.
Danish Minister of International Affairs Lars Lokke Rasmussen additionally instructed AFP that he was conscious of the “international actors” concerned with Greenland’s place inside Denmark.
Christine Nissen, chief analyst at Copenhagen-based assume tank Europa, instructed Al Jazeera that Denmark’s summoning of a US diplomat was a “very uncommon” occasion.
“Summoning the US cost d’affaires for a proper protest is one thing Denmark solely does in distinctive circumstances, and it alerts simply how severely Copenhagen views the state of affairs. It’s clearly not routine diplomacy however a robust sign of protest,” stated Nissen.
“Denmark has solely finished this as soon as earlier than in recent times – and notably over the identical problem, when it summoned the US ambassador in response to a Wall Road Journal report suggesting that US intelligence companies had been tasked with investigating Greenland’s independence motion and useful resource potential.”
In Could, The Wall Road Journal reported that US intelligence companies had been instructed by a number of high-ranking intelligence officers below US Director of Nationwide Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard to gather details about Greenland’s independence motion and native views on the US getting access to Greenland’s pure sources.
The WSJ, which quoted two unnamed sources acquainted with the difficulty, reported that the intelligence companies had been tasked particularly with figuring out Greenlanders and folks from Denmark who supported US goals for Greenland.
In Could, when this report was printed, Fredriksen instructed The Related Press that the report was “rumours”, including: “You can not spy towards an ally.”
After that report was printed, Gabbard’s workplace launched an announcement, saying: “The Wall Road Journal ought to be ashamed of aiding deep state actors who search to undermine the President by politicising and leaking categorized info … Those that leak categorized info can be discovered and held accountable to the fullest extent of the legislation.”
How has the US responded?
The US State Division launched an announcement confirming that the cost d’affaires and deputy chief of the US mission in Copenhagen, Mark Stroh, had met with officers from the Danish International Ministry.
Stroh had “a productive dialog and reaffirmed the sturdy ties among the many Authorities of Greenland, the USA, and Denmark”, the assertion stated. It added that the US respects “the appropriate of the folks of Greenland to find out their very own future”.
Nonetheless, the US State Division didn’t touch upon the claims in regards to the actions of US residents. “The US authorities doesn’t management or direct the actions of personal residents,” it acknowledged.
What has Trump stated about Greenland?
Greenland is residence to about 56,000 folks, most of whom are from the Indigenous Inuit group.
Since Trump’s first time period, the US president has expressed an curiosity in Greenland’s accession to the US. Again then, Trump cancelled a visit to Copenhagen after Denmark refused to promote Greenland to the US.
Throughout his second time period as president, Trump has stepped up his curiosity in Greenland. In late December 2024, Trump posted on his Fact Social platform that “the possession and management of Greenland is an absolute necessity”.
In response to this, Greenland’s Prime Minister Mute Egede stated in a written assertion: “Greenland is ours. We aren’t on the market and can by no means be on the market. We should not lose our lengthy wrestle for freedom.”
In January, forward of his son Donald Trump Jr’s journey to Greenland, Trump once more wrote on Fact Social: “Greenland is an unimaginable place, and the folks will profit tremendously if, and when, it turns into a part of our Nation.”
After this, Frederiksen stated: “Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders.” Rasmussen emphasised that Greenland didn’t need to develop into part of the US.
Trump as soon as once more raised his ambitions to amass Greenland in March, forward of US Vice President JD Vance’s go to to the island. “We want Greenland. And the world wants us to have Greenland, together with Denmark,” Trump instructed reporters on the White Home, including that the US will go “so far as we now have to go” to make it occur.
“I’ve to say that it’s unacceptable stress being positioned on Greenland and Denmark on this state of affairs. And it’s stress that we’ll resist,” Frederiksen instructed Danish media on the time.
Whereas Vance was initially slated to go to a number of cities, he lower his itinerary brief to at some point after information of his go to was met with anger in Europe. He ended up visiting the US Pituffik army base, which Greenland hosts.
Throughout his journey, Vance took purpose at Denmark, saying: “You haven’t finished an excellent job by the folks of Greenland. You might have underinvested within the folks of Greenland and you’ve got underinvested within the safety of this unimaginable, stunning landmass.”
What’s so vital about Greenland?
Greenland is wealthy in minerals, together with uncommon earth minerals important for manufacturing batteries and high-tech merchandise. A 2023 survey discovered that Greenland incorporates 25 out of 34 minerals designated as “crucial uncooked supplies” by the European Fee.
Nonetheless, Greenland doesn’t extract oil and fuel since mining is opposed by the Indigenous communities there. The island’s economic system depends totally on its fishing business.
The island can be strategically vital to the US as a result of it sits on the shortest route from North America to Europe, doubtlessly offering the US with a strategic benefit in army operations and its ballistic missile early-warning system.
How have Denmark and Europe responded to Trump’s ambitions to amass Greenland?
Officers from Denmark and Greenland have rebuked Trump and repeatedly acknowledged that Greenland is “not on the market”.
In December, Denmark introduced it might enhance defence spending in Greenland by $1.5bn after Trump expressed his need to take over the autonomous island.
European leaders have expressed solidarity with Denmark.
In January, after Trump refused to rule out army power to take Greenland, European leaders warned Trump towards threatening “sovereign borders”.
“Borders should not be moved by power. This precept applies to each nation, whether or not within the East or the West,” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz wrote in an X put up. France’s international minister Jean-Noel Barrot stated that Greenland was “European territory” and there was “no query of the EU letting different nations on this planet, whoever they might be … assault its sovereign borders”.
Though Greenland just isn’t a member of the European Union, it’s included on the EU’s record of Abroad International locations and Territories (OCTs).
In June, French President Emmanuel Macron visited Greenland in a present of solidarity.
“It’s vital to indicate that Denmark and Europe are dedicated to this territory, which has very excessive strategic stakes and whose territorial integrity have to be revered,” Macron stated throughout his go to.
Previous to his go to, Macron stated throughout a United Nations Ocean Convention that Greenland and the deep seas weren’t “up for grabs”.
Are there different factors of pressure between the US and Denmark?
Stress between the US and Denmark emerged not too long ago after the Trump administration stopped work on a virtually full wind farm off the coast of Rhode Island within the US by Orsted, one in all Denmark’s largest firms.
The Revolution Wind undertaking was about 80 % full when it acquired the cease order on August 23. The cease order cited a have to “handle issues associated to the safety of nationwide safety pursuits” with out offering additional particulars. On Monday, Orsted shares plunged 17 %, hitting an all-time low.
In January, analysis by polling company YouGov, shared with British newspaper The Guardian, confirmed that 46 % of individuals surveyed in Denmark noticed the US as both a “pretty large risk” or a “very large risk” to Denmark.
The US and Denmark are each founding members of NATO, and Denmark fought alongside the US in its wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
How does Greenland really feel in regards to the US and Denmark?
Greenland was dominated by Denmark from the early 1700s till 1979, when it grew to become a self-governing territory. Since 2009, Greenland has had the authorized proper to declare independence if its folks select to take action by way of a referendum.
All three main events in Greenland assist independence for the island, however have completely different concepts in regards to the timeline for this and need Greenlanders to resolve for themselves. Prime Minister Egede’s Inuit Ataqatigiit get together helps independence however doesn’t need to rush the method.
In accordance with a ballot carried out in January by pollster Verian, commissioned by the Danish newspaper Berlingske, 56 % of Greenlanders would vote for independence if a referendum was held. Seventeen % of Greenlanders responded saying they “don’t know” whether or not or not they’d vote for Greenland to develop into an unbiased state.
But there’s scant proof that even those that need independence from Denmark need to be a part of the US.
In the meantime, tensions with Denmark exist, too.
The Danish authorities forcefully separated Inuit youngsters from their households in 1951 and compelled contraception upon 4,500 Inuit girls – at the least half of fertile Inuit females – through the Sixties and Nineteen Seventies.
On Wednesday, Fredriksen apologised to the Inuit girls who had been pressured to put on an intrauterine system (IUD) with out their consent.
“We can not change what has occurred. However we will take duty. Due to this fact, on behalf of Denmark, I want to say: I’m sorry,” she stated in an announcement.
