- US envoy to Denmark was summoned over covert influence campaigns in Greenland
- Trump aims to annex Greenland for its strategic mineral resources
- US officials sought to exploit Greenland-Denmark tensions for influence
The US envoy to Denmark was summoned on Wednesday after reports of covert influence campaigns in Greenland, which is a part of Danish autonomous territory that US President Donald Trump has been trying to take over since his return to the White House in January.
Trump has repeatedly said that he wants to annex the island to "further enhance national security".
The island is rich in minerals crucial for technology and defense, including rare earth elements used in mobile phones, electric vehicles, and weapons. With China dominating the global rare earth market, Greenland's reserves have become increasingly vital to the US.
However, both Greenland and Denmark are completely opposed to the idea. Although most of Greenland's 57,000 people want to become independent from Denmark, they do not want to be a part of the US.
According to Danish public television network DR, at least three US officials close to Trump have been noticed trying to identify people they could use in anti-Denmark influence campaigns. The officials were trying to gain information about issues that have created rifts between Greenland and Denmark, in order to use this information to present Denmark in a bad light.
"We are aware that foreign actors continue to show an interest in Greenland and its position in the Kingdom of Denmark. It is therefore not surprising if we experience outside attempts to influence the future of the Kingdom in the time ahead," Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said in a statement Wednesday.
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said, "I note that the Americans have not clearly rejected the DR report today, and that is of course serious," she told Danish television.
In March, US Vice President JD Vance had arrived in Greenland uninvited, which was seen as provocation in the island and Denmark, after which he shortened his itinerary to a one-day visit. In a speech there, Vance reprimanded Denmark for neglecting its security.
Although Denmark is responsible for Greenland's security and defence, the latter is a security black hole because of the lack of military capabilities in the island.
Copenhagen in January announced a $2-billion plan to boost its military presence in the Arctic region.
Ahead of Greenland's March 11 general election, Denmark's intelligence service said it was concerned about possible foreign interference, particularly from Russia, but said no attempts were ever detected.
