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Denmark summons U.S envoy over claimed interference campaign in Greenland

U.S. President Donald Trump, centre right, greets Denmark's Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen before the start of a plenary session of the NATO, Wednesday, June 25, 2025.   -  
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(Brendan Smialowski/Pool Photo via AP File)

Diplomacy

The Danish government summoned the top U.S diplomat in the country on Wednesday after reports that at least three men linked to Donald Trump were running a secret influence campaign in Greenland.

The group is accused of attempting to infiltrate Greenlandic society, including allegedly recruiting locals for a new independence movement from Denmark, according to the Danish public broadcaster, DR, who was first to break the story.

One of the suspects has been seen in public with the U.S President on several occasions and has recently been appointed to an influential role in the U.S security sector.

DR was been able to verify if the group of Americans were working on their own initiative or on orders from the U.S government, but their activities have been closely monitored by Danish authorities.

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said that American influence campaigns were "completely unacceptable" but not unexpected.

Greenland, a huge semi-autonomous Danish territory in the Arctic, is coveted by Trump, who has refused to rule out 'military power' to seize the island.

In March, U.S. Vice President JD Vance slammed Denmark for failing the Greenlandic people during a trip to the American Pituffik military base in Northwestern Greenland. The visit was condemned as a provocation in both Nuuk and Copenhagen.