US covert operations in Greenland to facilitate Danish secession

BarcelonaThe Danish government has summoned the top US diplomat in Copenhagen for consultations on Wednesday following reports suggesting secret US operations in Greenland. According to an investigation by public broadcaster DR, at least three US citizens were allegedly involved in activities to promote the secession of the Arctic territory, with the ultimate goal of its becoming part of the United States.

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen has summoned the charge de affairs from the diplomatic mission—the ambassador is still awaiting confirmation by the US Senate—in a diplomatic gesture described as "highly unusual" by analysts. According to sources consulted by DR, those involved allegedly attempted to infiltrate Greenlandic civil society, create a "liberation" movement, and promote narratives aimed at creating divisions between Copenhagen and Nuuk, the capital of the Arctic island, an autonomous territory since 2009. In a television interview, Rasmussen commented.

The revelations come after months of investigation led by journalist Niels Fastrup of the DR network, who reports that the three Americans' contacts would have focused both on local media and on seeking out supporters of the secessionist cause. According to the same sources, the efforts would also include identifying opponents of this idea in order to neutralize them politically. The spokesperson for the Danish security service (PET) indicated this Wednesday that "Greenland, especially in the current situation, is the target of influence campaigns of various kinds." The PET hopes that these campaigns will aim to create a "rupture in the relationship between Denmark and Greenland."

The case is part of a long history of American interest in Greenland, strategically located in the Arctic and with a subsoil rich in minerals and rare earths. In 2019, during his first term, Donald Trump surprised for the first time by proposing the direct purchase of the territory from Denmark, a proposal rejected outright by the government in Copenhagen. During the 2024 campaign, he insisted and, a few days after taking officeOn January 25, he spoke with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen to further increase the pressure, convinced that the territory would eventually become part of the United States. That same year, Donald Trump Jr. and Vice President JD Vance have visited the island.

Stranger Relationships

The possible interference discovered further fuels the uncertainty. Although Washington and Copenhagen have been close allies since World War II and collaborate on security matters within the Atlantic Alliance, the Danish government is concerned that the United States could be behind opaque operations to influence the political status of part of its territory.

The Scandinavian country had already summoned the top US diplomat in May, after the Wall Street Journal published that a classified message had been sent to US intelligence agencies urging them to identify people in Greenland and Denmark who supported the ambition of Trump must take control of the island.