The Danish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, summoned the U.S. chargé d'affaires, Mark Stroh, after the Danish intelligence agency, PET, reported on the activities of at least three men with ties to former U.S. President Donald Trump. These individuals were allegedly attempting to build a network of influence in Greenland, aiming to weaken the ties between the island and Denmark and strengthen U.S. interests. The information was first reported by the Danish public broadcaster DR and subsequently confirmed by Reuters, AP, and the Washington Post.

According to DR, one of the Americans even compiled a list of potential allies and opponents of Trump's plans to acquire territory, and urged Greenlanders to report instances that could be used to discredit Denmark in American media. The other two were reportedly building contacts with politicians, businesspeople, and community leaders. It is not yet clear whether they were acting on instructions from the White House or on their own initiative.

Minister Rasmussen emphasized in an interview with DR that "any attempt to interfere in the internal affairs of the Kingdom will be unacceptable." He also recalled that he had previously had to meet with the U.S. ambassador in May due to reports in the Wall Street Journal about an intensification of U.S. espionage activities in Greenland.

Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen addressed the issue during a meeting with a delegation from the U.S. Senate. According to the Politico newspaper, she described the alleged U.S. interference in Greenlandic and Danish affairs as "unacceptable." Frederiksen also pointed out that the DR reports only confirm the seriousness of Trump's long-standing interest in Greenland.

Background: The historical trauma of Inuit women

On the same day, Frederiksen also issued an apology to more than 4,500 Inuit women and girls who were forced to undergo the insertion of intrauterine devices (IUDs) from the 1960s to the early 1990s. The affair, known as the "spiral case," was described by the newspapers The Guardian and Le Monde and detailed by the Danish journalist Celine Klint. According to AFP, this policy was aimed at reducing the birth rate in order to limit regional spending.

Frederiksen stated: "We cannot change what happened. But we can take responsibility. Therefore, on behalf of Denmark, I want to say: I apologize." The apology was also echoed by the Greenlandic Prime Minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen. More than a hundred women are currently suing the Danish state for long-term physical and psychological consequences.

According to DR, this painful chapter in history was one of the moments that American operatives attempted to exploit to increase tensions between Copenhagen and Nuuk. This suggests that the current geopolitical rivalry in the Arctic not only involves security issues but also historical traumas that continue to resonate in Greenlandic society.

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