By Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen
COPENHAGEN (Reuters) -The United States’ top diplomat in Denmark has reaffirmed Greenland’s right to determine its own future, following Danish intelligence reports alleging that private U.S. citizens attempted to sway political sentiment in the Arctic territory.
Chargé d’Affaires Mark Stroh met with Danish and Greenlandic officials in Copenhagen on Wednesday. Denmark summoned him in response to a report by public broadcaster DR, saying at least three Americans with ties to President Donald Trump were suspected of promoting opposition to Danish rule in an effort to encourage Greenland’s secession.
The U.S. State Department said in an emailed statement late on Wednesday that Stroh had a “productive conversation” and reiterated Washington’s commitment to strong ties with both Denmark and Greenland.
“The United States respects the right of the people of Greenland to determine their own future,” the State Department said.
It added that the U.S. government does not control or direct the actions of private citizens and declined to comment on intelligence matters.
Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, holds the right to declare independence.
Trump has repeatedly expressed interest in acquiring Greenland for strategic reasons and has not ruled out the use of force to achieve that goal.
Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen commented to DR: “We are a partner, we are an ally, and we expect that the diplomatic rules of the game will apply. We expect that international law and sovereignty will be respected.”
(Reporting by Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen; Editing by Sharon Singleton)
