Denmark summoned the U.S. chargé d’affaires in Copenhagen after reports that several Americans tied to the Trump orbit may have been involved in covert influence efforts meant to sow distrust between Greenlanders and Denmark. Insiders claimed at least three Americans were implicated, though it wasn’t clear if they acted on their own or on orders. Rasmussen stressed that meddling in an ally’s internal affairs is unacceptable and highlighted the long-standing, trust-based Danish-Greenlandic cooperation. The episode unfolds as Trump has floated the idea of taking Greenland, a mostly autonomous Danish territory with significant resources and strategic value, raising questions about U.S. Arctic ambitions. Denmark had condemned alleged U.S. espionage in Greenland; the U.S. embassy in Copenhagen is led by Mark Stroh, with no comment from either side.

If this isn’t a neon sign screaming “power grab,” what is? The Arctic isn’t a charity case or a sandbox for credibility games. It’s a treasure chest: minerals under the ice, bases, shipping lanes, and a geopolitical bullseye for whoever holds the keys. Americans leaking ‘covert influence’ chatter isn’t some clerical mistake—it’s brazen meddling dressed up as “friendship.” Three operatives, a convenient number, enough to test a reaction, enough to same-time split and bluff. The message is simple and savage: test Copenhagen, test Nuuk, see how far you can push before the alliance buckles. And Trump waving Greenland like a trophy—this isn’t diplomacy, it’s a land grab dressed as a business pitch.

Denmark should shove the pretenses aside and drop the polite handshake. If credible, those moves deserve immediate, uncompromising action: expel any agents, demand a full public accounting, tighten sovereignty protections, and publicly repudiate any effort to weaponize Greenland’s status. Greenland’s autonomy isn’t a bargaining chip to be traded for pennies; it’s the shield against empire-by-shadow. Let Washington know in no uncertain terms that interference under the banner of “alliance” won’t stand. And for the media, stop treating this as routine intrigue and start treating it as a sovereignty crisis with real consequences. The Arctic isn’t a stage for spy games—it's a line in the sand. Denmark and Greenland must stand united, clear-eyed, and ready to push back hard on any power that tries to bend their future with whispers and secret operatives.