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Denmark has summoned a top US diplomat following reports that individuals linked to President Trump were conducting covert influence operations in Greenland aimed at promoting the territory’s secession from Denmark.

Some shit you should know before you dig in: Shortly after President Trump won the election, he began calling for Greenland to become part of the United States, citing a mix of strategic, economic, and national security reasons. Trump has argued that as Arctic ice continues to melt, new trade routes are opening through the region (routes that geopolitical rivals like China and Russia could exploit). He warns that without US control or influence in Greenland, the area risks becoming militarized by foreign powers, threatening global stability and American interests. Trump has also highlighted the island’s vast reserves of rare earth materials and the need to install advanced early warning systems in the Arctic to monitor potential missile threats. These proposals have sparked anger from many in Greenland, where there’s strong support for independence.

What’s going on now: The official summoned was Mark Stroh, the US chargé d’affaires in Copenhagen, currently the most senior American diplomat in Denmark due to the absence of a US ambassador. The Danish foreign ministry called him in for what Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen described as a “preventive conversation” following allegations uncovered by Denmark’s public broadcaster, DR. According to DR’s investigation, at least three American men with ties to Trump have been making repeated visits to Greenland, attempting to infiltrate its society and influence political sentiment in favor of breaking away from Denmark.

One of the Americans reportedly compiled a list of Greenlanders who support US involvement, with the intention of recruiting them into a secessionist movement. Others are said to have made contact with politicians, business figures, and citizens in what Danish intelligence services describe as efforts to identify and cultivate local influencers.

As of now, the Danish government has not directly accused the US government of orchestrating the operation. In a statement, Rasmussen said that any foreign interference in the internal affairs of the Kingdom of Denmark is “unacceptable.”