Copenhagen, Denmark — Denmark’s foreign minister had the top U.S. diplomat in the country summoned for talks after the main national public broadcaster reported Wednesday that at least three people with connections to President Trump have been carrying out covert influence operations in Greenland.

Greenland, a huge semi-autonomous Danish territory in the Arctic, is coveted by Mr. Trump, who has called repeatedly for the vast land mass to be annexed by the United States. Denmark and Greenland insist that the mineral-rich island is not for sale, while Mr. Trump has not ruled out taking it by military force even though Denmark is a NATO ally.

Greenland is located to the northeast of Canada. The Danish territory has its own elected government. Its location between the U.S., Russia and Europe makes it strategic for both economic and defense purposes, especially as melting sea ice has opened up new shipping routes through the Arctic. 

It is also the location of the northernmost U.S. military base.

What does the Danish broadcaster claim Americans are doing in Greenland?

On Wednesday, Danish public broadcaster DR reported that government and security sources, which it didn’t name, as well as unidentified sources in Greenland and the U.S., believe that at least three Americans with connections to Mr. Trump have been carrying out covert influence operations in the territory.

It said its story was based on information from a total of eight sources, who believe the goal is to weaken relations with Denmark from within Greenlandic society.

DR said it had been unable to clarify whether the Americans were working at their own initiative or on orders from someone else.

The network said it sources believed one of the Americans has been compiling lists of Greenlandic citizens for and against Mr. Trump’s overtures, in a bid to build a list of citizens on the island who could potentially be recruited for a Greenlandic secession movement.

The other Americans, according to DR, “have tried to cultivate contacts with politicians, businesspeople and citizens, and the sources’ concern is that these contacts could secretly be used to support Donald Trump’s desire to take over Greenland.”

Reactions to the Danish television report

Responding to DR’s reporting, Denmark’s Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said in a statement sent to French news agency AFP that the ministry was “aware that foreign actors continue to show an interest in Greenland and its position in the Kingdom of Denmark. It is therefore not surprising if we experience outside attempts to influence the future of the Kingdom in the time ahead.”

“Any attempt to interfere in the internal affairs of the kingdom will of course be unacceptable,” he said, confirming that he had “asked the ministry of foreign affairs to summon the U.S. charge d’affaires for a meeting at the ministry.”

Charge d’affaires Mark Stroh is currently the most senior U.S. diplomat in Greenland. 

CBS News has sought comment from the U.S. embassy in Denmark and the State Department in Washington about the DR report.

The White House did not offer an immediate comment.  

Mr. Trump has repeatedly claimed the U.S. needs Greenland for national security purposes.

“I’m talking about protecting the free world,” he said in early January. “You look at — you don’t even need binoculars — you look outside. You have China ships all over the place. You have Russian ships all over the place. We’re not letting that happen. We’re not letting it happen.”

In May, Denmark’s leader publicly condemned reports that the U.S. was gathering intelligence in Greenland.

The Danish Security and Intelligence Service responded to a request for comment by saying it believes that “particularly in the current situation, Greenland is a target for influence campaigns of various kinds” that could aim to create divisions in the relationship between Denmark and Greenland.

It said it “assesses that this could be done by exploiting existing or fabricated disagreements, for example in connection with well-known individual cases, or by promoting or amplifying certain viewpoints in Greenland regarding the Kingdom, the United States, or other countries with a particular interest in Greenland.”

The service, known by its Danish acronym PET, said that in recent years it has “continuously strengthened” its efforts and presence in Greenland in cooperation with authorities there, and will continue to do so.