I think you're dead on the money, CRML might be ultimately...

I think you're dead on the money, CRML might be ultimately useless as a company but look at the optics:
A smiling Naaja appearing cooperative and willing to work with foreign companies, meanwhile ETM has had to deal with struggle after struggle.

Smells like a targeted attack, and this links to @JZjjz's points about the US-China competition (if you can even call it that, it's not even close). I believe this attack is being made out of desperation as "low hanging fruit" by the US. They need to end China's REE and economic dominance, and if it means thwarting a relatively obscure mine in Greenland that China is interested in, they will do it even for the smallest benefit (possibly even out of spite).
It costs the US little; Greenland is a tiny, struggling "country" with corruptible politicians, and Denmark/NATO are completely under instruction by the US anyway.