Recent US-led military action in the South American nation and the detention of its president have sparked apprehension regarding America's designs on the Arctic territory. Followers of the former president's political movement have reportedly turned their attention to the strategically important landmass following the operations in the southern hemisphere.
Inflammatory Posts and Diplomatic Backlash
Only a short time following the initiation of the Caracas campaign, a well-known right-wing podcaster, who is married to a high-ranking White House aide, shared a symbolic image. The picture showed Greenland covered in the American flag, with the cryptic caption: "COMING."
This blatant threat to annex the resource-abundant region, which is a part of the North Atlantic alliance, provoked immediate and strong criticism from Danish representatives.
"Denmark and the US are strong partners and should keep cooperate as such. US security is also the Arctic's and Denmark’s security," stated the Danish ambassador to the United States. "Our nation and the United States collaborate to ensure security in the North."
The diplomat further highlighted that Denmark had significantly boosted its defence spending this year, earmarking a substantial sum expressly for Northern and North Atlantic security. "Furthermore, we demand complete respect for the territorial integrity of the our realm," he added.
Administrative Appointments and Geopolitical Interests
The situation were additionally complicated by the previous appointment of a Southern governor as a representative to Greenland. The appointee had publicly thanked the president, saying it was an "privilege" to serve in a unpaid capacity to "bring Greenland into the US."
Following the events in Venezuela, this representative commended the administration's decisive move, connecting it to the broader "fight against narcotics."
Ever since returning to office, the US president has repeatedly alarmed European partners with his expressed interest in Greenland. The territory is considered vitally strategic for defence and future mineral exploitation. It currently houses the most northerly US air base.
Refusing to Rule Out Force
In a significant media interview, the president declined to rule out the use of military force to acquire Greenland. This stance comes amid intensifying global competition in the Arctic. "I don't rule it out. I don't say I'm going to do it, but I don't rule out anything... We need Greenland very badly," he stated.
He described Greenland as having a "tiny amount of people, which we’ll look after, and we’ll cherish them... But we need that for global security."
Mounting Tensions and Local Resistance
In reaction to this persistent "drumbeat" of threats, Danish intelligence service took the unprecedented step last month of classifying the United States as a "potential threat."
The prime ministers of Denmark and Greenland issued a joint and stern statement: "We have said it very clearly before. Now we say it again... You cannot take over other countries."
Surveys in Greenland shows a complex picture. While a vast majority of the island's inhabitants desire independence from Copenhagen, there is also little to no appetite to join the United States. The territory has had the option to seek sovereignty for many years.
Expert Assessment: A Plausible Scenario?
Some experts are now reconsidering the likelihood of such a move. One thinktank analyst specializing in military analysis admitted she had previously discounted the rhetoric but was "now not so sure."
"It wouldn't be that hard for the US to station a few hundred or a couple thousand soldiers inside of Greenland, and it's unclear to me which power could intervene about it," she observed.
