The recent American bombardment in the South American nation and the capture of its president have renewed apprehension regarding Washington's ambitions on the Arctic territory. Followers of the ex-president's base have allegedly focused on the strategically important island following the operations in South America.
Inflammatory Messages and Official Backlash
Only hours following the initiation of the Caracas operation, a well-known right-wing podcaster, who is married to a high-ranking White House aide, shared a suggestive image. The picture showed Greenland draped with the American flag, accompanied by cryptic caption: "COMING."
This overt threat to claim the resource-abundant region, which is a member of the North Atlantic alliance, triggered swift and firm criticism from Denmark's representatives.
"Denmark and the US are close allies and should continue to cooperate as such. American security is also the Arctic's and Denmark’s security," declared the Danish ambassador to the United States. "The Kingdom of Denmark and the United States collaborate to ensure security in the Arctic."
The diplomat further pointed out that Denmark had substantially boosted its military budget recently, allocating a large amount expressly for Arctic and North Atlantic security. "Furthermore, we expect complete respect for the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark," he added.
Political Appointments and Strategic Interests
The tensions were additionally complicated by the recent appointment of a US state governor as a representative to Greenland. The appointee had publicly thanked the president, stating it was an "privilege" to serve in a volunteer capacity to "make Greenland a part of the US."
After the events in Venezuela, this representative praised the president's decisive move, linking it to the wider "war on drugs."
Ever since returning to office, the American leader has repeatedly unnerved transatlantic partners with his expressed desire in Greenland. The island is considered vitally strategic for national security and future resource extraction. It already hosts the most northerly US military base.
Leaving the Door Open to Military Action
In a notable media appearance, the leader declined to exclude the resorting to armed action to acquire Greenland. This position comes amid growing great-power competition in the polar region. "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 remarked.
He described Greenland as having a "very small amount of people, which we’ll look after, and we’ll cherish them... But we need that for global security."
Mounting Friction and Local Opposition
In response to this constant "drumbeat" of threats, Denmark's intelligence service took the extraordinary step last month of classifying the United States as a "security risk."
The prime ministers of Denmark and Greenland delivered a joint and forceful rebuke: "We have said it very clearly before. Now we say it again... You cannot annex other countries."
Surveys in Greenland reveals a complex sentiment. While a overwhelming percentage of the territory's residents desire independence from Denmark, there is simultaneously scant appetite to join the United States. The territory has had the legal right to seek independence for many years.
Expert View: A Credible Scenario?
Some analysts are increasingly reconsidering the possibility of such a action. One policy director specializing in military analysis admitted she had previously discounted the sabre-rattling but was "now not so sure."
"Logistically, it would be feasible for the US to deploy a couple hundred or a couple thousand soldiers inside of Greenland, and it's not clear to me which power could intervene about it," she concluded.
