Recent American military action in the South American nation and the capture of its president have ignited worry regarding Washington's designs on the Arctic territory. Supporters of the former president's political movement have allegedly turned their attention to the vast landmass in the wake of the operations in the southern hemisphere.
Inflammatory Messages and Diplomatic Outrage
Merely a short time after the initiation of the Venezuelan campaign, a well-known conservative podcaster, who is married to a high-ranking White House adviser, posted a suggestive image. The picture showed Greenland draped with the American flag, with the single-word caption: "COMING."
This blatant suggestion to annex the mineral-rich region, which is a part of the NATO alliance, triggered immediate and strong criticism from Denmark's representatives.
"We are close allies and should continue to cooperate as such. American security is equally the Arctic's and Denmark’s security," declared the Danish ambassador to the United States. "The Kingdom of Denmark and the US collaborate to guarantee security in the North."
The diplomat further highlighted that the kingdom had significantly boosted its military budget this year, earmarking a large amount expressly for Arctic and regional security. "Furthermore, we expect complete respect for the sovereign borders of the our realm," he emphasized.
Political Appointments and Strategic Interests
The tensions were further complicated by the recent naming of a US state governor as a representative to Greenland. The governor had publicly expressed gratitude to the president, saying it was an "privilege" to work in a unpaid role to "bring Greenland into the US."
Following the events in Venezuela, this representative praised the president's decisive move, connecting it to the wider "fight against narcotics."
Ever since returning to office, the American leader has consistently unnerved transatlantic allies with his expressed desire in Greenland. The territory is considered critically strategic for national security and potential mineral exploitation. It currently hosts the northernmost US air base.
Refusing to Rule Out Force
In a notable television appearance, the president declined to exclude the resorting to military force to acquire Greenland. This position comes amid intensifying global rivalry 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 remarked.
He characterized Greenland as having a "very small amount of people, which we’ll take care of, and we’ll cherish them... But we need that for international security."
Growing Tensions and Indigenous Resistance
In reaction to this constant "drumbeat" of intent, Denmark's intelligence service took the unprecedented 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 must not annex other countries."
Public opinion in Greenland shows a complex picture. While a overwhelming percentage of the island's residents desire independence from Copenhagen, there is simultaneously little to no desire to become part of the United States. The territory has had the legal right to declare sovereignty for over a decade.
Expert View: A Plausible Scenario?
Some analysts are increasingly reconsidering the likelihood of such a move. One thinktank analyst focusing in military analysis conceded she had previously discounted the sabre-rattling but was "currently not so sure."
"Logistically, it would be feasible for the US to station a few hundred or a few thousand troops inside of Greenland, and it's unclear to me who could intervene about it," she observed.
