The latest US-led bombardment in Venezuela and the capture of its leader have ignited worry regarding Washington's ambitions on Greenland. Followers of the former president's base have allegedly turned their attention to the resource-rich island following the operations in South America.
Provocative Posts and Official Outrage
Merely hours after the initiation of the Caracas campaign, a well-known right-wing podcaster, who is married to a senior White House adviser, posted a symbolic map. The graphic showed Greenland draped with the American flag, with the cryptic message: "SOON."
This overt threat to absorb the resource-abundant region, which is a member of the North Atlantic alliance, provoked immediate and strong criticism from Danish representatives.
"We are close allies and should keep work together as such. American security is equally the Arctic's and our security," stated the Copenhagen's envoy to the United States. "The Kingdom of Denmark and the United States collaborate to ensure security in the North."
The diplomat additionally highlighted that Denmark had substantially boosted its defence spending recently, earmarking a substantial sum expressly for Northern and regional defence. "Furthermore, we demand complete respect for the territorial integrity of the our realm," he added.
Administrative Appointments and Strategic Interests
The situation were further exacerbated by the previous naming of a Southern governor as a special envoy to Greenland. The appointee had publicly expressed gratitude to the president, stating it was an "honour" to work in a unpaid capacity to "make Greenland a part of the US."
After the events in Venezuela, this envoy commended the administration's decisive move, connecting it to the broader "war on drugs."
Since assuming office, the American leader has consistently unnerved European allies with his stated interest in Greenland. The island is viewed as vitally important for defence and future resource extraction. It currently houses the most northerly US military base.
Leaving the Door Open to Military Action
In a notable media interview, the president declined to exclude the resorting to military force to acquire Greenland. This stance comes during growing 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 stated.
He described Greenland as having a "very small amount of people, which we’ll look after, and we’ll value them... But we need that for international security."
Mounting Friction and Local Resistance
In response to this persistent "rhetoric" of intent, Danish intelligence service took the unprecedented step last month of classifying the United States as a "security risk."
The leaders of Denmark and Greenland delivered a unified and forceful statement: "We have said it very clearly before. Now we say it again... You must not take over other countries."
Public opinion in Greenland shows a nuanced picture. While a vast majority of the island's inhabitants desire independence from Copenhagen, there is also little to no desire to join the United States. The territory has had the legal right to declare independence for over a decade.
Analyst View: A Credible Threat?
Some experts are increasingly reconsidering the likelihood of such a action. One policy analyst specializing in defence conceded she had previously dismissed the rhetoric but was "now not so sure."
"It wouldn't be that hard for the US to deploy a few hundred or a few thousand troops inside of Greenland, and it's unclear to me who could do anything about it," she concluded.
