The recent American military action in the South American nation and the detention of its president have renewed worry regarding Washington's designs on the Arctic territory. Followers of the ex-president's base have reportedly set their sights on the strategically important island in the wake of the operations in the southern hemisphere.
Inflammatory Messages and Official Outrage
Merely hours after the start of the Venezuelan campaign, a well-known right-wing commentator, who is married to a senior presidential aide, shared a suggestive map. The graphic showed Greenland covered in the American flag, with the single-word caption: "SOON."
This blatant suggestion to claim the resource-abundant land, which is a part of the North Atlantic alliance, provoked immediate and firm criticism from Denmark's officials.
"Denmark and the US are close allies and should continue to work together as such. American security is also Greenland’s and our security," stated the Danish ambassador to the United States. "The Kingdom of Denmark and the United States work together to guarantee security in the North."
The ambassador further highlighted that Denmark had significantly increased its defence spending recently, allocating a substantial amount expressly for Northern and North Atlantic security. "And yes, we expect full respect for the territorial integrity of the our realm," he added.
Political Appointments and Geopolitical Goals
The tensions were further exacerbated by the recent naming of a Southern governor as a special envoy to Greenland. The appointee had publicly expressed gratitude to the commander-in-chief, saying it was an "honour" to work in a volunteer capacity to "bring Greenland into the US."
After the events in Venezuela, this envoy praised the administration's decisive move, connecting it to the wider "war on drugs."
Since assuming office, the American leader has consistently alarmed transatlantic partners with his stated desire in Greenland. The territory is considered critically strategic for defence and future resource extraction. It currently houses the northernmost US military base.
Refusing to Rule Out Force
In a notable television appearance, the president declined to exclude the resorting to armed action to acquire Greenland. This stance comes amid intensifying global 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 "tiny amount of people, which we’ll take care of, and we’ll value them... But we need that for global security."
Mounting Tensions and Indigenous Resistance
In reaction to this constant "rhetoric" of threats, Denmark's security agency took the unprecedented step last month of classifying the United States as a "potential threat."
The leaders of Denmark and Greenland issued a joint and forceful statement: "We have said it very clearly before. Now we say it again... You must not take over other countries."
Surveys in Greenland reveals a complex sentiment. While a overwhelming percentage of the island's inhabitants seek self-rule from Denmark, there is also little to no appetite to join the United States. The island has had the legal right to seek sovereignty for many years.
Analyst Assessment: A Credible Scenario?
Some experts are now reconsidering the possibility of such a move. One policy director specializing in defence 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 few hundred or a couple thousand troops inside of Greenland, and it's unclear to me which power could do anything about it," she observed.
