The recent American military action in the South American nation and the seizure of its president have ignited worry regarding Washington's designs on Greenland. Supporters of the ex-president's base have reportedly turned their attention to the strategically important island in the wake of the events in South America.
Inflammatory Messages and Official Outrage
Merely a short time after the start of the Caracas campaign, a prominent right-wing commentator, who is married to a senior White House aide, shared a suggestive image. The graphic showed Greenland draped with the stars and stripes, accompanied by single-word message: "COMING."
This blatant threat to annex the mineral-rich land, which is a part of the North Atlantic alliance, provoked immediate and firm criticism from Denmark's representatives.
"We are close allies and should keep cooperate as such. American security is also the Arctic's and Denmark’s security," declared the Copenhagen's envoy to the United States. "The Kingdom of Denmark and the US collaborate to ensure security in the Arctic."
The ambassador further pointed out that Denmark had substantially boosted its military budget recently, allocating a large sum expressly for Arctic and regional defence. "And yes, we expect full respect for the sovereign borders of the Kingdom of Denmark," he emphasized.
Political Appointments and Strategic Goals
The situation were additionally exacerbated by the recent naming of a Southern governor as a representative to Greenland. The governor had openly expressed gratitude to the president, stating it was an "honour" to serve in a volunteer role to "make Greenland a part of the US."
Following the events in Venezuela, this envoy praised the president's actions, connecting it to the wider "fight against narcotics."
Since assuming office, the American leader has consistently unnerved European partners with his expressed interest in Greenland. The territory is viewed as critically strategic for national security and future mineral exploitation. It currently houses the northernmost US military base.
Refusing to Rule Out Military Action
In a significant media appearance, the president declined to exclude the resorting to armed action to acquire Greenland. This stance comes amid growing great-power 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 take care of, and we’ll cherish them... But we need that for international security."
Growing Friction and Indigenous Opposition
In response to this persistent "drumbeat" of threats, Denmark's intelligence service took the unprecedented step last month of classifying the United States as a "security risk."
The leaders of both Greenland issued 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 sentiment. While a overwhelming percentage of the territory's residents seek self-rule from Copenhagen, there is also scant desire to become part of the United States. The territory has had the option to seek sovereignty for many years.
Analyst View: A Plausible Scenario?
Some analysts are now reconsidering the likelihood of such a move. One thinktank analyst specializing in defence admitted she had once dismissed the rhetoric but was "currently not so sure."
"Logistically, it would be feasible for the US to deploy a few hundred or a couple thousand soldiers on Greenland, and it's unclear to me who could do anything about it," she observed.
