Recent American strike in Venezuela and the capture of its president have sparked unease regarding Washington's designs on the Arctic territory. Followers of the ex-president's political movement have allegedly turned their attention to the strategically important landmass in the wake of the operations in South America.
Inflammatory Messages and Diplomatic Outrage
Merely hours following the start of the Caracas campaign, a prominent right-wing commentator, who is the spouse of a high-ranking presidential adviser, posted a suggestive image. The graphic showed Greenland draped with the American flag, with the cryptic message: "SOON."
This overt threat to annex the resource-abundant region, which is a part of the North Atlantic alliance, provoked immediate and strong criticism from Danish representatives.
"Denmark and the US are close allies and should continue to work together as such. US security is equally Greenland’s and Denmark’s security," declared the Copenhagen's envoy to the United States. "Our nation and the US work together to guarantee security in the North."
The ambassador additionally highlighted that Denmark had significantly boosted its defence spending recently, earmarking a large sum specifically for Arctic and North Atlantic defence. "And yes, we expect complete recognition for the territorial integrity of the our realm," he added.
Political Appointments and Geopolitical Interests
The situation were further complicated by the previous appointment of a Southern governor as a representative to Greenland. The appointee had publicly expressed gratitude to the commander-in-chief, saying it was an "privilege" to serve in a unpaid capacity to "bring Greenland into the US."
Following the military action in Venezuela, this representative praised the president's actions, linking it to the broader "war on drugs."
Since returning to office, the American leader has repeatedly unnerved European allies with his stated interest in Greenland. The island is viewed as vitally important for national security and future resource extraction. It already hosts the northernmost US military base.
Refusing to Rule Out Force
In a significant television interview, the leader refused to exclude the use of military force to gain control of Greenland. This stance comes during growing great-power competition 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 characterized Greenland as having a "very small amount of people, which we’ll take care of, and we’ll value them... But we need that for global security."
Growing Tensions and Local Resistance
In response to this persistent "drumbeat" of intent, Danish intelligence service took the unprecedented step last month of labelling the United States as a "security risk."
The leaders of Denmark and Greenland issued a unified 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 reveals a nuanced picture. While a vast majority of the island's residents desire independence from Copenhagen, there is also scant appetite to join the United States. The territory has had the legal right to seek sovereignty for many years.
Analyst View: A Credible Threat?
Some experts are increasingly reconsidering the possibility of such a move. One policy analyst specializing in military analysis conceded she had previously discounted the sabre-rattling but was "now not so sure."
"Logistically, it would be feasible for the US to station a couple hundred or a couple thousand soldiers inside of Greenland, and it's unclear to me who could intervene about it," she observed.
