Recent US-led bombardment in Venezuela and the seizure of its president have sparked unease regarding Washington's designs on the Arctic territory. Followers of the ex-president's political movement have reportedly focused on the strategically important landmass following the operations in the southern hemisphere.
Provocative Posts and Diplomatic Outrage
Merely hours after the start of the Caracas campaign, a prominent conservative podcaster, who is married to a high-ranking White House aide, posted a symbolic image. The picture depicted Greenland covered in the American flag, accompanied by single-word caption: "SOON."
This blatant suggestion to annex the mineral-rich region, which is a part of the North Atlantic alliance, provoked immediate and strong criticism from Denmark's officials.
"Denmark and the US are strong partners and should continue to work together as such. American security is also the Arctic's and our security," stated the Copenhagen's envoy to the United States. "Our nation and the United States collaborate to guarantee security in the Arctic."
The diplomat further pointed out that Denmark had substantially increased its military budget recently, allocating a substantial amount expressly for Arctic and regional security. "Furthermore, we expect full respect for the territorial integrity of the our realm," he added.
Administrative Appointments and Strategic Goals
The tensions were additionally complicated by the recent naming of a US state governor as a special envoy to Greenland. The governor had openly expressed gratitude to the commander-in-chief, stating it was an "privilege" to serve in a unpaid capacity to "make Greenland a part of the US."
Following the events in Venezuela, this representative commended the administration's decisive move, connecting it to the wider "war on drugs."
Since assuming office, the US president has consistently alarmed European partners with his expressed desire in Greenland. The territory is considered vitally important for defence and future resource extraction. It currently hosts the most northerly US air base.
Refusing to Rule Out Force
In a notable media interview, the leader refused to exclude the resorting to armed action to acquire Greenland. This position comes during 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 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 global security."
Mounting Friction and Indigenous Resistance
In reaction to this constant "drumbeat" of threats, 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 issued a unified and forceful statement: "We have said it very clearly before. Now we say it again... You must not annex other countries."
Public opinion in Greenland reveals a complex picture. While a vast majority of the territory's inhabitants seek independence from Copenhagen, there is simultaneously scant appetite to join the United States. The territory has had the legal right to seek sovereignty for many years.
Analyst View: A Plausible Scenario?
Military analysts are now re-evaluating the possibility of such a action. One policy analyst focusing in defence admitted she had once dismissed the rhetoric but was "now not so sure."
"It wouldn't be that hard for the US to station a few hundred or a couple thousand troops on Greenland, and it's unclear to me which power could do anything about it," she concluded.
