Recent American military action in Venezuela and the detention of its president have renewed unease regarding Washington's designs on the Arctic territory. Followers of the ex-president's political movement have reportedly focused on the vast island in the wake of the events in South America.
Provocative Posts and Official Outrage
Merely a short time after the initiation of the Venezuelan campaign, a well-known right-wing podcaster, who is the spouse of a senior White House aide, shared a symbolic image. The picture showed Greenland draped with the stars and stripes, with the cryptic message: "SOON."
This blatant threat to claim the resource-abundant land, which is a member of the NATO alliance, triggered immediate and firm condemnation from Danish officials.
"Denmark and the US are close allies and should continue to cooperate as such. US security is also Greenland’s and Denmark’s security," declared the Copenhagen's envoy to the United States. "Our nation and the United States work together to ensure security in the Arctic."
The ambassador additionally pointed out that Denmark had significantly boosted its defence spending this year, earmarking a substantial amount expressly for Arctic and regional defence. "Furthermore, we demand complete respect for the territorial integrity of the our realm," he emphasized.
Political Moves and Geopolitical Goals
The situation were further exacerbated by the recent appointment of a US state governor as a special envoy to Greenland. The appointee had openly expressed gratitude to the commander-in-chief, stating it was an "honour" to work in a unpaid capacity to "make Greenland a part of the US."
After the military action in Venezuela, this envoy praised the president's decisive move, linking it to the wider "war on drugs."
Ever since assuming office, the US president has consistently alarmed transatlantic partners with his expressed desire in Greenland. The island is considered vitally important for national security and potential resource extraction. It currently hosts the most northerly US air base.
Leaving the Door Open to Military Action
In a significant television interview, the leader declined to exclude the resorting to armed action to gain control of Greenland. This position comes amid intensifying 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 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 global security."
Growing Friction and Local Resistance
In reaction to this persistent "rhetoric" 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 delivered a joint and stern statement: "We have said it very clearly before. Now we say it again... You cannot annex other countries."
Surveys in Greenland shows a nuanced sentiment. While a vast majority of the territory's residents desire independence from Copenhagen, there is also little to no appetite to join the United States. The island has had the legal right to declare sovereignty for over a decade.
Expert View: A Plausible Scenario?
Military analysts are now re-evaluating the likelihood of such a action. One thinktank analyst focusing in defence admitted she had previously dismissed the sabre-rattling but was "now not so sure."
"It wouldn't be that hard for the US to station a couple hundred or a few thousand troops on Greenland, and it's unclear to me who could do anything about it," she concluded.
