Recent US-led military action in Venezuela and the detention of its president have ignited apprehension regarding Washington's designs on the Arctic territory. Followers of the ex-president's political movement have reportedly focused on the strategically important island in the wake of the operations in the southern hemisphere.
Inflammatory Posts and Diplomatic Outrage
Merely hours after the initiation of the Venezuelan campaign, a well-known right-wing commentator, who is married to a high-ranking White House adviser, shared a suggestive map. The picture depicted Greenland draped with the American flag, with the single-word message: "SOON."
This overt suggestion to annex the mineral-rich land, which is a part of the North Atlantic alliance, provoked immediate and firm condemnation from Danish representatives.
"We are close allies and should keep work together as such. US security is equally the Arctic's and our security," stated the Copenhagen's envoy to the United States. "The Kingdom of Denmark and the US collaborate to ensure security in the North."
The diplomat additionally pointed out that Denmark had substantially increased its military budget this year, allocating a substantial sum specifically for Arctic and North Atlantic security. "Furthermore, we demand complete respect for the sovereign borders of the Kingdom of Denmark," he added.
Administrative Moves and Geopolitical Goals
The tensions were additionally complicated by the recent appointment of a US state governor as a special envoy to Greenland. The governor had openly thanked the president, saying it was an "privilege" to work in a unpaid role to "make Greenland a part of the US."
After the military action in Venezuela, this envoy praised the president's actions, linking it to the wider "fight against narcotics."
Since returning to office, the US president has consistently unnerved European partners with his stated desire in Greenland. The territory is viewed as critically strategic for national security and future mineral exploitation. It already houses the most northerly US air base.
Refusing to Rule Out Force
In a notable media appearance, the president declined to exclude the use of military force to gain control of Greenland. This position comes amid intensifying 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 remarked.
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 international security."
Mounting Tensions and Indigenous Resistance
In response to this persistent "drumbeat" of threats, Danish 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 joint and stern rebuke: "We have said it very clearly before. Now we say it again... You must not take over other countries."
Public opinion in Greenland reveals a nuanced sentiment. While a overwhelming percentage of the territory's inhabitants desire self-rule from Denmark, there is also little to no appetite to become part of the United States. The territory has had the legal right to seek sovereignty for many years.
Expert View: A Plausible Scenario?
Military analysts are now reconsidering the possibility of such a action. One thinktank director focusing in defence conceded she had previously discounted the sabre-rattling but was "currently not so sure."
"It wouldn't be that hard for the US to station a few hundred or a few thousand soldiers on Greenland, and it's not clear to me who could intervene about it," she concluded.
