The latest American military action in Venezuela and the capture of its president have renewed unease regarding America's ambitions on Greenland. Followers of the former president's base have allegedly focused on the strategically important landmass following the events in the southern hemisphere.
Provocative Messages and Official Outrage
Merely hours after the initiation of the Venezuelan operation, a well-known conservative podcaster, who is the spouse of a senior presidential adviser, posted a symbolic map. The picture showed Greenland draped with the American flag, with the single-word caption: "COMING."
This blatant threat to claim the resource-abundant land, which is a member of the NATO alliance, triggered immediate and strong criticism from Danish officials.
"Denmark and the US are strong partners and should keep cooperate as such. US security is also the Arctic's and Denmark’s security," stated the Danish ambassador to the United States. "Our nation and the United States collaborate to ensure security in the North."
The diplomat further pointed out that Denmark had substantially increased its military budget recently, earmarking a large sum expressly for Arctic and North Atlantic defence. "Furthermore, we demand full respect for the sovereign borders of the our realm," he emphasized.
Administrative Moves and Geopolitical Goals
The tensions were further exacerbated by the previous naming of a Southern governor as a special envoy to Greenland. The governor had publicly thanked the president, saying it was an "honour" to serve in a unpaid capacity to "make Greenland a part of the US."
After the military action in Venezuela, this envoy praised the administration's decisive move, linking it to the wider "fight against narcotics."
Since returning to office, the US president has repeatedly alarmed European partners with his expressed desire in Greenland. The island is viewed as vitally important for defence and future resource extraction. It already hosts the northernmost US air base.
Refusing to Rule Out Force
In a significant television appearance, the leader declined to exclude the resorting to armed action to acquire Greenland. This position comes amid intensifying great-power rivalry in the polar region. "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 "tiny amount of people, which we’ll look after, and we’ll cherish them... But we need that for international security."
Growing Friction and Local Resistance
In reaction to this persistent "rhetoric" of threats, Denmark's security agency took the extraordinary step last month of classifying the United States as a "potential threat."
The leaders of Denmark and Greenland delivered a unified and stern statement: "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 complex picture. While a vast majority of the island's inhabitants seek independence from Copenhagen, there is also little to no appetite to join the United States. The territory has had the legal right to seek sovereignty for many years.
Expert Assessment: A Plausible Threat?
Some analysts are now re-evaluating the possibility of such a action. One thinktank director specializing in defence conceded she had once dismissed 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 troops inside of Greenland, and it's unclear to me which power could do anything about it," she observed.
