The recent US-led military action in Venezuela and the capture of its president have sparked apprehension regarding Washington's designs on the Arctic territory. Supporters of the former president's political movement have reportedly set their sights on the vast landmass following the operations in the southern hemisphere.
Provocative Messages and Diplomatic Outrage
Only a short time following the initiation of the Caracas operation, a prominent conservative commentator, who is the spouse of a senior presidential adviser, posted a symbolic image. The picture showed Greenland draped with the stars and stripes, accompanied by single-word caption: "SOON."
This blatant suggestion to claim the resource-abundant land, which is a part of the North Atlantic alliance, provoked immediate and strong criticism from Denmark's representatives.
"We are close allies and should keep work together as such. American security is equally Greenland’s and our security," stated the Danish ambassador to the United States. "The Kingdom of Denmark and the US work together to guarantee security in the North."
The diplomat further pointed out that the kingdom had substantially boosted its defence spending this year, earmarking a large amount specifically for Arctic and North Atlantic security. "And yes, we demand complete respect for the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark," he added.
Political Appointments and Strategic Goals
The tensions were additionally complicated by the previous appointment of a Southern governor as a special envoy to Greenland. The governor had openly expressed gratitude to the president, stating it was an "privilege" to serve in a unpaid capacity to "bring Greenland into the US."
After the events in Venezuela, this envoy commended the administration's decisive move, connecting it to the wider "war on drugs."
Ever since assuming office, the US president has repeatedly alarmed transatlantic partners with his expressed interest in Greenland. The territory is considered critically strategic for defence and potential mineral exploitation. It currently hosts the northernmost US air base.
Leaving the Door Open to Military Action
In a significant media interview, the leader declined to rule out the resorting to military force to gain control of Greenland. This stance 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 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."
Growing Friction and Indigenous Resistance
In response to this constant "rhetoric" of threats, Denmark's security agency took the unprecedented step last month of classifying the United States as a "potential threat."
The prime ministers of both Greenland delivered a unified and forceful statement: "We have said it very clearly before. Now we say it again... You cannot annex other countries."
Public opinion in Greenland reveals a complex picture. While a vast majority of the territory's inhabitants seek self-rule from Copenhagen, there is also little to no desire to join the United States. The island has had the legal right to declare independence for over a decade.
Analyst View: A Plausible Scenario?
Military analysts are now reconsidering the possibility of such a action. One thinktank analyst specializing in defence conceded she had once dismissed the sabre-rattling but was "now not so sure."
"Logistically, it would be feasible for the US to deploy a couple hundred or a couple thousand soldiers on Greenland, and it's not clear to me which power could do anything about it," she observed.
