Recent American military action in Venezuela and the detention of its president have sparked worry regarding Washington's designs on the Arctic territory. Followers of the former president's political movement have reportedly turned their attention to the strategically important island in the wake of the operations in the southern hemisphere.
Inflammatory Messages and Official Backlash
Only hours after the commencement of the Caracas operation, a well-known conservative commentator, who is married to a high-ranking White House adviser, shared a symbolic map. The graphic showed Greenland covered in the stars and stripes, with the single-word caption: "COMING."
This overt threat to annex the resource-abundant region, which is a member of the North Atlantic alliance, provoked swift and strong condemnation from Denmark's representatives.
"We are close allies and should continue to work together as such. US security is also the Arctic's and our security," declared the Danish ambassador to the United States. "The Kingdom of Denmark and the US work together to guarantee security in the Arctic."
The ambassador further highlighted that the kingdom had substantially increased its defence spending this year, earmarking a large amount expressly for Northern and North Atlantic defence. "Furthermore, we expect complete respect for the territorial integrity of the our realm," he emphasized.
Administrative Moves and Strategic Goals
The tensions were additionally exacerbated by the recent appointment of a US state governor as a special envoy to Greenland. The appointee had publicly thanked the commander-in-chief, saying it was an "honour" to serve in a unpaid role to "bring Greenland into the US."
Following the events in Venezuela, this representative commended the president's decisive move, connecting it to the wider "war on drugs."
Ever since assuming office, the US president has consistently unnerved transatlantic allies with his expressed desire in Greenland. The island is viewed as critically important for national security and future resource extraction. It already houses the most northerly US military base.
Leaving the Door Open to Military Action
In a notable media interview, the president refused to rule out the resorting to military force to acquire Greenland. This position comes amid intensifying global 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 cherish them... But we need that for international security."
Mounting Friction and Indigenous Resistance
In response to this constant "rhetoric" of threats, Denmark's intelligence service took the extraordinary step last month of labelling the United States as a "security risk."
The prime ministers of Denmark and Greenland issued a joint and forceful 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 residents seek independence from Denmark, there is simultaneously little to no desire to join the United States. The territory has had the legal right to seek independence for over a decade.
Expert Assessment: A Plausible Scenario?
Some analysts are increasingly reconsidering the likelihood of such a move. One thinktank director specializing in defence conceded she had previously dismissed the sabre-rattling but was "now not so sure."
"Logistically, it would be feasible for the US to deploy a few hundred or a few thousand soldiers on Greenland, and it's unclear to me who could intervene about it," she observed.
