Recent US-led military action in Venezuela and the detention of its leader have renewed worry regarding Washington's ambitions on Greenland. Supporters of the former president's political movement have reportedly set their sights on the vast island in the wake of the events in South America.
Provocative Posts and Diplomatic Outrage
Merely hours after the start of the Caracas campaign, a prominent conservative podcaster, who is married to a senior White House adviser, shared a symbolic map. The picture depicted Greenland draped with the stars and stripes, accompanied by cryptic message: "SOON."
This blatant threat to annex the mineral-rich land, which is a part of the NATO alliance, provoked immediate and strong condemnation from Denmark's officials.
"We are strong partners and should continue to work together as such. American security is also the Arctic's and our security," declared the Danish ambassador to the United States. "The Kingdom of Denmark and the United States collaborate to ensure security in the North."
The ambassador further pointed out that Denmark had substantially increased its military budget recently, earmarking a large sum expressly for Arctic and North Atlantic defence. "And yes, we expect full respect for the territorial integrity of the our realm," he added.
Administrative Appointments and Strategic Goals
The situation were further exacerbated by the previous naming of a Southern governor as a special envoy to Greenland. The governor had openly expressed gratitude to the president, stating it was an "honour" to serve in a volunteer role to "make Greenland a part of the US."
After the events in Venezuela, this envoy praised the president's decisive move, linking it to the broader "war on drugs."
Ever since assuming office, the US president has consistently unnerved transatlantic partners with his stated desire in Greenland. The territory is viewed as vitally strategic for national security and potential resource extraction. It currently houses the most northerly US military base.
Leaving the Door Open to Force
In a notable television interview, the president declined to exclude the use of armed action to acquire 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 remarked.
He characterized Greenland as having a "tiny amount of people, which we’ll take care of, and we’ll cherish them... But we need that for international security."
Growing Tensions and Indigenous Resistance
In reaction to this persistent "drumbeat" of threats, Danish intelligence service took the extraordinary step last month of classifying the United States as a "security risk."
The prime ministers of both Greenland issued a unified and forceful rebuke: "We have said it very clearly before. Now we say it again... You cannot annex other countries."
Public opinion in Greenland shows a complex picture. While a overwhelming percentage of the island's inhabitants desire self-rule from Denmark, there is simultaneously little to no desire to become part of the United States. The territory has had the option to seek sovereignty for over a decade.
Expert View: A Credible Scenario?
Some analysts are increasingly re-evaluating the likelihood of such a move. One thinktank analyst specializing in military analysis admitted she had once discounted the sabre-rattling but was "now not so sure."
"It wouldn't be that hard for the US to station a few hundred or a couple thousand troops inside of Greenland, and it's unclear to me which power could do anything about it," she observed.
