Recent US-led strike in the South American nation and the seizure of its leader have renewed unease regarding Washington's designs on the Arctic territory. Members of the former president's political movement have allegedly focused on the resource-rich island following the operations in the southern hemisphere.
Provocative Messages and Official Backlash
Merely hours after the commencement of the Venezuelan campaign, a prominent conservative podcaster, who is married to a high-ranking White House aide, shared a suggestive image. The picture showed Greenland covered in the American flag, accompanied by cryptic message: "COMING."
This overt suggestion to claim the resource-abundant land, which is a member of the NATO alliance, triggered immediate and strong condemnation from Danish representatives.
"We are close allies and should continue to work together as such. American security is also the Arctic's and Denmark’s security," declared the Danish ambassador to the United States. "The Kingdom of Denmark and the United States work together to ensure security in the North."
The ambassador additionally pointed out that Denmark had significantly increased its defence spending this year, earmarking a substantial sum expressly for Northern and regional defence. "Furthermore, we expect complete respect for the sovereign borders of the Kingdom of Denmark," he emphasized.
Administrative Appointments and Strategic Interests
The tensions were additionally complicated by the recent naming of a US state governor as a representative to Greenland. The appointee had openly expressed gratitude to the president, saying it was an "honour" to work in a volunteer capacity to "make Greenland a part of the US."
Following the events in Venezuela, this representative praised the president's actions, linking it to the wider "war on drugs."
Since returning to office, the American leader has consistently unnerved transatlantic partners with his expressed desire in Greenland. The island is considered vitally strategic for defence and future resource extraction. It already hosts the most northerly US air base.
Leaving the Door Open to Force
In a significant television appearance, the leader declined to rule out the use of 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 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 global security."
Mounting Friction and Indigenous Opposition
In response to this constant "drumbeat" of intent, Danish security agency 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 stern rebuke: "We have said it very clearly before. Now we say it again... You must not take over other countries."
Surveys in Greenland reveals a nuanced sentiment. While a vast majority of the island's residents seek self-rule from Copenhagen, there is simultaneously little to no desire to become part of the United States. The island has had the legal right to seek independence for over a decade.
Analyst Assessment: A Plausible Threat?
Some analysts are now re-evaluating the likelihood of such a move. One thinktank analyst specializing in defence conceded she had once dismissed the rhetoric but was "now not so sure."
"It wouldn't be that hard for the US to station a few hundred or a couple thousand soldiers inside of Greenland, and it's unclear to me which power could intervene about it," she observed.
