Recent American bombardment in the South American nation and the seizure of its president have renewed worry regarding America's ambitions on the Arctic territory. Supporters of the ex-president's base have allegedly turned their attention to the vast landmass in the wake of the events in the southern hemisphere.
Inflammatory Posts and Diplomatic Backlash
Merely hours after the commencement of the Caracas operation, a prominent conservative podcaster, who is the spouse of a high-ranking presidential adviser, shared a symbolic map. The graphic showed Greenland draped with the American flag, with the single-word caption: "SOON."
This blatant threat to annex the resource-abundant region, which is a part of the NATO alliance, triggered immediate and strong condemnation from Danish representatives.
"Denmark and the US are close allies and should continue to cooperate as such. US security is equally Greenland’s and Denmark’s security," declared the Copenhagen's envoy to the United States. "The Kingdom of Denmark and the US work together to guarantee security in the Arctic."
The diplomat further pointed out that the kingdom had significantly boosted its military budget recently, allocating a large sum specifically for Northern and regional defence. "Furthermore, we demand full respect for the sovereign borders of the our realm," he emphasized.
Political Moves and Strategic Interests
The situation were further exacerbated by the previous naming of a Southern governor as a special envoy to Greenland. The appointee had publicly expressed gratitude to the commander-in-chief, stating it was an "privilege" to work in a unpaid role to "make Greenland a part of the US."
Following the events in Venezuela, this envoy commended the president's decisive move, connecting it to the wider "war on drugs."
Ever since assuming office, the American leader has repeatedly alarmed European allies with his expressed interest in Greenland. The island is considered critically strategic for national security and potential resource extraction. It already houses the northernmost US air base.
Leaving the Door Open to Military Action
In a notable television interview, the president refused to exclude the resorting to armed action to acquire Greenland. This stance comes during growing global rivalry 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 described Greenland as having a "tiny amount of people, which we’ll take care of, and we’ll cherish them... But we need that for global security."
Growing Friction and Local Resistance
In reaction to this persistent "drumbeat" of intent, Denmark's intelligence service took the extraordinary step last month of labelling the United States as a "potential threat."
The leaders of both Greenland delivered a unified and forceful statement: "We have said it very clearly before. Now we say it again... You must not annex other countries."
Public opinion in Greenland shows a nuanced sentiment. While a overwhelming percentage of the territory's residents seek self-rule from Denmark, there is also scant desire to join the United States. The territory has had the option to declare independence for over a decade.
Analyst View: A Plausible Threat?
Military experts are now reconsidering the possibility of such a action. One policy director focusing in defence admitted she had previously dismissed the sabre-rattling but was "now not so sure."
"It wouldn't be that hard for the US to deploy a few hundred or a couple thousand soldiers on Greenland, and it's unclear to me which power could do anything about it," she concluded.
