US Attack on Venezuela Fuels Fears of Future Greenland Acquisition.
Recent US-led military action in Venezuela and the detention of its president have renewed unease regarding America's ambitions on the Arctic territory. Supporters of the former president's political movement have allegedly focused on the vast landmass following the events in South America.
Inflammatory Messages and Diplomatic Backlash
Merely a short time following the initiation of the Caracas operation, a well-known right-wing commentator, who is the spouse of a senior White House adviser, shared a symbolic map. The picture showed Greenland covered in the stars and stripes, accompanied by cryptic caption: "COMING."
This blatant threat to annex the mineral-rich land, which is a part of the NATO alliance, triggered immediate and strong condemnation from Denmark's officials.
"Denmark and the US are strong partners and should keep cooperate as such. American security is equally the Arctic's and Denmark’s security," declared the Danish ambassador to the United States. "The Kingdom of Denmark and the US collaborate to ensure security in the North."
The ambassador further pointed out that Denmark had substantially boosted its defence spending recently, allocating a large sum expressly for Northern and regional security. "Furthermore, we demand complete respect for the sovereign borders of the Kingdom of Denmark," he emphasized.
Political Appointments and Geopolitical Interests
The situation were additionally complicated by the previous naming of a US state governor as a representative to Greenland. The governor had openly thanked the commander-in-chief, saying it was an "privilege" to work in a volunteer capacity to "bring Greenland into the US."
After the events in Venezuela, this representative commended the president's actions, linking it to the broader "war on drugs."
Since returning to office, the US president has consistently alarmed European allies with his stated interest in Greenland. The territory is considered vitally strategic for national security and future mineral exploitation. It currently hosts the northernmost US air base.
Refusing to Rule Out Military Action
In a significant television appearance, the president declined to exclude the resorting to armed action to acquire Greenland. This stance 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 remarked.
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."
Growing Friction and Local Opposition
In reaction to this constant "rhetoric" of threats, Danish intelligence service took the unprecedented step last month of labelling the United States as a "potential threat."
The leaders of both Greenland delivered a unified and stern statement: "We have said it very clearly before. Now we say it again... You cannot annex other countries."
Surveys in Greenland shows a nuanced sentiment. While a vast majority of the territory's residents desire independence from Copenhagen, there is simultaneously little to no desire to join the United States. The territory has had the legal right to declare independence for over a decade.
Analyst View: A Credible Threat?
Some experts are now reconsidering the possibility of such a action. One policy analyst specializing in defence conceded she had once discounted 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 few thousand soldiers on Greenland, and it's unclear to me which power could do anything about it," she observed.
