The recent US-led strike in Venezuela and the detention of its president have renewed unease regarding Washington's designs on the Arctic territory. Members of the ex-president's base have reportedly set their sights on the vast landmass in the wake of the events in the southern hemisphere.
Inflammatory Messages and Official Outrage
Merely hours following the commencement of the Venezuelan operation, a prominent right-wing podcaster, who is married to a high-ranking White House aide, shared a suggestive image. The picture showed Greenland draped with the stars and stripes, accompanied by single-word caption: "COMING."
This overt suggestion to annex the resource-abundant region, which is a part of the NATO alliance, provoked swift and firm criticism from Denmark's officials.
"We are strong partners and should keep work together as such. American security is equally the Arctic's and Denmark’s security," stated the Danish ambassador to the United States. "Our nation and the United States collaborate to ensure security in the Arctic."
The ambassador additionally highlighted that Denmark had significantly boosted its defence spending recently, earmarking a large amount specifically for Northern and North Atlantic defence. "And yes, we demand full respect for the sovereign borders of the our realm," he added.
Administrative Moves and Geopolitical Goals
The tensions were additionally complicated by the recent naming of a US state governor as a special envoy to Greenland. The appointee had publicly thanked the president, saying it was an "honour" to work in a volunteer role to "bring Greenland into the US."
Following the events in Venezuela, this envoy praised the administration's actions, linking it to the wider "fight against narcotics."
Since returning to office, the US president has consistently alarmed transatlantic partners with his expressed desire in Greenland. The territory is viewed as critically strategic for defence and potential resource extraction. It already houses the most northerly US military base.
Refusing to Rule Out Military Action
In a notable television appearance, the president refused to rule out the resorting to armed action to gain control of Greenland. This position comes during 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 take care of, and we’ll value them... But we need that for global security."
Growing Tensions and Indigenous Resistance
In response to this constant "drumbeat" of threats, Denmark's security agency took the extraordinary step last month of labelling the United States as a "security risk."
The leaders of both Greenland delivered a joint and stern rebuke: "We have said it very clearly before. Now we say it again... You cannot take over other countries."
Surveys in Greenland reveals a complex picture. While a vast majority of the island's inhabitants seek self-rule from Denmark, there is simultaneously scant appetite to join the United States. The island has had the legal right to seek independence for many years.
Expert View: A Plausible Threat?
Military analysts are now reconsidering the possibility of such a move. One policy analyst focusing in defence admitted she had previously dismissed the rhetoric but was "now not so sure."
"It wouldn't be that hard for the US to deploy a few hundred or a few thousand troops inside of Greenland, and it's unclear to me who could intervene about it," she observed.
