Recent American bombardment in the South American nation and the seizure of its president have ignited unease regarding America's designs on Greenland. Followers of the ex-president's political movement have reportedly turned their attention to the vast island in the wake of the events in the southern hemisphere.
Inflammatory Messages and Official Outrage
Only hours following the start of the Caracas campaign, a prominent conservative podcaster, who is the spouse of a high-ranking White House aide, shared a suggestive image. The picture depicted Greenland draped with the American flag, with the single-word message: "COMING."
This blatant suggestion to annex the resource-abundant region, which is a member of the NATO alliance, provoked swift and strong condemnation from Denmark's representatives.
"We are close allies and should keep work together as such. US security is also Greenland’s and our security," declared the Copenhagen's envoy to the United States. "The Kingdom of Denmark and the US work together to ensure security in the North."
The ambassador additionally pointed out that the kingdom had significantly increased its defence spending recently, allocating a large amount expressly for Arctic and North Atlantic security. "And yes, we demand full respect for the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark," he added.
Administrative Moves and Strategic Interests
The situation were further exacerbated by the previous appointment of a Southern governor as a representative to Greenland. The appointee had openly expressed gratitude to the commander-in-chief, saying it was an "honour" to serve in a volunteer role to "make Greenland a part of the US."
Following the military action in Venezuela, this representative praised the president's decisive move, connecting it to the wider "fight against narcotics."
Ever since returning to office, the American leader has consistently unnerved transatlantic partners with his expressed interest in Greenland. The island is viewed as vitally important for defence and future mineral exploitation. It already houses the most northerly US air base.
Refusing to Rule Out Force
In a notable television appearance, the leader declined to rule out the resorting to armed action to gain control of Greenland. This stance comes during intensifying great-power rivalry in the polar region. "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 value them... But we need that for international security."
Growing Tensions and Indigenous Opposition
In reaction to this persistent "rhetoric" of threats, Danish security agency took the unprecedented step last month of classifying the United States as a "security risk."
The prime ministers of both Greenland delivered a unified and forceful statement: "We have said it very clearly before. Now we say it again... You must not take over other countries."
Public opinion in Greenland shows a nuanced picture. While a overwhelming percentage of the island's inhabitants desire independence from Copenhagen, there is also little to no desire to join the United States. The territory has had the legal right to seek independence for over a decade.
Analyst View: A Plausible Threat?
Some analysts are now re-evaluating the possibility of such a move. One policy analyst specializing in defence conceded she had previously dismissed the sabre-rattling but was "currently not so sure."
"Logistically, it would be feasible for the US to deploy a couple hundred or a couple thousand soldiers on Greenland, and it's not clear to me which power could do anything about it," she observed.
