The latest US-led bombardment in the South American nation and the detention of its president have renewed unease regarding America's designs on Greenland. Members of the former president's political movement have allegedly focused on the strategically important island following the events in the southern hemisphere.
Inflammatory Posts and Diplomatic Outrage
Merely a short time following the start of the Caracas campaign, a prominent right-wing commentator, who is married to a senior White House aide, shared a suggestive image. The picture showed Greenland draped with the American flag, with the cryptic caption: "SOON."
This blatant threat to claim the resource-abundant land, which is a member of the NATO alliance, provoked immediate and strong condemnation from Denmark's representatives.
"We are strong partners and should keep work together as such. US security is also Greenland’s and our security," declared the Danish ambassador to the United States. "Our nation and the US work together to guarantee security in the Arctic."
The diplomat further highlighted that the kingdom had significantly boosted its military budget recently, allocating a large sum expressly for Arctic and regional defence. "And yes, we demand full respect for the sovereign borders of the our realm," he emphasized.
Administrative Moves and Geopolitical Goals
The tensions were additionally complicated by the previous naming of a US state governor as a representative to Greenland. The appointee had openly thanked the commander-in-chief, stating it was an "privilege" to serve in a unpaid role to "make Greenland a part of the US."
After the military action in Venezuela, this representative praised the president's decisive move, linking it to the broader "fight against narcotics."
Ever since assuming office, the US president has consistently unnerved transatlantic partners with his expressed interest in Greenland. The territory is considered critically strategic for national security and potential mineral exploitation. It already hosts the most northerly US air base.
Refusing to Rule Out Force
In a significant media interview, the leader declined to rule out the use of armed action to acquire Greenland. This position comes during growing great-power competition 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 remarked.
He described Greenland as having a "tiny amount of people, which we’ll take care of, and we’ll value them... But we need that for international security."
Mounting Friction and Indigenous Opposition
In response to this constant "rhetoric" of threats, Denmark's security agency took the extraordinary step last month of classifying the United States as a "security risk."
The prime ministers of Denmark and Greenland delivered a joint and forceful rebuke: "We have said it very clearly before. Now we say it again... You cannot annex other countries."
Public opinion in Greenland reveals a nuanced sentiment. While a vast majority of the island's residents desire self-rule from Denmark, there is also little to no desire to join the United States. The island has had the legal right to declare independence for over a decade.
Expert View: A Credible Threat?
Military experts are now re-evaluating the likelihood of such a move. One policy director focusing 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 few thousand troops inside of Greenland, and it's not clear to me who could do anything about it," she observed.
