The latest US-led strike in Venezuela and the capture of its president have renewed apprehension regarding Washington's designs on Greenland. Supporters of the former president's base have allegedly focused on the resource-rich island following the events in the southern hemisphere.
Inflammatory Messages and Official Outrage
Only a short time after the initiation of the Caracas campaign, a well-known right-wing podcaster, who is the spouse of a senior White House adviser, shared a suggestive map. The graphic showed Greenland covered in the stars and stripes, accompanied by cryptic caption: "SOON."
This overt threat to claim the mineral-rich region, which is a part of the North Atlantic alliance, triggered swift and strong condemnation from Danish officials.
"We are close allies and should keep work together as such. US security is also Greenland’s and our security," stated the Copenhagen's envoy to the United States. "The Kingdom of Denmark and the US collaborate to ensure security in the North."
The diplomat additionally highlighted that the kingdom had substantially increased its defence spending this year, earmarking a large sum expressly for Arctic and North Atlantic security. "Furthermore, we demand full recognition for the sovereign borders of the our realm," he emphasized.
Administrative Moves and Geopolitical Goals
The tensions were further complicated by the previous naming of a Southern governor as a representative to Greenland. The appointee had openly expressed gratitude to the commander-in-chief, saying it was an "privilege" to work in a unpaid role to "make Greenland a part of the US."
After the events in Venezuela, this representative commended the president's decisive move, connecting it to the wider "war on drugs."
Ever since assuming office, the US president has repeatedly alarmed European allies with his stated interest in Greenland. The territory is considered critically strategic for national security and future resource extraction. It currently houses the most northerly US military base.
Refusing to Rule Out Force
In a notable media interview, the leader refused to rule out the use of military force to gain control of Greenland. This stance comes during intensifying great-power 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 "very small amount of people, which we’ll look after, and we’ll cherish them... But we need that for global security."
Mounting Tensions and Local Resistance
In response to this persistent "rhetoric" of threats, Denmark's security agency took the unprecedented step last month of classifying the United States as a "security risk."
The leaders of Denmark and Greenland issued a joint and forceful rebuke: "We have said it very clearly before. Now we say it again... You must not annex other countries."
Public opinion in Greenland shows a complex picture. While a vast majority of the territory's residents seek self-rule from Copenhagen, there is also scant appetite to become part of the United States. The island has had the legal right to declare independence for over a decade.
Expert Assessment: A Credible Threat?
Military experts are now re-evaluating the likelihood of such a action. One thinktank analyst specializing in military analysis conceded she had previously discounted the rhetoric but was "now not so sure."
"It wouldn't be that hard for the US to station a couple hundred or a couple thousand soldiers inside of Greenland, and it's not clear to me which power could intervene about it," she concluded.
