The latest US-led strike in the South American nation and the seizure of its president have renewed unease regarding America's ambitions on the Arctic territory. Followers of the ex-president's base have allegedly focused on the strategically important island in the wake of the events in South America.
Inflammatory Posts and Diplomatic Backlash
Merely hours after the start of the Venezuelan campaign, a well-known right-wing podcaster, who is married to a senior presidential adviser, shared a suggestive map. The graphic showed Greenland draped with the stars and stripes, accompanied by single-word message: "SOON."
This blatant suggestion to absorb the resource-abundant land, which is a part of the North Atlantic alliance, triggered immediate and strong condemnation from Denmark's officials.
"Denmark and the US are close allies and should keep work together as such. US security is equally Greenland’s and Denmark’s security," declared the Danish ambassador to the United States. "Our nation and the United States collaborate to guarantee security in the North."
The ambassador additionally pointed out that Denmark had substantially increased its defence spending recently, earmarking a large amount expressly for Northern and North Atlantic defence. "Furthermore, we expect full recognition for the sovereign borders of the our realm," he added.
Administrative Appointments and Strategic Interests
The situation were further complicated by the previous naming of a US state governor as a representative to Greenland. The appointee had openly expressed gratitude to the commander-in-chief, stating it was an "privilege" to serve in a unpaid role to "bring Greenland into the US."
After the military action in Venezuela, this envoy commended the administration's decisive move, linking it to the wider "fight against narcotics."
Since assuming office, the American leader has repeatedly unnerved European allies with his expressed interest in Greenland. The island is considered vitally strategic for national security and future mineral exploitation. It currently hosts the most northerly US air base.
Leaving the Door Open to Military Action
In a notable media interview, the leader declined to rule out the use of military force to gain control of Greenland. This stance comes amid intensifying global 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 stated.
He described Greenland as having a "tiny amount of people, which we’ll look after, and we’ll cherish them... But we need that for global security."
Mounting Tensions and Local Opposition
In reaction to this persistent "drumbeat" of threats, Denmark's intelligence service took the extraordinary step last month of labelling the United States as a "security risk."
The prime ministers of both Greenland delivered a unified and stern statement: "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 overwhelming percentage of the territory's inhabitants desire independence from Copenhagen, there is also scant desire to join the United States. The territory has had the legal right to declare independence for over a decade.
Analyst View: A Plausible Threat?
Some analysts are now reconsidering the possibility of such a move. One policy director focusing in defence admitted she had once dismissed the rhetoric but was "currently not so sure."
"Logistically, it would be feasible for the US to station a couple hundred or a couple thousand soldiers on Greenland, and it's unclear to me who could intervene about it," she concluded.
