Recent US-led strike in Venezuela and the capture of its president have renewed worry regarding Washington's ambitions on Greenland. Supporters of the ex-president's base have allegedly turned their attention to the resource-rich island in the wake of the events in the southern hemisphere.
Inflammatory Posts and Official Outrage
Only hours after the start of the Venezuelan campaign, a prominent conservative podcaster, who is married to a high-ranking White House adviser, shared a symbolic map. The graphic showed Greenland covered in the American flag, accompanied by single-word message: "COMING."
This overt threat to claim the resource-abundant land, which is a part of the North Atlantic alliance, triggered immediate and strong criticism from Denmark's representatives.
"We are close allies and should keep cooperate as such. American security is equally Greenland’s and our security," declared the Danish ambassador to the United States. "Our nation and the US work together to ensure security in the North."
The ambassador further pointed out that the kingdom had substantially boosted its defence spending this year, earmarking a substantial amount expressly for Northern and North Atlantic security. "Furthermore, we expect complete recognition for the sovereign borders of the our realm," he added.
Political Moves and Geopolitical Goals
The situation were further complicated by the previous appointment of a Southern governor as a special envoy to Greenland. The governor had openly thanked the president, 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 envoy commended the president's actions, connecting it to the wider "war on drugs."
Ever since assuming office, the US president has repeatedly unnerved European allies with his expressed interest in Greenland. The island is considered critically important for national security and future resource extraction. It already houses the most northerly US air base.
Leaving the Door Open to Military Action
In a significant media appearance, the president refused to rule out the use of military force to acquire Greenland. This position 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 characterized 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 Friction and Indigenous Resistance
In reaction to this persistent "drumbeat" 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 both Greenland issued a joint and stern statement: "We have said it very clearly before. Now we say it again... You must not take over other countries."
Surveys in Greenland reveals a complex sentiment. While a vast majority of the island's inhabitants desire self-rule from Copenhagen, there is simultaneously scant desire to join the United States. The island has had the legal right to declare sovereignty for many years.
Analyst Assessment: A Plausible Scenario?
Some analysts are increasingly reconsidering the possibility of such a move. One policy director specializing in military analysis conceded she had previously dismissed the rhetoric but was "currently not so sure."
"Logistically, it would be feasible for the US to deploy a few hundred or a few thousand soldiers inside of Greenland, and it's unclear to me which power could intervene about it," she observed.
