The latest US-led bombardment in Venezuela and the capture of its president have renewed worry regarding Washington's designs on the Arctic territory. Supporters of the ex-president's base have allegedly set their sights on the strategically important island following the operations in the southern hemisphere.
Inflammatory Posts and Diplomatic Backlash
Only a short time following the initiation of the Venezuelan operation, a prominent right-wing commentator, who is married to a high-ranking White House aide, posted a symbolic map. The picture showed Greenland draped with the American flag, with the cryptic message: "COMING."
This overt suggestion to absorb the resource-abundant region, which is a part of the North Atlantic alliance, provoked immediate and strong criticism from Denmark's officials.
"Denmark and the US are close allies and should keep work together as such. American security is equally the Arctic's and our security," stated the Copenhagen's envoy to the United States. "Our nation and the United States collaborate to ensure security in the North."
The diplomat further highlighted that the kingdom had substantially boosted its military budget recently, allocating a substantial sum expressly for Arctic and North Atlantic security. "Furthermore, we expect full respect for the sovereign borders of the our realm," he added.
Administrative Appointments and Strategic Interests
The tensions were additionally exacerbated by the recent naming of a Southern governor as a representative to Greenland. The appointee had openly expressed gratitude to the president, saying it was an "privilege" to serve in a volunteer capacity to "make Greenland a part of the US."
After the events in Venezuela, this representative commended the president's actions, connecting it to the wider "fight against narcotics."
Since assuming office, the US president has consistently alarmed transatlantic allies with his stated interest in Greenland. The territory is viewed as vitally important for national security and future resource extraction. It currently houses the most northerly US military base.
Leaving the Door Open to Force
In a significant television appearance, the president declined to rule out the use of armed action to gain control of Greenland. This position comes amid growing global 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 "tiny amount of people, which we’ll look after, and we’ll cherish them... But we need that for global security."
Growing Friction and Indigenous Resistance
In response to this constant "rhetoric" of threats, Danish security agency took the extraordinary step last month of labelling the United States as a "security risk."
The leaders of Denmark and Greenland delivered a unified and forceful rebuke: "We have said it very clearly before. Now we say it again... You cannot take over other countries."
Surveys in Greenland shows a complex sentiment. While a vast majority of the territory's inhabitants desire independence from Denmark, there is also little to no desire to join the United States. The territory has had the legal right to declare independence for many years.
Analyst View: A Plausible Scenario?
Some analysts are now re-evaluating the likelihood of such a action. One thinktank analyst focusing in defence admitted she had once dismissed 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 on Greenland, and it's not clear to me which power could intervene about it," she concluded.
