The latest US-led strike in Venezuela and the detention of its president have sparked apprehension regarding America's designs on Greenland. Supporters of the former president's base have reportedly focused on the vast landmass following the operations in the southern hemisphere.
Provocative Posts and Official Backlash
Merely a short time after the commencement of the Venezuelan operation, a prominent right-wing podcaster, who is the spouse of a senior presidential adviser, shared a suggestive image. The graphic showed Greenland covered in the American flag, with the cryptic message: "COMING."
This blatant suggestion to absorb the resource-abundant land, which is a part of the North Atlantic alliance, triggered immediate and firm criticism from Denmark's representatives.
"Denmark and the US are close allies and should keep work together as such. American security is also Greenland’s and Denmark’s security," declared the Copenhagen's envoy to the United States. "The Kingdom of Denmark and the United States collaborate to guarantee security in the Arctic."
The ambassador additionally pointed out that Denmark had substantially increased its military budget recently, earmarking a substantial amount specifically for Arctic and North Atlantic security. "Furthermore, we expect full respect for the territorial integrity of the our realm," he added.
Administrative Appointments and Geopolitical Interests
The tensions were additionally exacerbated by the recent naming of a US state governor as a special envoy to Greenland. The governor had openly thanked the president, stating it was an "honour" to work in a unpaid capacity to "bring Greenland into the US."
After the events in Venezuela, this envoy praised the administration's decisive move, connecting it to the broader "war on drugs."
Ever since returning to office, the US president has repeatedly unnerved transatlantic allies with his expressed interest in Greenland. The territory is considered critically important for defence and potential resource extraction. It already hosts the most northerly US military base.
Leaving the Door Open to Force
In a significant media appearance, the leader declined to exclude the resorting to military force to acquire Greenland. This stance comes during growing great-power competition 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 stated.
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 international security."
Growing Tensions and Indigenous Opposition
In response to this constant "drumbeat" of threats, Danish security agency took the unprecedented step last month of labelling the United States as a "potential threat."
The prime ministers of Denmark and Greenland issued a joint and stern statement: "We have said it very clearly before. Now we say it again... You cannot take over other countries."
Surveys in Greenland shows a nuanced sentiment. While a vast majority of the island's inhabitants desire independence from Denmark, there is simultaneously scant desire to join the United States. The territory has had the option to seek sovereignty for many years.
Expert View: A Credible Threat?
Military experts are increasingly reconsidering the possibility of such a move. One thinktank analyst specializing in military analysis conceded she had once dismissed the rhetoric but was "now not so sure."
"It wouldn't be that hard for the US to deploy a couple hundred or a couple thousand troops inside of Greenland, and it's not clear to me which power could intervene about it," she concluded.
