The recent US-led strike in the South American nation and the capture of its president have sparked worry regarding Washington's designs on Greenland. Members of the former president's political movement have reportedly focused on the vast landmass in the wake of the operations in South America.
Inflammatory Posts and Diplomatic Backlash
Merely hours following the initiation of the Caracas campaign, a prominent conservative commentator, who is married to a senior presidential aide, posted a suggestive image. The graphic showed Greenland covered in the stars and stripes, accompanied by cryptic message: "SOON."
This overt suggestion to absorb the resource-abundant land, which is a part of the NATO alliance, provoked immediate and strong criticism from Danish officials.
"We are close allies and should keep work together as such. American security is also the Arctic's and our security," stated the Copenhagen's envoy to the United States. "The Kingdom of Denmark and the United States collaborate to guarantee security in the North."
The diplomat additionally highlighted that the kingdom had substantially boosted its defence spending recently, earmarking a substantial sum expressly for Northern and North Atlantic security. "Furthermore, we expect full respect for the sovereign borders of the our realm," he added.
Political Moves and Geopolitical Goals
The situation were additionally exacerbated by the previous appointment of a US state governor as a representative to Greenland. The appointee had publicly expressed gratitude to the president, saying it was an "privilege" to serve in a unpaid role to "bring Greenland into the US."
Following the military action in Venezuela, this representative praised the president's decisive move, connecting it to the broader "fight against narcotics."
Ever since returning to office, the American leader has consistently alarmed European partners with his expressed interest in Greenland. The island is considered critically important for national security and future resource extraction. It currently hosts the northernmost US military base.
Leaving the Door Open to Force
In a significant television interview, the leader declined to exclude the resorting to armed action to gain control of Greenland. This position comes during 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 "very small amount of people, which we’ll take care of, and we’ll value them... But we need that for international security."
Growing Tensions and Indigenous Resistance
In response to this constant "rhetoric" of threats, Denmark's intelligence service took the unprecedented step last month of classifying the United States as a "security risk."
The leaders of both Greenland delivered a joint and stern statement: "We have said it very clearly before. Now we say it again... You cannot annex other countries."
Surveys in Greenland shows a complex picture. While a overwhelming percentage of the territory's residents desire independence from Denmark, there is simultaneously scant appetite to become part of the United States. The territory has had the option to seek sovereignty for many years.
Analyst View: A Plausible Threat?
Military analysts are now re-evaluating the likelihood of such a action. One thinktank analyst specializing in defence admitted she had once discounted the rhetoric but was "now not so sure."
"It wouldn't be that hard for the US to deploy a few hundred or a few thousand soldiers on Greenland, and it's unclear to me which power could intervene about it," she observed.
