American Attack on Venezuela Stokes Fears of Potential Danish Territory Acquisition.
Recent US-led military action in the South American nation and the capture of its president have ignited worry regarding America's designs on Greenland. Supporters of the former president's political movement have allegedly set their sights on the vast landmass in the wake of the operations in the southern hemisphere.
Provocative Posts and Official Outrage
Merely hours after the initiation of the Venezuelan campaign, a well-known conservative podcaster, who is married to a high-ranking White House adviser, shared a suggestive map. The picture depicted Greenland draped with the American flag, with the single-word caption: "COMING."
This blatant suggestion to absorb the resource-abundant region, which is a part of the North Atlantic alliance, provoked swift and firm criticism from Danish representatives.
"Denmark and the US are strong partners and should keep work together as such. US security is equally Greenland’s and Denmark’s security," declared the Copenhagen's envoy to the United States. "The Kingdom of Denmark and the US collaborate to guarantee security in the Arctic."
The diplomat further highlighted that Denmark had significantly increased its defence spending this year, earmarking a large sum specifically for Arctic and regional security. "Furthermore, we demand full respect for the sovereign borders of the Kingdom of Denmark," he added.
Administrative Moves and Geopolitical Interests
The situation were further exacerbated by the previous naming of a US state governor as a special envoy to Greenland. The appointee had publicly expressed gratitude to the president, stating it was an "privilege" to work in a volunteer role to "make Greenland a part of the US."
Following the events in Venezuela, this representative commended the president's actions, linking it to the wider "war on drugs."
Ever since assuming office, the American leader has consistently alarmed European partners with his expressed desire in Greenland. The territory is viewed as vitally strategic for national security and future resource extraction. It already houses the most northerly US air base.
Leaving the Door Open to Force
In a notable television interview, the president refused to exclude the use of military force to acquire Greenland. This stance comes amid intensifying great-power 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 characterized 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."
Mounting Friction and Local 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 "security risk."
The prime ministers of both Greenland delivered a joint and stern statement: "We have said it very clearly before. Now we say it again... You cannot take over other countries."
Public opinion in Greenland shows a complex picture. While a overwhelming percentage of the territory's inhabitants desire self-rule from Copenhagen, there is simultaneously little to no desire to join the United States. The island has had the legal right to declare independence for many years.
Analyst View: A Credible Scenario?
Some analysts are increasingly reconsidering the possibility of such a move. One thinktank director focusing in defence admitted she had previously discounted the sabre-rattling but was "currently not so sure."
"It wouldn't be that hard for the US to deploy a couple hundred or a couple thousand troops on Greenland, and it's not clear to me which power could intervene about it," she concluded.
