US Attack on Venezuela Stokes Anxieties of Potential Danish Territory Takeover.
Recent US-led strike in Venezuela and the capture of its president have sparked unease regarding America's designs on the Arctic territory. Supporters of the former president's political movement have reportedly set their sights on the strategically important island in the wake of the events in South America.
Inflammatory Posts and Official Backlash
Merely a short time following the initiation of the Venezuelan operation, a well-known right-wing commentator, who is the spouse of a senior White House adviser, shared a suggestive map. The picture showed Greenland draped with the stars and stripes, with the cryptic caption: "COMING."
This blatant threat to annex the mineral-rich region, which is a part of the North Atlantic alliance, provoked immediate and firm condemnation from Denmark's representatives.
"Denmark and the US are close allies and should continue to work together as such. American security is equally the Arctic's and Denmark’s security," stated the Copenhagen's envoy to the United States. "Our nation and the US collaborate to ensure security in the Arctic."
The diplomat further highlighted that Denmark had significantly increased its defence spending recently, earmarking a substantial sum expressly for Northern and regional security. "And yes, we expect complete respect for the territorial integrity of the our realm," he emphasized.
Administrative Moves and Geopolitical Interests
The situation were additionally exacerbated by the previous appointment of a Southern governor as a special envoy to Greenland. The governor had openly thanked the president, stating it was an "privilege" to serve in a unpaid role to "make Greenland a part of the US."
After the events in Venezuela, this envoy commended the president's decisive move, connecting it to the broader "war on drugs."
Ever since assuming office, the US president has repeatedly unnerved European allies with his expressed interest in Greenland. The territory is viewed as vitally strategic for defence and future mineral exploitation. It already hosts the northernmost US air base.
Refusing to Rule Out Force
In a significant media appearance, the president refused to rule out the resorting to armed action 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 Opposition
In reaction to this constant "drumbeat" of threats, Danish security agency took the unprecedented step last month of classifying the United States as a "security risk."
The leaders of both Greenland delivered a unified and forceful rebuke: "We have said it very clearly before. Now we say it again... You must not annex other countries."
Surveys in Greenland shows a complex picture. While a overwhelming percentage of the island's residents seek independence from Copenhagen, there is also scant desire to join the United States. The island has had the legal right to seek sovereignty for many years.
Expert View: A Credible Scenario?
Some experts are now re-evaluating the likelihood of such a move. One thinktank director specializing in military analysis conceded she had previously dismissed the sabre-rattling but was "now not so sure."
"Logistically, it would be feasible for the US to station a couple hundred or a couple thousand soldiers on Greenland, and it's unclear to me which power could intervene about it," she observed.
