The latest US-led military action in Venezuela and the seizure of its leader have sparked worry regarding America's designs on the Arctic territory. Supporters of the ex-president's base have allegedly turned their attention to the vast landmass following the operations in South America.
Merely a short time following the initiation of the Venezuelan campaign, a prominent right-wing commentator, who is the spouse of a high-ranking White House aide, shared a suggestive map. The picture showed Greenland covered in the stars and stripes, with the cryptic message: "SOON."
This blatant suggestion to absorb the resource-abundant region, which is a member of the NATO alliance, triggered swift and firm condemnation from Denmark's representatives.
"Denmark and the US are strong partners and should continue to cooperate as such. American security is also the Arctic's and Denmark’s security," stated the Danish ambassador to the United States. "The Kingdom of Denmark and the US collaborate to guarantee security in the Arctic."
The ambassador further pointed out that Denmark had significantly increased its defence spending recently, allocating a large amount expressly for Arctic and regional defence. "Furthermore, we expect full recognition for the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark," he emphasized.
The tensions were further complicated by the previous naming of a Southern governor as a special envoy to Greenland. The governor had publicly thanked the commander-in-chief, saying it was an "honour" to work in a unpaid role to "make Greenland a part of the US."
After the military action in Venezuela, this envoy praised the administration's actions, connecting it to the wider "fight against narcotics."
Since assuming office, the US president has consistently alarmed European allies with his stated interest in Greenland. The island is viewed as critically strategic for defence and potential resource extraction. It currently hosts the northernmost US air base.
In a significant television appearance, the president declined to exclude the use of armed action to gain control of Greenland. This position comes amid growing 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 stated.
He characterized Greenland as having a "tiny amount of people, which we’ll look after, and we’ll value them... But we need that for international security."
In reaction to this persistent "rhetoric" of intent, Denmark's security agency took the extraordinary step last month of classifying the United States as a "potential threat."
The leaders of both Greenland issued a joint and forceful statement: "We have said it very clearly before. Now we say it again... You cannot annex other countries."
Surveys in Greenland reveals a nuanced picture. While a vast majority of the island's inhabitants seek independence from Denmark, there is also little to no appetite to join the United States. The territory has had the legal right to declare independence for over a decade.
Some experts are now re-evaluating the likelihood of such a action. One thinktank director focusing in defence admitted she had once discounted the rhetoric but was "now not so sure."
"Logistically, it would be feasible for the US to station a few hundred or a couple thousand soldiers inside of Greenland, and it's not clear to me which power could do anything about it," she concluded.
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