American Military Operation on Caracas Fuels Anxieties of Future Danish Territory Takeover.
Recent US-led strike in Venezuela and the seizure of its president have sparked apprehension regarding Washington's designs on the Arctic territory. Members of the former president's base have reportedly set their sights on the vast landmass in the wake of the operations in South America.
Inflammatory Posts and Diplomatic Outrage
Merely hours after the initiation of the Venezuelan campaign, a well-known right-wing commentator, who is the spouse of a high-ranking presidential adviser, shared a symbolic map. The graphic showed Greenland covered in the stars and stripes, with the single-word caption: "COMING."
This blatant suggestion to annex the resource-abundant land, which is a part of the North Atlantic alliance, provoked immediate and strong condemnation from Danish officials.
"We are strong partners and should keep cooperate as such. American security is equally the Arctic's and our security," declared the Copenhagen's envoy to the United States. "Our nation and the United States work together to ensure security in the North."
The ambassador further highlighted that the kingdom had significantly increased its defence spending recently, earmarking a large sum expressly for Northern and regional defence. "And yes, we demand full respect for the territorial integrity of the our realm," he added.
Political Moves and Strategic Interests
The tensions were additionally complicated by the previous naming of a Southern governor as a special envoy to Greenland. The governor had openly thanked the commander-in-chief, saying it was an "honour" to serve in a volunteer capacity to "make Greenland a part of the US."
Following the military action in Venezuela, this representative commended the administration's actions, connecting it to the wider "war on drugs."
Ever since returning to office, the US president has consistently alarmed transatlantic partners with his expressed desire in Greenland. The territory is considered critically important for defence and potential resource extraction. It currently houses the most northerly US air base.
Leaving the Door Open to Military Action
In a notable media appearance, the leader refused to exclude the resorting to armed action to acquire Greenland. This stance comes amid intensifying global 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 described Greenland as having a "tiny amount of people, which we’ll take care of, and we’ll cherish them... But we need that for international security."
Mounting Tensions and Indigenous Opposition
In response to this persistent "rhetoric" of intent, Denmark's security agency took the extraordinary step last month of labelling the United States as a "security risk."
The prime ministers of both Greenland issued a unified and stern statement: "We have said it very clearly before. Now we say it again... You must not take over other countries."
Surveys in Greenland shows a complex sentiment. While a vast majority of the territory's residents seek self-rule from Copenhagen, there is simultaneously scant appetite to become part of the United States. The island has had the legal right to declare sovereignty for over a decade.
Analyst View: A Plausible Threat?
Some analysts are increasingly re-evaluating the possibility of such a move. One policy analyst specializing in defence conceded she had once dismissed the rhetoric but was "now not so sure."
"Logistically, it would be feasible for the US to station a few hundred or a few thousand troops inside of Greenland, and it's unclear to me which power could intervene about it," she concluded.
