Recent US-led bombardment in the South American nation and the detention of its leader have ignited unease regarding Washington's ambitions on Greenland. Followers of the ex-president's base have allegedly turned their attention to the vast island in the wake of the operations in South America.
Provocative Messages and Diplomatic Outrage
Only hours following the start of the Venezuelan operation, a well-known conservative commentator, who is married to a senior presidential adviser, shared a symbolic map. The graphic showed Greenland draped with the American flag, with the single-word caption: "COMING."
This overt suggestion to absorb the resource-abundant region, which is a part of the NATO alliance, triggered immediate and strong condemnation from Danish officials.
"Denmark and the US are close allies and should keep work together as such. American security is equally Greenland’s and Denmark’s security," declared the Danish ambassador to the United States. "The Kingdom of Denmark and the United States collaborate to guarantee security in the Arctic."
The ambassador further pointed out that the kingdom had substantially increased its defence spending this year, allocating a substantial sum expressly for Northern and regional security. "Furthermore, we demand full recognition for the sovereign borders of the our realm," he added.
Administrative Moves and Strategic Interests
The tensions were additionally complicated by the previous appointment of a US state governor as a special envoy to Greenland. The appointee had publicly thanked the president, stating it was an "privilege" to serve in a unpaid capacity to "make Greenland a part of the US."
After the events in Venezuela, this envoy praised the administration's actions, connecting it to the broader "war on drugs."
Ever since returning to office, the American leader has consistently unnerved transatlantic allies with his expressed interest in Greenland. The island is viewed as critically strategic for defence and future resource extraction. It currently hosts the northernmost US air base.
Leaving the Door Open to Force
In a significant media appearance, the president declined to exclude the resorting to military force to gain control of Greenland. This stance comes amid growing great-power 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 remarked.
He described Greenland as having a "tiny amount of people, which we’ll look after, and we’ll value them... But we need that for global security."
Growing Friction and Local Resistance
In reaction to this persistent "rhetoric" of threats, Denmark's intelligence service took the extraordinary step last month of labelling the United States as a "security risk."
The leaders 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."
Public opinion in Greenland reveals 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 independence for over a decade.
Expert Assessment: A Plausible Threat?
Some analysts are increasingly reconsidering the likelihood of such a action. One policy director focusing in military analysis conceded 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 on Greenland, and it's not clear to me which power could intervene about it," she concluded.
