Recent American bombardment in the South American nation and the detention of its president have sparked unease regarding Washington's designs on Greenland. Supporters of the former president's political movement have allegedly focused on the strategically important island in the wake of the events in the southern hemisphere.
Merely hours following the commencement of the Caracas campaign, a well-known right-wing commentator, who is married to a senior presidential aide, shared a suggestive map. The picture showed Greenland draped with the stars and stripes, accompanied by single-word caption: "SOON."
This blatant threat to claim the resource-abundant region, which is a part of the NATO alliance, provoked swift and strong condemnation from Denmark's officials.
"Denmark and the US are strong partners and should continue to cooperate as such. US security is equally the Arctic's and our security," stated the Copenhagen's envoy to the United States. "Our nation and the United States work together to guarantee security in the North."
The diplomat additionally highlighted that Denmark had substantially boosted its military budget recently, allocating a substantial sum expressly for Arctic and North Atlantic defence. "And yes, we demand full recognition for the sovereign borders of the our realm," he emphasized.
The tensions were additionally exacerbated by the recent naming of a US state governor as a representative to Greenland. The appointee had publicly expressed gratitude to the commander-in-chief, stating it was an "honour" to work in a unpaid capacity to "make Greenland a part of the US."
After the events in Venezuela, this representative commended the president's actions, linking it to the wider "fight against narcotics."
Since returning to office, the American leader has consistently alarmed European allies with his expressed interest in Greenland. The territory is considered vitally important for defence and future resource extraction. It currently hosts the most northerly US air base.
In a notable television interview, the president refused to exclude the resorting to military force to gain control of Greenland. This stance comes amid growing global competition 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 "very small amount of people, which we’ll look after, and we’ll cherish them... But we need that for international security."
In response to this constant "rhetoric" of intent, Danish intelligence service took the extraordinary 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 cannot annex other countries."
Public opinion in Greenland shows a nuanced sentiment. While a vast majority of the territory's residents seek self-rule from Copenhagen, there is also little to no appetite to become part of the United States. The island has had the legal right to seek sovereignty for many years.
Some analysts are increasingly re-evaluating the possibility of such a action. One thinktank analyst focusing in military analysis conceded she had once dismissed the rhetoric but was "now not so sure."
"It wouldn't be that hard for the US to station a few hundred or a couple thousand troops on Greenland, and it's unclear to me which power could intervene about it," she observed.
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