🔗 Share this article US Military Operation on Caracas Fuels Fears of Potential Danish Territory Takeover. Recent American strike in the South American nation and the seizure of its president have sparked apprehension regarding Washington's ambitions on Greenland. Members of the former president's political movement have reportedly turned their attention to the vast island in the wake of the events in the southern hemisphere. Inflammatory Posts and Official Outrage Merely a short time after the start of the Caracas operation, a well-known conservative commentator, who is married to a high-ranking White House aide, shared a symbolic map. The graphic showed Greenland covered in the stars and stripes, with the cryptic caption: "COMING." This blatant threat to absorb the resource-abundant region, which is a member of the North Atlantic alliance, provoked swift and firm criticism from Denmark's officials. "We are close allies and should keep cooperate as such. American security is equally 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 North." The diplomat additionally pointed out that Denmark had significantly increased its defence spending this year, earmarking a substantial amount expressly for Arctic and regional defence. "Furthermore, we expect full recognition for the sovereign borders of the Kingdom of Denmark," he added. Political Appointments and Geopolitical Interests The situation were additionally complicated by the previous appointment of a US state governor as a special envoy to Greenland. The governor had publicly thanked the commander-in-chief, saying it was an "privilege" to work in a volunteer capacity to "make Greenland a part of the US." Following the events in Venezuela, this representative commended the administration's decisive move, linking it to the broader "war on drugs." Since returning to office, the US president has repeatedly unnerved European allies with his expressed interest in Greenland. The territory is viewed as critically important for national security and future mineral exploitation. It already houses the northernmost US military base. Refusing to Rule Out Force In a notable television interview, the leader refused to rule out the resorting to armed action to gain control of Greenland. This position comes during 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 remarked. 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." Mounting Tensions and Local Opposition In response to this constant "rhetoric" of intent, Denmark's security agency took the extraordinary step last month of labelling the United States as a "potential threat." The leaders of both Greenland delivered a joint 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 reveals a nuanced sentiment. While a vast majority of the territory's inhabitants seek self-rule from Denmark, there is also little to no appetite to join the United States. The territory has had the option to declare sovereignty for many years. Analyst View: A Plausible Scenario? Military experts are increasingly re-evaluating the likelihood of such a move. One policy director focusing in defence conceded she had once discounted the rhetoric but was "now not so sure." "It wouldn't be that hard for the US to deploy a couple hundred or a few thousand troops on Greenland, and it's unclear to me who could do anything about it," she concluded.
Recent American strike in the South American nation and the seizure of its president have sparked apprehension regarding Washington's ambitions on Greenland. Members of the former president's political movement have reportedly turned their attention to the vast island in the wake of the events in the southern hemisphere. Inflammatory Posts and Official Outrage Merely a short time after the start of the Caracas operation, a well-known conservative commentator, who is married to a high-ranking White House aide, shared a symbolic map. The graphic showed Greenland covered in the stars and stripes, with the cryptic caption: "COMING." This blatant threat to absorb the resource-abundant region, which is a member of the North Atlantic alliance, provoked swift and firm criticism from Denmark's officials. "We are close allies and should keep cooperate as such. American security is equally 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 North." The diplomat additionally pointed out that Denmark had significantly increased its defence spending this year, earmarking a substantial amount expressly for Arctic and regional defence. "Furthermore, we expect full recognition for the sovereign borders of the Kingdom of Denmark," he added. Political Appointments and Geopolitical Interests The situation were additionally complicated by the previous appointment of a US state governor as a special envoy to Greenland. The governor had publicly thanked the commander-in-chief, saying it was an "privilege" to work in a volunteer capacity to "make Greenland a part of the US." Following the events in Venezuela, this representative commended the administration's decisive move, linking it to the broader "war on drugs." Since returning to office, the US president has repeatedly unnerved European allies with his expressed interest in Greenland. The territory is viewed as critically important for national security and future mineral exploitation. It already houses the northernmost US military base. Refusing to Rule Out Force In a notable television interview, the leader refused to rule out the resorting to armed action to gain control of Greenland. This position comes during 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 remarked. 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." Mounting Tensions and Local Opposition In response to this constant "rhetoric" of intent, Denmark's security agency took the extraordinary step last month of labelling the United States as a "potential threat." The leaders of both Greenland delivered a joint 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 reveals a nuanced sentiment. While a vast majority of the territory's inhabitants seek self-rule from Denmark, there is also little to no appetite to join the United States. The territory has had the option to declare sovereignty for many years. Analyst View: A Plausible Scenario? Military experts are increasingly re-evaluating the likelihood of such a move. One policy director focusing in defence conceded she had once discounted the rhetoric but was "now not so sure." "It wouldn't be that hard for the US to deploy a couple hundred or a few thousand troops on Greenland, and it's unclear to me who could do anything about it," she concluded.