🔗 Share this article US Military Operation on Caracas Stokes Anxieties of Potential Danish Territory Takeover. Recent American bombardment in Venezuela and the seizure of its president have sparked apprehension regarding Washington's designs on Greenland. Followers of the ex-president's political movement have allegedly turned their attention to the vast island following the events in South America. Inflammatory Posts and Official Outrage Merely hours after the initiation of the Venezuelan operation, a well-known conservative commentator, who is the spouse of a senior White House adviser, shared a suggestive map. The picture depicted Greenland covered in the American flag, with the cryptic caption: "COMING." This overt suggestion to absorb the resource-abundant region, which is a member of the NATO alliance, provoked swift and firm condemnation from Denmark's officials. "We are close allies and should keep cooperate as such. US security is also the Arctic's and our security," declared the Copenhagen's envoy to the United States. "The Kingdom of Denmark and the US work together to guarantee security in the North." The diplomat further highlighted that Denmark had significantly increased its military budget this year, earmarking a large sum expressly for Arctic and North Atlantic security. "And yes, we demand full respect for the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark," he emphasized. Administrative Moves and Geopolitical Goals The situation were additionally complicated by the recent naming of a US state governor as a representative to Greenland. The governor had openly thanked the president, saying it was an "honour" to work in a volunteer role to "bring Greenland into the US." Following the military action in Venezuela, this envoy praised the president's actions, linking it to the broader "fight against narcotics." Ever since assuming office, the US president has consistently unnerved transatlantic partners with his stated desire in Greenland. The territory is viewed as critically important for national security and potential resource extraction. It currently houses the most northerly US military base. Leaving the Door Open to Force In a notable media interview, the leader declined to rule out the resorting to military force to gain control of Greenland. This position comes during growing 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 "very small amount of people, which we’ll look after, and we’ll cherish them... But we need that for international security." Growing Friction and Indigenous Resistance In reaction to this constant "rhetoric" of intent, Denmark's security agency took the extraordinary step last month of classifying the United States as a "potential threat." The prime ministers of Denmark and Greenland issued a unified and forceful statement: "We have said it very clearly before. Now we say it again... You cannot take over other countries." Surveys in Greenland reveals a nuanced picture. While a overwhelming percentage of the island's residents desire independence from Denmark, there is also scant appetite to become part of the United States. The territory has had the legal right to declare sovereignty for over a decade. Analyst View: A Credible Scenario? Military analysts are increasingly reconsidering the likelihood of such a move. One thinktank director specializing in defence admitted she had previously discounted the rhetoric but was "now not so sure." "It wouldn't be that hard for the US to deploy a few hundred or a few thousand troops on Greenland, and it's unclear to me which power could intervene about it," she observed.
Recent American bombardment in Venezuela and the seizure of its president have sparked apprehension regarding Washington's designs on Greenland. Followers of the ex-president's political movement have allegedly turned their attention to the vast island following the events in South America. Inflammatory Posts and Official Outrage Merely hours after the initiation of the Venezuelan operation, a well-known conservative commentator, who is the spouse of a senior White House adviser, shared a suggestive map. The picture depicted Greenland covered in the American flag, with the cryptic caption: "COMING." This overt suggestion to absorb the resource-abundant region, which is a member of the NATO alliance, provoked swift and firm condemnation from Denmark's officials. "We are close allies and should keep cooperate as such. US security is also the Arctic's and our security," declared the Copenhagen's envoy to the United States. "The Kingdom of Denmark and the US work together to guarantee security in the North." The diplomat further highlighted that Denmark had significantly increased its military budget this year, earmarking a large sum expressly for Arctic and North Atlantic security. "And yes, we demand full respect for the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark," he emphasized. Administrative Moves and Geopolitical Goals The situation were additionally complicated by the recent naming of a US state governor as a representative to Greenland. The governor had openly thanked the president, saying it was an "honour" to work in a volunteer role to "bring Greenland into the US." Following the military action in Venezuela, this envoy praised the president's actions, linking it to the broader "fight against narcotics." Ever since assuming office, the US president has consistently unnerved transatlantic partners with his stated desire in Greenland. The territory is viewed as critically important for national security and potential resource extraction. It currently houses the most northerly US military base. Leaving the Door Open to Force In a notable media interview, the leader declined to rule out the resorting to military force to gain control of Greenland. This position comes during growing 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 "very small amount of people, which we’ll look after, and we’ll cherish them... But we need that for international security." Growing Friction and Indigenous Resistance In reaction to this constant "rhetoric" of intent, Denmark's security agency took the extraordinary step last month of classifying the United States as a "potential threat." The prime ministers of Denmark and Greenland issued a unified and forceful statement: "We have said it very clearly before. Now we say it again... You cannot take over other countries." Surveys in Greenland reveals a nuanced picture. While a overwhelming percentage of the island's residents desire independence from Denmark, there is also scant appetite to become part of the United States. The territory has had the legal right to declare sovereignty for over a decade. Analyst View: A Credible Scenario? Military analysts are increasingly reconsidering the likelihood of such a move. One thinktank director specializing in defence admitted she had previously discounted the rhetoric but was "now not so sure." "It wouldn't be that hard for the US to deploy a few hundred or a few thousand troops on Greenland, and it's unclear to me which power could intervene about it," she observed.