American Military Operation on Venezuela Fuels Fears of Potential Danish Territory Takeover.

The latest American strike in the South American nation and the seizure of its president have sparked apprehension regarding Washington's designs on the Arctic territory. Supporters of the ex-president's base have allegedly turned their attention to the resource-rich island following the events in South America.

Inflammatory Posts and Diplomatic Outrage

Only a short time following the initiation of the Caracas campaign, a prominent right-wing commentator, who is married to a high-ranking White House aide, shared a suggestive image. The graphic depicted Greenland covered in the American flag, with the single-word caption: "COMING."

This blatant threat to annex the mineral-rich land, which is a member of the North Atlantic alliance, provoked immediate and strong criticism from Denmark's officials.

"We are close allies and should continue to work together as such. US security is also Greenland’s and our security," stated the Danish ambassador to the United States. "The Kingdom of Denmark and the US collaborate to guarantee security in the Arctic."

The ambassador further pointed out that the kingdom had significantly boosted its defence spending recently, earmarking a substantial sum expressly for Northern and North Atlantic security. "Furthermore, we expect full respect for the sovereign borders of the our realm," he emphasized.

Political Appointments and Geopolitical Goals

The tensions were further exacerbated by the previous naming of a US state governor as a special envoy to Greenland. The appointee had openly expressed gratitude to the commander-in-chief, saying it was an "honour" to work in a unpaid role to "bring Greenland into the US."

After the events in Venezuela, this envoy commended the administration's decisive move, linking it to the wider "war on drugs."

Since returning to office, the American leader has consistently alarmed European allies with his expressed interest in Greenland. The island is viewed as vitally strategic for defence and future resource extraction. It currently hosts the northernmost US air base.

Refusing to Rule Out Military Action

In a significant media interview, the president declined to exclude the resorting to armed action to gain control of Greenland. This position comes amid intensifying great-power 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 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 Friction and Indigenous Resistance

In reaction to this persistent "drumbeat" of threats, Danish intelligence service took the unprecedented step last month of classifying the United States as a "potential threat."

The prime ministers of Denmark and Greenland issued a unified and forceful rebuke: "We have said it very clearly before. Now we say it again... You cannot annex other countries."

Surveys in Greenland shows a nuanced picture. While a vast majority of the territory's residents seek independence from Copenhagen, there is also little to no appetite to join the United States. The island has had the legal right to declare sovereignty for many years.

Expert Assessment: A Plausible Scenario?

Some experts are now reconsidering the likelihood of such a move. One policy analyst focusing in military analysis admitted she had once dismissed the sabre-rattling but was "now not so sure."

"It wouldn't be that hard for the US to deploy a couple hundred or a couple thousand soldiers inside of Greenland, and it's unclear to me which power could do anything about it," she observed.