American Military Operation on Venezuela Fuels Concerns of Future Danish Territory Takeover.

The latest US-led military action in Venezuela and the seizure of its president have renewed unease regarding America's ambitions on Greenland. Followers of the former president's base have reportedly focused on the vast island in the wake of the events in South America.

Provocative Posts and Official Backlash

Merely hours after the initiation of the Caracas campaign, a well-known conservative podcaster, who is married to a high-ranking presidential adviser, shared a symbolic map. The graphic showed Greenland covered in the stars and stripes, with the single-word caption: "SOON."

This overt suggestion to absorb the resource-abundant land, which is a member of the NATO alliance, provoked swift and strong condemnation from Danish representatives.

"Denmark and the US are close allies and should keep cooperate as such. US security is equally the Arctic's and our security," declared the Copenhagen's envoy to the United States. "The Kingdom of Denmark and the United States work together to ensure security in the Arctic."

The ambassador further highlighted that Denmark had substantially boosted its military budget this year, allocating a substantial sum specifically for Arctic and regional security. "And yes, we demand full recognition for the sovereign borders of the Kingdom of Denmark," he emphasized.

Administrative Moves and Geopolitical Interests

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 commander-in-chief, stating it was an "privilege" to serve in a unpaid capacity to "bring Greenland into the US."

After the military action in Venezuela, this envoy commended the administration's actions, connecting it to the wider "war on drugs."

Ever since assuming office, the US president has consistently alarmed transatlantic partners with his expressed interest in Greenland. The territory is considered critically strategic for defence and future mineral exploitation. It already houses the northernmost US air base.

Refusing to Rule Out Force

In a significant television appearance, the president refused to exclude the resorting to military force to acquire Greenland. This position comes amid intensifying 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 "very small amount of people, which we’ll look after, and we’ll value them... But we need that for global security."

Mounting Friction and Local Resistance

In reaction to this persistent "drumbeat" of threats, Denmark's security agency took the unprecedented step last month of labelling the United States as a "security risk."

The leaders of both Greenland issued a unified and stern rebuke: "We have said it very clearly before. Now we say it again... You must not take over other countries."

Public opinion in Greenland shows a nuanced picture. While a overwhelming percentage of the territory's residents desire self-rule from Denmark, there is also little to no appetite to join the United States. The territory has had the legal right to seek independence for over a decade.

Expert View: A Plausible Threat?

Military experts are increasingly reconsidering the possibility of such a move. One thinktank analyst specializing in defence admitted she had previously dismissed the rhetoric but was "currently not so sure."

"Logistically, it would be feasible for the US to station a few hundred or a couple thousand soldiers inside of Greenland, and it's not clear to me who could intervene about it," she concluded.