American Military Operation on Venezuela Fuels Fears of Potential Greenland Annexation.

The recent American strike in the South American nation and the capture of its leader have renewed worry regarding Washington's designs on the Arctic territory. Members of the former president's political movement have reportedly turned their attention to the strategically important landmass in the wake of the operations in the southern hemisphere.

Provocative Posts and Official Outrage

Merely a short time following the start of the Caracas campaign, a prominent right-wing podcaster, who is the spouse of a senior White House aide, shared a suggestive map. The picture showed Greenland draped with the American flag, accompanied by cryptic caption: "SOON."

This blatant suggestion to annex the resource-abundant 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 cooperate as such. American security is also Greenland’s and Denmark’s security," declared the Copenhagen's envoy to the United States. "The Kingdom of Denmark and the United States collaborate to ensure security in the North."

The diplomat further pointed out that the kingdom had substantially boosted its defence spending this year, allocating a substantial sum specifically for Arctic and North Atlantic defence. "Furthermore, we expect full recognition for the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark," he added.

Administrative Appointments and Strategic Goals

The situation were additionally exacerbated by the previous appointment of a Southern governor as a special envoy to Greenland. The appointee had publicly expressed gratitude to the president, stating it was an "honour" to serve in a unpaid capacity to "bring Greenland into the US."

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

Since returning to office, the US president has repeatedly unnerved transatlantic allies with his expressed interest in Greenland. The territory is viewed as vitally important for defence and future resource extraction. It currently houses the northernmost US military base.

Leaving the Door Open to Force

In a notable television interview, the leader refused to rule out the use of military force to acquire Greenland. This stance comes amid intensifying 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 remarked.

He described Greenland as having a "very small amount of people, which we’ll take care of, and we’ll cherish them... But we need that for international security."

Mounting Friction and Local Opposition

In reaction to this constant "rhetoric" of threats, Danish intelligence service took the extraordinary step last month of labelling the United States as a "security risk."

The leaders of both 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."

Public opinion in Greenland shows a complex sentiment. While a vast majority of the island's residents desire self-rule from Copenhagen, there is simultaneously little to no appetite to become part of the United States. The territory has had the option to declare sovereignty for over a decade.

Expert View: A Plausible Scenario?

Some analysts are now re-evaluating the possibility of such a move. One policy analyst focusing in defence conceded she had previously discounted the sabre-rattling but was "now not so sure."

"It wouldn't be that hard for the US to deploy a few hundred or a couple thousand troops on Greenland, and it's not clear to me which power could intervene about it," she concluded.