🔗 Share this article

One of Donald Trump’s top aides has ramped up the pressure on the Danish government by challenging Denmark's sovereign claim to the vast Arctic island.

Force Deemed Unnecessary

Stephen Miller, also claimed military intervention would not be required to take over the Arctic territory because “nobody is going to fight the United States in combat over the future of Greenland”.

“The idea of military action against Greenland? Greenland has 30,000 inhabitants people,” Miller inaccurately claimed, the correct number being closer to 57,000.

He also suggested that Copenhagen lacks a valid claim to the region, which is a former Danish colony and continues as a constituent country of the Danish kingdom.

Escalating Diplomatic Strains

These remarks follow a period of increasing friction between the two NATO allies after the American leader's repeated interest to purchase Greenland.

A key parliamentary committee in Denmark has called an emergency session to discuss the kingdom’s relationship with the United States.

Speaking to media, Miller asserted that control over Greenland could be achieved without armed conflict due to its limited number of residents.

Challenging Copenhagen's Rule

“The core issue is what right does Denmark have to assert control over Greenland? What legal foundation of their ownership claim?” he asked.

He added: “As the leading power within the power of NATO. For the US to secure the Arctic region to defend NATO, it is logical that Greenland should be part of the US.”

He stated there was “no requirement to even think or talk about” a armed takeover in Greenland, reiterating: “No country would wage war against the US over this issue.”

International Reactions

These statements followed Trump remarked recently, following other foreign policy actions, that the US desired the territory “urgently”.

Denmark's leader, Mette Frederiksen, responded by saying that an American aggression against a fellow alliance member would mean the collapse of the defensive pact and “post-Second World War security”.

The island's own leader, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, issued a strong statement, urging Trump to give up his “fantasies about annexation” and labeled American rhetoric of being “wholly inappropriate”.

Historical Context and Current Stance

Miller’s comments came after his wife, podcaster Katie Miller, posted a map on social media of Greenland under a US flag with the caption “SOON”.

When questioned on the online image, he laughed and said: “This has represented the official stance of the US government from the beginning of this administration... Donald Trump has been explicit about that.”

Greenland remained a colony until 1953, when it became part of the Danish realm. The US maintains a military base there, critical to its national missile defense network.

Recently, there has been increasing sentiment for self-rule, especially following revelations about Denmark’s treatment of Greenlandic people.

But amid the spectre of acquisition talk, Greenland in March formed a new coalition government in a show of national unity, with its agreement stating: “Greenland belongs to us.”