🔗 Share this article

A key figure from Donald Trump's top aides has increased tensions on the Danish government by questioning Copenhagen’s claim to Greenland.

Force Deemed Unnecessary

Stephen Miller, also claimed the use of armed force would not be required to assume control of the northern landmass because “nobody is going to fight the United States militarily over the fate of Greenland”.

“What do you mean 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 legitimate right to the region, which is a former Danish colony and continues as a constituent country of the Kingdom of Denmark.

Escalating Diplomatic Strains

Miller’s comments come amid increasing friction between the two NATO allies after the American leader's repeated interest to purchase Greenland.

The Danish foreign policy committee has convened an extraordinary meeting to examine the bilateral ties with the United States.

Speaking to media, Miller told CNN that control over Greenland could be gained without armed conflict due to its small population.

Questioning Danish Sovereignty

“The real question is on what grounds does Denmark have to assert control over Greenland? What is the basis of their ownership claim?” he asked.

Miller continued: “As the leading power within the power of NATO. For the US to secure the Arctic region to safeguard the alliance, obviously Greenland should be incorporated into the United States.”

There was, he said “no requirement to even consider or discuss” a military operation in Greenland, reiterating: “Nobody is going to fight the US over this issue.”

International Reactions

These statements followed Trump remarked recently, fresh from events in Venezuela, that the US needed Greenland “urgently”.

Denmark's leader, Mette Frederiksen, reacted by warning that an American aggression against a NATO ally would mean the collapse of the military alliance and “post-Second World War security”.

The island's own leader, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, issued a forceful rebuke, calling on the US president to give up his “notions of acquisition” and labeled American rhetoric of being “completely and utterly unacceptable”.

Historical Context and Current Stance

Miller’s comments were preceded by his wife, a conservative commentator, shared a digital image of Greenland under a US flag with the caption “SOON”.

Asked about the online image, he laughed and said: “It has been the official stance of the US government from the beginning of this administration... The president has been explicit about that.”

The territory remained a colony until 1953, when it was integrated of the kingdom of Denmark. The US maintains a military base there, critical to its national missile defense network.

In recent years, there has been increasing sentiment for Greenlandic independence, especially following revelations about Denmark’s treatment of Greenlandic people.

However, facing the prospect of Trump’s threat, Greenland in March formed a new unity government in a demonstration of solidarity, with its agreement stating: “Greenland belongs to us.”