🔗 Share this article

A key figure from Donald Trump's senior advisors has increased tensions on the Danish government by challenging Denmark's sovereign claim to Greenland.

Force Deemed Unnecessary

Stephen Miller, also claimed the use of armed force would not be necessary to assume control of the Arctic territory because “no nation would engage the United States militarily over the future of Greenland”.

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

He also suggested that Denmark does not have a valid claim to the territory, which is a former Danish colony and remains part of the Danish kingdom.

Growing Tensions

Miller’s comments follow a period of growing tensions between the two NATO allies after the US president’s renewed calls to annex Greenland.

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

In his interview, Miller told CNN that control over Greenland could be gained without armed conflict due to its limited number of residents.

Challenging Copenhagen's Rule

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

He added: “The US is the power of NATO. For the US to protect Arctic interests to defend NATO, it is logical that Greenland should be incorporated into the United States.”

There was, he said “no need to even consider or discuss” a military operation in Greenland, adding: “No country would wage war against the US militarily.”

International Reactions

These statements followed Trump said over the weekend, following other foreign policy actions, that the US desired the territory “very badly”.

Denmark's leader, Mette Frederiksen, responded by saying that an attack by the US a NATO ally would mean the end of the defensive pact and “the postwar security order”.

Greenland’s prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, issued a forceful rebuke, urging Trump to abandon his “fantasies about annexation” and accused the US of being “wholly inappropriate”.

Historical Context and Current Stance

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

Asked about the social media post, he laughed and said: “It has been the formal position of the US government from the start of this presidency... The president has been very clear about that.”

The territory remained a colony until 1953, when it was integrated of the kingdom of Denmark. The US has had a strategic installation there, critical to its ballistic missile early warning system.

Recently, there has been increasing sentiment for self-rule, especially following revelations about historical policies of the local population.

However, facing the spectre of Trump’s threat, Greenland in March established a new coalition government in a demonstration of solidarity, with its agreement stating: “We are the rightful owners of Greenland.”