🔗 Share this article

One of Donald Trump’s top aides has increased tensions on the Danish government by questioning Copenhagen’s claim to the vast Arctic island.

Force Deemed Unnecessary

The president’s deputy chief of staff, also claimed the use of armed force would not be needed to assume control of the Arctic territory because “nobody is going to fight the United States militarily over the fate of Greenland”.

“The idea of military action against Greenland? Its population numbers just 30,000 inhabitants people,” he incorrectly stated, despite the actual figure being closer to 57,000.

He also suggested that Copenhagen lacks a legitimate right to the region, which is a former Danish colony and remains part of the Danish kingdom.

Escalating Diplomatic Strains

These remarks come amid increasing friction between the two NATO allies after the American leader's repeated interest to annex Greenland.

A key parliamentary committee in Denmark has called an emergency session to discuss the bilateral ties with the United States.

In his interview, Miller asserted that control over Greenland could be gained without military intervention due to its small population.

Challenging Copenhagen's Rule

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

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

There was, he said “no requirement to even think or talk about” a military operation in Greenland, adding: “No country would wage war against the US over this issue.”

Global Responses

His comments came after Trump remarked recently, fresh from other foreign policy actions, that the US desired the territory “urgently”.

The Danish prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, reacted by saying that an attack by the US a NATO ally would mean the collapse of the defensive pact and “the postwar security order”.

The island's own leader, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, also made a strong statement, urging Trump to give up his “fantasies about annexation” and accused the US of being “wholly inappropriate”.

Historical Context and Current Stance

The aide's assertions came after his wife, a conservative commentator, posted a digital image of Greenland draped in a US flag with the tag “IN THE NEAR FUTURE”.

When questioned on the online image, he laughed and said: “This has represented the formal position of the US government from the beginning of this administration... The president has been very clear about that.”

Greenland was under colonial rule until 1953, when it became part of the Danish realm. The US maintains a military base there, important for its ballistic missile early warning system.

Recently, there has been growing support for Greenlandic independence, especially following disclosures about Denmark’s treatment of Greenlandic people.

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