🔗 Share this article

A key figure from Donald Trump's senior advisors has ramped up the pressure on Denmark by disputing Copenhagen’s claim to the vast Arctic island.

Force Deemed Unnecessary

The president’s deputy chief of staff, stated emphatically the use of armed force would not be necessary to take over the northern landmass because “no nation would engage the United States in combat 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.

Miller further proposed that Copenhagen lacks a legitimate right to the territory, which is a one-time colonial possession and continues as a constituent country of the Danish kingdom.

Growing Tensions

These remarks follow a period of growing tensions between the US and Denmark 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.

In his interview, Miller asserted that control over Greenland could be gained without military intervention 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 is the basis of their ownership claim?” he asked.

He added: “The US is the dominant force in NATO. For the US to secure the Arctic region to defend NATO, it is logical that Greenland should be incorporated into the United States.”

There was, he said “no need to even think or talk about” a armed takeover in Greenland, reiterating: “No country would wage war against the US militarily.”

International Reactions

His comments followed Trump said over the weekend, following other foreign policy actions, that the US needed Greenland “urgently”.

The Danish prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, reacted by warning that an attack by the US a NATO ally would mean the collapse of the defensive pact and “post-Second World War security”.

Greenland’s prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, also made a strong statement, calling on the US president to abandon his “fantasies about annexation” and labeled American rhetoric of being “completely and utterly unacceptable”.

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 “SOON”.

Asked about the social media post, he laughed and said: “This has represented the official stance of the US government since the start of this presidency... The president has been explicit about that.”

The territory was under colonial rule until 1953, when it was integrated of the Danish realm. The US maintains a strategic installation there, important for its ballistic missile early warning system.

In recent years, there has been increasing sentiment for Greenlandic independence, particularly after disclosures about Denmark’s treatment of Greenlandic people.

However, facing the spectre of Trump’s threat, Greenland in March formed a new unity government in a show of national unity, with its founding document declaring: “We are the rightful owners of Greenland.”