A Top Trump Aide Intensifies Threats to Take Over Greenland

One of Donald Trump’s top aides has increased tensions on Denmark by disputing Denmark's sovereign claim to the vast Arctic island.

Military Intervention Dismissed

The president’s deputy chief of staff, 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 in combat over the fate 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 region, which is a former Danish colony and remains part of the Danish kingdom.

Escalating Diplomatic Strains

Miller’s comments follow a period of increasing friction between the two NATO allies after the US president’s renewed calls to purchase Greenland.

The Danish foreign policy committee has called an emergency session to discuss the bilateral ties with the United States.

In his interview, Miller told CNN that dominion of the island could be achieved without military intervention due to its limited number of residents.

Challenging Copenhagen's Rule

“The real question is on what grounds does Denmark have to exercise sovereignty over Greenland? What is the basis of their territorial claim?” Miller questioned.

Miller continued: “The US is the power of NATO. For the US to protect Arctic interests to defend NATO, obviously Greenland should be incorporated into the United States.”

He stated there was “no need to even think or talk about” a military operation in Greenland, reiterating: “No country would wage war against the US militarily.”

International Reactions

These statements came after Trump remarked recently, fresh from events in Venezuela, that the US desired the territory “very badly”.

The Danish prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, responded by warning that an attack by the US a NATO ally would mean the end 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 abandon his “notions of acquisition” and accused the US of being “wholly inappropriate”.

Background and Present Position

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

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

The territory remained a colony until 1953, when it became part of the Danish realm. The US has had a strategic installation there, important for its national missile defense network.

Recently, there has been increasing sentiment for Greenlandic independence, particularly after revelations about historical policies of Greenlandic people.

However, facing the prospect of acquisition talk, Greenland in March established a new unity government in a demonstration of solidarity, with its founding document declaring: “Greenland belongs to us.”