One of Donald Trump’s top aides has increased tensions on the Danish government by disputing Copenhagen’s claim to the vast Arctic island.
The president’s deputy chief of staff, also claimed the use of armed force would not be necessary to take over the Arctic territory 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,” he incorrectly stated, 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 one-time colonial possession and continues as a constituent country of the Danish kingdom.
These remarks follow a period of growing tensions between the US and Denmark after the American leader's repeated interest to acquire Greenland.
A key parliamentary committee in Denmark has called an emergency session to examine the bilateral ties with the United States.
Speaking to media, Miller asserted that control over Greenland could be gained without military intervention due to its limited number of residents.
“The real question is on what grounds does Denmark have to exercise sovereignty over Greenland? What is the basis of their ownership claim?” Miller questioned.
He added: “As the leading power within the power of NATO. For the US to secure the Arctic region to safeguard the alliance, it is logical that Greenland should be part of the US.”
He stated there was “no need to even think or talk about” a military operation in Greenland, reiterating: “Nobody is going to fight the US over this issue.”
His comments came after Trump remarked recently, following other foreign policy actions, that the US needed Greenland “very badly”.
The Danish prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, reacted 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 strong statement, calling on the US president to abandon his “notions of acquisition” and labeled American rhetoric of being “wholly inappropriate”.
The aide's assertions came after his wife, a conservative commentator, posted a digital image of Greenland under a US flag with the caption “SOON”.
When questioned on the social media post, he laughed and said: “This has represented the formal position of the US government from the start of this presidency... Donald Trump has been very clear about that.”
The territory was under colonial rule until 1953, when it became part of the Danish realm. The US maintains a strategic installation there, important for 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 prospect of acquisition talk, Greenland in March formed a new coalition government in a show of national unity, with its founding document declaring: “We are the rightful owners of Greenland.”
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