🔗 Share this article Stephen Miller Escalates Threats Regarding the Acquisition of the Arctic Territory One of 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 military intervention would not be required to assume control of the Arctic territory because “no nation would engage 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,” he incorrectly stated, despite the actual figure being closer to 57,000. He also suggested that Copenhagen lacks a valid claim to the territory, which is a one-time colonial possession and continues as a constituent country of the Kingdom of Denmark. 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 acquire Greenland. A key parliamentary committee in Denmark has convened an emergency session to discuss the kingdom’s relationship with the United States. Speaking to media, Miller asserted that dominion of the island could be achieved without military intervention due to its small population. Questioning Danish Sovereignty “The real question is what right does Denmark have to exercise sovereignty over Greenland? What legal foundation of their ownership claim?” Miller questioned. Miller continued: “The US is the power of NATO. For the US to secure the Arctic region to defend NATO, obviously Greenland should be part of the US.” He stated there was “no need to even consider or discuss” a military operation in Greenland, adding: “Nobody is going to fight the US over this issue.” Global Responses These statements came after Trump said over the weekend, following other foreign policy actions, that the US desired the territory “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”. The island's own leader, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, also made a strong statement, urging Trump to abandon his “fantasies about annexation” and accused the US of being “completely and utterly unacceptable”. Background and Present Position The aide's assertions were preceded by his wife, a conservative commentator, posted a map on social media of Greenland under a US flag with the caption “IN THE NEAR FUTURE”. 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... Donald Trump has been very clear about that.” Greenland 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 growing support for self-rule, especially following revelations about Denmark’s treatment of Greenlandic people. But amid 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.”