A key figure from Donald Trump's senior advisors has ramped up the pressure on the Danish government by questioning Copenhagen’s claim to the vast Arctic island.
Stephen Miller, also claimed military intervention would not be necessary to assume control of the northern landmass because “nobody is going to fight the United States militarily over the fate of Greenland”.
“The idea of military action against Greenland? Greenland has 30,000 inhabitants people,” he incorrectly stated, the correct number being closer to 57,000.
Miller further proposed that Denmark does not have a valid claim to the region, which is a former Danish colony and remains part of the Kingdom of Denmark.
These remarks come amid growing tensions between the US and Denmark after the American leader's repeated interest to purchase Greenland.
The Danish foreign policy committee has called an extraordinary meeting 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.
“The core issue is what right does Denmark have to assert control over Greenland? What is the basis of their ownership claim?” he asked.
Miller continued: “As the leading power within the dominant force in NATO. For the US to secure the Arctic region to safeguard the alliance, obviously Greenland should be part of the US.”
He stated there was “no need to even think or talk about” a military operation in Greenland, adding: “Nobody is going to fight the US militarily.”
His comments followed Trump remarked recently, fresh from other foreign policy actions, that the US desired the territory “very badly”.
Denmark's leader, Mette Frederiksen, reacted by saying that an American aggression against a NATO ally would mean the end of the defensive pact and “post-Second World War security”.
The island's own leader, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, also made a strong statement, calling on the US president to give up his “fantasies about annexation” and labeled American rhetoric of being “wholly inappropriate”.
The aide's assertions came after his wife, a conservative commentator, shared a map on social media of Greenland under a US flag with the tag “SOON”.
Asked about the online image, he laughed and said: “It has been the official stance of the US government since the start of this presidency... The president has been explicit about that.”
The territory remained a colony until 1953, when it became part of the kingdom of Denmark. The US has had a military base there, critical to 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 demonstration of solidarity, with its founding document declaring: “We are the rightful owners of Greenland.”
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