Stephen Miller Escalates Threats Regarding the Acquisition of Greenland

A key figure from Donald Trump's senior advisors has ramped up the pressure on the Danish government by disputing Copenhagen’s claim to Greenland.

Force Deemed Unnecessary

Stephen Miller, stated emphatically military intervention would not be needed to take over the northern landmass because “nobody is going to fight the United States militarily over the future 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 Copenhagen lacks a valid claim to the territory, which is a one-time colonial possession and remains part of the Danish kingdom.

Growing Tensions

These remarks follow a period of growing tensions between the US and Denmark after the US president’s renewed calls to acquire 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 gained without armed conflict due to its limited number of residents.

Challenging Copenhagen's Rule

“The core issue is on what grounds does Denmark have to exercise sovereignty over Greenland? What is the basis of their territorial claim?” he asked.

He added: “As the leading power within the dominant force in NATO. For the US to protect Arctic interests to defend NATO, obviously Greenland should be part of the US.”

There was, he said “no need to even consider or discuss” a military operation in Greenland, reiterating: “Nobody is going to fight the US militarily.”

International Reactions

His comments came after Trump remarked recently, fresh from events in Venezuela, that the US needed Greenland “very badly”.

The Danish prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, responded by warning that an American aggression against a fellow alliance member would mean the collapse of the military alliance and “the postwar security order”.

Greenland’s prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, issued a forceful rebuke, calling on the US president 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, podcaster Katie Miller, posted a digital image of Greenland draped in a US flag with the tag “SOON”.

When questioned on the social media post, he responded by stating: “This has represented the official stance 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, critical to its ballistic missile early warning system.

Recently, there has been increasing sentiment for self-rule, especially following disclosures about historical policies of Greenlandic people.

However, facing the spectre of Trump’s threat, Greenland in March established a new coalition government in a demonstration of solidarity, with its agreement stating: “We are the rightful owners of Greenland.”