🔗 Share this article Stephen Miller Intensifies Threats Regarding the Acquisition of the Arctic Territory A key figure from Donald Trump's senior advisors has ramped up the pressure on the Danish government by challenging Denmark's sovereign claim to the vast Arctic island. Military Intervention Dismissed Stephen Miller, stated emphatically the use of armed force would not be necessary to assume control of the Arctic territory because “no nation would engage the United States militarily over the fate of Greenland”. “What do you mean military action against Greenland? Its population numbers just a population of 30,000 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 territory, which is a one-time colonial possession and continues as a constituent country of the Danish kingdom. Escalating Diplomatic Strains Miller’s comments follow a period of increasing friction between the US and Denmark after the US president’s renewed calls to annex Greenland. A key parliamentary committee in Denmark has convened an extraordinary meeting 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 core issue is what right does Denmark have to assert control over Greenland? What legal foundation of their ownership claim?” Miller questioned. He added: “The US is the power of NATO. For the US to secure the Arctic region to defend NATO, it is logical that Greenland should be part of the US.” He stated there was “no requirement to even consider or discuss” a armed takeover in Greenland, adding: “No country would wage war against the US over this issue.” International Reactions These statements came after Trump said over the weekend, fresh from other foreign policy actions, that the US needed Greenland “very badly”. Denmark's leader, Mette Frederiksen, responded by saying that an American aggression against a NATO ally would mean the end of the military alliance and “the postwar security order”. Greenland’s prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, also made a forceful rebuke, calling on the US president to give up his “notions of acquisition” and accused the US of being “wholly inappropriate”. Background and Present Position The aide's assertions came after his wife, a conservative commentator, posted a digital image of Greenland under a US flag with the caption “IN THE NEAR FUTURE”. Asked about the social media post, he laughed and said: “This has represented the formal position of the US government from the beginning of this administration... Donald Trump has been explicit about that.” The territory remained a colony until 1953, when it was integrated of the kingdom of Denmark. The US has had a strategic installation there, important for its ballistic missile early warning system. Recently, there has been increasing sentiment for Greenlandic independence, especially following revelations about Denmark’s treatment of Greenlandic people. But amid the spectre of acquisition talk, Greenland in March formed a new coalition government in a show of national unity, with its founding document declaring: “Greenland belongs to us.”