🔗 Share this article A Top Trump Aide Intensifies Threats to Take Over Greenland One of Donald Trump’s top aides has increased tensions on the Danish government by disputing Copenhagen’s claim to the vast Arctic island. Military Intervention Dismissed Stephen Miller, stated emphatically military intervention would not be needed 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,” Miller inaccurately claimed, despite the actual figure being closer to 57,000. He also suggested that Denmark does not have a legitimate right to the territory, which is a former Danish colony and remains part of the Kingdom of Denmark. Escalating Diplomatic Strains Miller’s comments come amid increasing friction between the two NATO allies after the American leader's repeated interest to annex Greenland. A key parliamentary committee in Denmark has called an extraordinary meeting to examine the kingdom’s relationship with the United States. In his interview, Miller told CNN that control over Greenland could be gained without armed conflict due to its limited number of residents. Questioning Danish Sovereignty “The real question is what right does Denmark have to exercise sovereignty over Greenland? What is the basis of their territorial claim?” he asked. He added: “The US is the dominant force in NATO. For the US to protect Arctic interests to safeguard the alliance, obviously Greenland should be part of the US.” He stated there was “no requirement to even think or talk about” a armed takeover in Greenland, adding: “Nobody is going to fight the US militarily.” Global Responses These statements came after Trump said over the weekend, following other foreign policy actions, that the US needed Greenland “very badly”. The Danish prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, responded by saying that an attack by the US a fellow alliance member would mean the end of the military alliance and “the postwar security order”. The island's own leader, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, also made a forceful rebuke, urging Trump to abandon his “fantasies about annexation” and accused the US of being “completely and utterly unacceptable”. Background and Present Position Miller’s comments were preceded by his wife, podcaster Katie Miller, posted a digital image of Greenland draped in a US flag with the tag “IN THE NEAR FUTURE”. Asked about the online image, he responded by stating: “It has been the formal position of the US government since the beginning of this administration... Donald Trump has been explicit about that.” Greenland remained a colony until 1953, when it was integrated of the Danish realm. The US maintains a military base there, critical to its national missile defense network. In recent years, there has been growing support for Greenlandic independence, particularly after revelations about Denmark’s treatment of the local population. But amid the spectre of Trump’s threat, Greenland in March established a new unity government in a demonstration of solidarity, with its founding document declaring: “We are the rightful owners of Greenland.”