USA (Parliament Politics Magazine) – A senior aide to Donald Trump said Greenland should become part of the US, arguing the move is needed to safeguard NATO and Arctic security.
Stephen Miller responded,
“nobody’s going to fight the US over the future of Greenland,”
when asked in an interview if the US would rule out using force to annex the semi-autonomous area of fellow NATO member Denmark.
To the dismay of Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who stated that a US strike would mean the end of NATO, Trump reiterated on Sunday that the US “needs” Greenland.
In a joint statement on Tuesday, six European allies expressed solidarity for Denmark.
“Greenland belongs to its people, and only Denmark and Greenland can decide on matters concerning their relations,”
read the statement by the leaders of the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, and Denmark.
The seven signatories emphasized that they shared the US’s enthusiasm for Arctic security and stated that it must be accomplished “collectively” by NATO partners, including the US, while “upholding principles of the UN Charter, including territorial integrity and inviolability of borders”.
Miller stated that it was “the official view of the US government that Greenland should be a member of the US” in an interview.
He went on:
“By what right does Denmark assert control over Greenland? What is their basis of claiming Greenland as a colony of Denmark?”
The US “is the power of NATO,” according to the top Trump assistant. Greenland should undoubtedly be a part of the US in order to secure the Arctic area and preserve and protect NATO and its interests.
NATO is a transnational military alliance whose members are slated to support one another in the event of foreign assaults.
Following the US military intervention in Venezuela, when special troops entered the nation to arrest President Nicolás Maduro and transport him to New York to face charges related to drugs and weapons, the question of Greenland’s future came up again.
Trump declared that the US would “run” Venezuela for an indeterminate amount of time after the raid.
Additionally, he declared that the United States was going back to its 1823 policy of dominance in its sphere of influence in the Western Hemisphere and threatened to target other nations.
Following the intervention in Venezuela, Miller’s wife Katie shared a map of Greenland with the American flag’s colors and the word “SOON” on social media.
The US president has previously declined to rule out the possibility that the US may use force to gain control of Greenland, a large island in the Arctic, but this has rekindled concerns.
Because of its strategic location and wealth of minerals essential to high-tech industries, Trump has argued that incorporating it into the United States would benefit American security interests.
Denmark was incensed by the Trump administration’s recent decision to send a special envoy to Greenland.
With a population of 57,000, Greenland has had significant self-government since 1979, but Danish control over foreign policy and defense still exists.
Although the majority of Greenlanders want future independence from Denmark, surveys reveal strong hostility to joining the US.
What legal steps would the US need to annex Greenland?
Denmark has categorically rejected U.S. annexation claims, with Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen advising that any military move on Greenland would destroy NATO and thepost-WWII security order.
Frederiksen’s January 6 statement called Stephen Miller’s commentary” fully inferior,” reiterating Denmark’s sovereignty and being defense agreements granting U.S. Thule Air Base access without transfer requirements; Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen summoned the U.S. minister, while Greenland PM Jens- Frederik Nielsen dismissed rhetoric as” annexation fantasies.”
Six European leaders UK’s Keir Starmer, France’s Emmanuel Macron, Germany’s Olaf Scholz, Italy’s Giorgia Meloni, Poland’s Donald Tusk, and Spain’s Pedro Sánchez issued a common statement affirming Danish territorial integrity under NATO Article 5, with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas warning of” unknown alliance extremity.”