Trump’s deputy chief of staff declares Greenland should be part of US and 'nobody will fight' if Washington takes control
The White House’s deputy chief of staff has declared that Greenland ‘should be part of the United States’ and said no country would mount a challenge if Washington took control.
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Stephen Miller appeared on CNN and said: “Nobody's gonna fight the United States militarily over the future of Greenland.”
He also challenged Denmark's sovereignty over the island: “What is the basis of their territorial claim?” Miller asked.
“What is their basis of having Greenland as a colony of Denmark? The United States is the power of NATO. For the United States to secure the Arctic region, to protect and defend NATO and NATO interests, obviously, Greenland should be part of the United States, and so that's a conversation that we're going to have as a country.”
President Donald Trump has repeatedly refused to rule out taking Greenland by force.
Mr Miller continued: “It has been the formal position of the US government since the beginning of this administration - frankly, going back to the previous Trump administration - that Greenland should be part of the United States.
Pressed on whether the United States would rule out using force against another NATO country to achieve that goal, Miller said: “There's no need to even think or talk about this in the context that you're asking of a military operation,” he said.
Trump has suggested a US takeover of Greenland could come sooner than many expected as he declared his administration wants to control the Danish territory “right now.”
Since launching a military intervention in Venezuela over the weekend, President Trump has doubled down on his calls for the US to control Greenland for “national security” purposes.
This has been met with widespread condemnation from the United States’ NATO allies, with Sir Keir Starmer telling LBC he “stands with Greenland and Denmark.”
But, speaking on Monday evening, President Trump suggested his latest comments are more than just posturing.
Read more: Sir Jeremy Hunt warns Trump threats to annex Greenland could see end of NATO
Read more: 'Britain stands with Greenland': Starmer pledges to stand by Denmark as Trump eyes Arctic island
"We need Greenland for national security, and that includes Europe.
"You know I'm very loyal to Europe. We need it for national security, right now.
"I think that Greenland is very important for the national security of the United States, Europe, and other parts of the free world."
He added that while there is “no timeline” for US intervention, his intent is “very serious.”
Denmark has wholeheartedly dismissed US claims over Greenland, with the country’s PM saying: "It makes absolutely no sense to talk about the US needing to take over Greenland.”
"The US has no right to annex any of the three countries in the Danish Kingdom,” Mette Frederiksen added.
"I would therefore strongly urge the US to stop the threats against a historically close ally and against another country and another people, who have very clearly said that they are not for sale."
It comes as former Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt has told LBC that if Donald Trump makes good on his plans to annex Greenland it could spell the end of NATO.