White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller said Monday that Greenland should belong to the United States and claimed no country would militarily oppose the US if it pursued control of the self-governing territory. He further stated that Denmark, which has staked their claim to the territory, should justify that claim.
Miller made the remarks during an interview with CNN, where he repeatedly declined to rule out military action and framed the issue as one of American power. “Obviously, Greenland should be part of the United States,” Miller said, calling US strength “the power of NATO.” The remarks came after his wife Katie Miller posted a graphic showing Greenland with the flag of the United States captioned only with the word "SOON."
Miller said said the United States should have Greenland as part of their "security apparatus." He said that it was the formal position of the US and the Trump administration that Greenland should be American.
In response to the United States ouster of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, based in the Monroe Doctrine, MAGA-affiliated social media users began to speculate that perhaps President Trump should go after Greenland, next. This would be in keeping with what Trump has now called the "Donroe Doctrine," in which the United States takes charge of the territories in their own backyard, the Western Hemisphere.
When pressed on whether President Donald Trump’s interest in Greenland could involve force, Miller said there was “no need” to discuss the matter “in the context … of a military operation.” He added, “Nobody is going to fight the United States militarily over the future of Greenland.”
Earlier in the interview, while discussing Venezuela, Miller said, “We live in a world, in the real world that is governed by strength, that is governed by force, that is governed by power. These are the iron laws of the world.”
Miller’s comments came amid renewed attention on Trump’s stated interest in Greenland, a NATO-linked territory that is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. When asked about the US perhaps taking Greenland by military action, Miller said "Greenland has a population of 30,000 people. The real question is by what right does Denmark assert control over Greenland. What is the basis of their territorial claim? What is their basis of having Greenland as a territory of Denmark?"
Any US attempt to seize Greenland would mark the first time one NATO member attacked another’s territory since the alliance was formed in 1949.
European leaders quickly responded. In a statement shared by the office of Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, European leaders reaffirmed “the principles of the UN Charter, including sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders,” while also calling the US an “essential partner” in collective security.
The statement concluded, “Greenland belongs to its people. It is for Denmark and Greenland, and them only, to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland.”
Nordic leaders echoed that position. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said, “It is only Denmark and Greenland that have the right to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland.”
Greenland’s prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, also rejected the rhetoric from Washington.
“Our country is not an object of superpower rhetoric,” Nielsen said. “We are a people. A land. And democracy. This has to be respected.”
White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said Trump views Greenland as “a strategically important location” and believes Greenlanders “would be better served if protected by the United States from modern threats in the Arctic region.”
Miller made the remarks during an interview with CNN, where he repeatedly declined to rule out military action and framed the issue as one of American power. “Obviously, Greenland should be part of the United States,” Miller said, calling US strength “the power of NATO.” The remarks came after his wife Katie Miller posted a graphic showing Greenland with the flag of the United States captioned only with the word "SOON."
Miller said said the United States should have Greenland as part of their "security apparatus." He said that it was the formal position of the US and the Trump administration that Greenland should be American.
In response to the United States ouster of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, based in the Monroe Doctrine, MAGA-affiliated social media users began to speculate that perhaps President Trump should go after Greenland, next. This would be in keeping with what Trump has now called the "Donroe Doctrine," in which the United States takes charge of the territories in their own backyard, the Western Hemisphere.
When pressed on whether President Donald Trump’s interest in Greenland could involve force, Miller said there was “no need” to discuss the matter “in the context … of a military operation.” He added, “Nobody is going to fight the United States militarily over the future of Greenland.”
Earlier in the interview, while discussing Venezuela, Miller said, “We live in a world, in the real world that is governed by strength, that is governed by force, that is governed by power. These are the iron laws of the world.”
Miller’s comments came amid renewed attention on Trump’s stated interest in Greenland, a NATO-linked territory that is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. When asked about the US perhaps taking Greenland by military action, Miller said "Greenland has a population of 30,000 people. The real question is by what right does Denmark assert control over Greenland. What is the basis of their territorial claim? What is their basis of having Greenland as a territory of Denmark?"
Any US attempt to seize Greenland would mark the first time one NATO member attacked another’s territory since the alliance was formed in 1949.
European leaders quickly responded. In a statement shared by the office of Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, European leaders reaffirmed “the principles of the UN Charter, including sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders,” while also calling the US an “essential partner” in collective security.
The statement concluded, “Greenland belongs to its people. It is for Denmark and Greenland, and them only, to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland.”
Nordic leaders echoed that position. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said, “It is only Denmark and Greenland that have the right to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland.”
Greenland’s prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, also rejected the rhetoric from Washington.
“Our country is not an object of superpower rhetoric,” Nielsen said. “We are a people. A land. And democracy. This has to be respected.”
White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said Trump views Greenland as “a strategically important location” and believes Greenlanders “would be better served if protected by the United States from modern threats in the Arctic region.”
