In a brazen assertion of American power that has sent shockwaves through Europe, a top advisor to President Donald Trump has declared that “nobody’s going to fight the US over the future of Greenland,” framing the strategic Arctic territory as low-hanging fruit for U.S. annexation in the wake of the military intervention in Venezuela.
Stephen Miller, one of Trump’s most influential aides, stated in a CNN interview that it is “the formal position of the US government that Greenland should be part of the US.” He openly questioned Denmark’s sovereignty, asking, “By what right does Denmark assert control over Greenland? What is the basis of their claim to Greenland as a colony of Denmark?” Miller argued that U.S. control is necessary to protect NATO and secure the Arctic region, bluntly asserting, “the US is the power of NATO.”
Europe’s Unanimous Rejection: “Greenland Belongs to Its People”
The claim has triggered a furious and unified diplomatic backlash from America’s closest allies. The leaders of Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, and Denmark issued a rare joint statement on Tuesday in a direct rebuke to Washington.
“Greenland belongs to its people, and only Denmark and Greenland can decide on matters concerning their relations,” the statement read, stressing that Arctic security must be achieved by NATO allies “collectively” while upholding the “inviolability of borders.” Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen had earlier warned that a U.S. attack on Greenland would mean “the end of NATO.”
A Pattern of Expansionism: From Venezuela to the Arctic
The renewed push for Greenland follows the dramatic template set in Venezuela, where U.S. forces seized President Nicolás Maduro. Trump’s vow to “run” Venezuela and his invocation of a 19th-century “sphere of influence” doctrine have raised fears that Greenland is next on a list of targets.
Miller’s wife, Katie, appeared to fan those flames, posting a map of Greenland colored in the American flag with the caption “SOON” on social media. This, combined with Trump’s refusal to rule out force and his appointment of a special envoy to Greenland, paints a picture of a deliberate, escalating campaign.
Despite its vast mineral wealth and strategic location, Greenland’s 57,000 people overwhelmingly oppose joining the U.S., favoring eventual independence from Denmark instead. For the Trump administration, however, the will of the local population seems irrelevant next to the doctrine of American primacy. The message from Miller is stating that in this new era of power politics, what America wants, America takes—and the world, in his view, lacks the will to stop it.
