Stephen Miller reaffirms U.S. interest in Greenland

White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller reaffirmed President Trump’s desire to take control of Greenland and questioned Denmark’s colonial claim to the Arctic nation. 

Speaking to CNN’s Jake Tapper on Monday, Mr. Miller said Mr. Trump’s position on Greenland is consistent. 

“The president has been clear for months now that the United States should be the nation that has Greenland as part of our overall security apparatus,” Mr. Miller said. “That is the formal position of the U.S. government.”

Mr. Miller went on to echo Mr. Trump’s arguments concerning Greenland’s future, including that letting the U.S. military establish a greater presence on the island would ensure greater security for Washington and Europe.

“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,” Mr. Miller said.  

When pressed on whether the U.S. was considering using military force to take control of Greenland, Mr. Miller insisted that such action would not be necessary because “nobody’s going to fight the United States over the future of Greenland.”

Mr. Miller’s comments follow the raid on Saturday to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who was wanted by the U.S. Justice Department over drug trafficking and weapons charges. The action has spurred the idea that American forces could next land in Greenland. 

Turning over control of Greenland to the U.S. would be part of a broader process between Washington and the “community of nations,” Mr. Miller said, while questioning Denmark’s claims over the North American island. 

The Kingdom of Denmark began colonizing Greenland in the early 18th century and integrated the island further into its domain in the 19th and 20th centuries. In recent decades, independence movements have won Greenland political and economic autonomy, though defense and foreign policy are still largely governed by Denmark.

Greenland, Denmark and many European leaders have dismissed Mr. Trump’s arguments, asserting they have no basis in international law.

On Tuesday, the leaders of Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Poland and the U.K. issued a joint statement reaffirming support for Greenland’s sovereignty.

“Greenland belongs to its people. It is for Denmark and Greenland, and them only, to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland,” the statement reads. “NATO has made clear that the Arctic region is a priority and European Allies are stepping up.”