Trump aide Stephen Miller says no-one would fight US over Greenland
Greenland should be part of the US to protect NATO and the Arctic, one of Donald Trump’s most influential aides has said.
“No one is going to fight the US over the future of Greenland,” said Stephen Miller, asked in an interview with CNN to confirm that the US would rule out the use of force to annex the semi-autonomous region of NATO member Denmark.
On Sunday, Trump repeated his insistence that the United States “needs” Greenland; This stunned Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who said a US strike would mean the end of NATO.
Six European allies backed Denmark’s support in a joint statement on Tuesday.
In a statement made by the leaders of Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and Denmark, “Greenland belongs to its people and only Denmark and Greenland can decide on matters concerning their relations.” statements were included.
Emphasizing that they are as keen as the United States on the security of the Arctic, the seven signatories said this should be achieved “collectively” by NATO allies, including the United States, “while preserving the principles of the UN Charter, including sovereignty, territorial integrity and inviolability of borders.”
“The official position of the US government is that Greenland should be part of the US,” Miller said in an interview with CNN.
He continued: “By what right does Denmark claim control over Greenland? What is the basis for their claim that Greenland is a colony of Denmark?”
Trump’s top aide also said the United States “is the muscle of NATO.” He said that for the United States to secure the Arctic region and protect and defend NATO and Nato interests, Greenland must clearly become part of the United States.
NATO is a trans-Atlantic military grouping where allies are expected to come to each other’s aid in the event of external attack.
The issue of Greenland’s future resurfaced following the US military intervention in Venezuela; Meanwhile, elite troops captured the country’s President Nicolás Maduro and took him to face drug and weapons charges in New York.
Following the raid, Trump said the United States would “rule” Venezuela for an unspecified period of time.
He also said that the United States was returning to the 1823 policy of US supremacy in the sphere of influence in the Western Hemisphere and warned of some countries to which the United States might turn its attention.
Miller’s wife, Katie, posted a map of Greenland in American flag colors with the words “COMING SOON” on social media following the Venezuelan intervention.
It reignited fears that the United States might consider using force to secure control of Greenland, a large island in the Arctic; The US president has previously refused to rule out the possibility.
Trump claimed that making it part of the United States would serve America’s security interests because of its strategic location and abundance of minerals critical to high-tech sectors.
The last move of the Trump administration Appointing a special envoy to Greenland It sparked outrage in Denmark.
Greenland, with a population of 57,000, has had extensive self-government since 1979, although defense and foreign policy remain in Danish hands.
While most Greenlanders support eventual independence from Denmark, opinion polls show overwhelming opposition to becoming part of the United States.
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