The Trump administration has ignited a significant diplomatic confrontation with European allies by formally asserting the United States’ sovereign claim over Greenland. Senior presidential advisor Stephen Miller declared in a CNN interview that “the formal position of the US government is that Greenland should be part of the United States,” explicitly refusing to rule out potential military annexation of the semi-autonomous Danish territory.
Miller’s provocative statements questioned Denmark’s historical authority over Greenland, asking “By what right does Denmark assert control over Greenland? What is their basis of claiming Greenland as a colony of Denmark?” He further asserted that “nobody’s going to fight the US over the future of Greenland,” despite the territory’s status within NATO and its constitutional relationship with Denmark.
This territorial ambition was personally endorsed by President Trump, who stated “We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security,” citing its strategic Arctic positioning and valuable mineral resources as critical American interests. These declarations prompted immediate condemnation from Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who warned that any American attack on Greenland would effectively terminate the NATO alliance.
The administration’s position has created unprecedented division within the Western military alliance, with six European powers—the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, and Spain—issuing a joint statement with Denmark affirming that “Greenland belongs to its people, and only Denmark and Greenland can decide on matters concerning their relations.” The European leaders emphasized that Arctic security must be achieved collectively through NATO while “upholding the principles of the UN Charter, including sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders.”
This geopolitical controversy emerges amid heightened concerns about American interventionism following recent military operations in Venezuela, where US forces captured President Nicolás Maduro. Trump’s announcement that the US would temporarily “run” Venezuela and his revival of 19th-century hemispheric dominance doctrines have amplified anxieties about additional territorial ambitions.
The administration had previously signaled its Greenland interests by appointing a special envoy to the territory, a move that provoked diplomatic protests from Denmark. Despite Greenland’s extensive self-governance since 1979 (with foreign policy and defense remaining under Danish control), and overwhelming opposition among its 57,000 residents to American annexation, the Trump administration continues to pursue its territorial claims based on strategic and resource considerations.