Trump views the island as a strategic national security priority needed to deter adversaries in the Arctic, according to the White House.
Options being discussed include purchasing Greenland or entering into a treaty of free association that would allow the U.S. to gain strategic access without full sovereignty over the island, officials said. However, a White House statement quoted by Reuters emphasizes that “the use of US military forces always remains one of the options available to the commander in chief.”
Deputy Chief of Staff of the US Presidential Administration Stephen Miller did not rule out a military operation. In an interview with CNN published on January 5, he repeatedly sidestepped questions about whether he would rule out the use of military force and said that “nobody is going to fight the United States over the future of Greenland.”
“The official position of the US government from the very beginning of this administration, in fact since the previous Trump administration, has been that Greenland should be part of the United States. The President has been very clear on this,” Miller said.
In addition, he said that the United States is “a superpower, and under Trump’s presidency we will act like a superpower.”
“The real question is on what basis does Denmark control Greenland. What is the basis of their territorial claim? On what basis do they consider Greenland a colony? The United States is the power of NATO, and it is important for the United States to ensure the security of the Arctic region and protect the interests of NATO. Obviously, Greenland should be part of the United States. And this is a conversation that we are having as a country, this is a process that we are having as an international community,” Miller added.
