NO MILITARY CONFLICT EXPECTED OVER GREENLAND, SAYS WHITE HOUSE OFFICIAL

WASHINGTON, Jan 6 (Bernama-dpa) -- A senior White House official on Monday described the United States’ claims to control Greenland as the "formal position of the US government, while dismissing the prospect of military conflict over the Arctic island, reported German Press Agency (dpa).

Asked by CNN whether Washington would rule out the use of force to take Greenland, Stephen Miller, US President Donald Trump's deputy chief of staff, said: "Nobody is going to fight the US militarily over the future of Greenland."

He said the island should be part of the US, adding that Trump has made his position clear since the start of his term nearly a year ago. Miller argued that as NATO's leading military power, the US needed control of Greenland to secure the Arctic region.

He also questioned Denmark's sovereignty over the territory, asking on what legal basis Greenland belonged to Denmark and why the island should remain a "colony of Denmark".

Greenland is part of the kingdom of Denmark, but is largely autonomous and not an European Union member. It is strategically important due to its wealth of raw materials and as a base for military control of the Arctic.

Trump has repeatedly said that the US should control Greenland for reasons of national security, a position he reiterated over the weekend. On Saturday, a social media post by former government adviser Katie Miller, Stephen Miller's wife, showed a map of Greenland in the colours of the US flag accompanied by the word "SOON".

Denmark, its Nordic neighbours, the United Kingdom, Germany and the European Union on Monday rejected the US claims, with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen saying that Trump's threats should be taken seriously and if the US chooses to attack a NATO country, "everything stops".

-- BERNAMA-dpa