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A key figure from Donald Trump's senior advisors has ramped up the pressure on Denmark by challenging Denmark's sovereign claim to the vast Arctic island.

Force Deemed Unnecessary

Stephen Miller, also claimed military intervention would not be needed to assume control of the northern landmass because “nobody is going to fight the United States in combat over the future of Greenland”.

“The idea of military action against Greenland? Greenland has 30,000 inhabitants people,” he incorrectly stated, despite the actual figure being closer to 57,000.

He also suggested that Copenhagen lacks a legitimate right to the region, which is a former Danish colony and remains part of the Danish kingdom.

Growing Tensions

Miller’s comments follow a period of growing tensions between the two NATO allies after the American leader's repeated interest to annex Greenland.

A key parliamentary committee in Denmark has called an extraordinary meeting to examine the kingdom’s relationship with the United States.

Speaking to media, Miller asserted that control over Greenland could be gained without armed conflict due to its small population.

Challenging Copenhagen's Rule

“The real question is on what grounds does Denmark have to assert control over Greenland? What is the basis of their territorial claim?” he asked.

Miller continued: “The US is the dominant force in NATO. For the US to protect Arctic interests to safeguard the alliance, obviously Greenland should be incorporated into the United States.”

He stated there was “no requirement to even consider or discuss” a military operation in Greenland, reiterating: “Nobody is going to fight the US militarily.”

International Reactions

His comments followed Trump remarked recently, following other foreign policy actions, that the US needed Greenland “urgently”.

Denmark's leader, Mette Frederiksen, responded by saying that an American aggression against a NATO ally would mean the collapse of the defensive pact and “post-Second World War security”.

The island's own leader, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, issued a forceful rebuke, calling on the US president to give up his “fantasies about annexation” and accused the US of being “completely and utterly unacceptable”.

Background and Present Position

The aide's assertions came after his wife, podcaster Katie Miller, posted a map on social media of Greenland draped in a US flag with the tag “IN THE NEAR FUTURE”.

When questioned on the social media post, he laughed and said: “It has been the formal position of the US government from the beginning of this administration... The president has been very clear about that.”

The territory remained a colony until 1953, when it became part of the kingdom of Denmark. The US has had a military base there, critical to its ballistic missile early warning system.

In recent years, there has been growing support for self-rule, particularly after revelations about Denmark’s treatment of Greenlandic people.

But amid the spectre of Trump’s threat, Greenland in March established a new unity government in a show of national unity, with its agreement stating: “Greenland belongs to us.”