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A key figure from Donald Trump's senior advisors has ramped up the pressure on Denmark by disputing Denmark's sovereign claim to Greenland.

Military Intervention Dismissed

Stephen Miller, also claimed the use of armed force would not be needed to assume control of the northern landmass because “no nation would engage the United States militarily over the fate of Greenland”.

“What do you mean military action against Greenland? Greenland has a population of 30,000 people,” Miller inaccurately claimed, despite the actual figure being closer to 57,000.

He also suggested that Copenhagen lacks a valid claim to the territory, which is a former Danish colony and remains part of the Danish kingdom.

Escalating Diplomatic Strains

These remarks come amid growing tensions between the two NATO allies after the US president’s renewed calls to annex Greenland.

The Danish foreign policy committee has convened an emergency session to examine the kingdom’s relationship with the United States.

Speaking to media, Miller told CNN that control over Greenland could be gained without military intervention due to its limited number of residents.

Questioning Danish Sovereignty

“The core issue is on what grounds does Denmark have to exercise sovereignty over Greenland? What legal foundation of their ownership claim?” he asked.

Miller continued: “As the leading power within the power of NATO. For the US to protect Arctic interests to defend NATO, it is logical that Greenland should be incorporated into the United States.”

He stated there was “no requirement to even think or talk about” a military operation in Greenland, adding: “No country would wage war against the US militarily.”

International Reactions

His comments came after Trump remarked recently, following other foreign policy actions, that the US desired the territory “very badly”.

Denmark's leader, Mette Frederiksen, reacted by warning that an attack by the US a NATO ally would mean the end of the defensive pact and “the postwar security order”.

The island's own leader, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, issued a forceful rebuke, urging Trump to abandon his “fantasies about annexation” and labeled American rhetoric of being “completely and utterly unacceptable”.

Background and Present Position

The aide's assertions were preceded by his wife, podcaster Katie Miller, posted a map on social media of Greenland under a US flag with the tag “SOON”.

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

The territory was under colonial rule until 1953, when it became part of the Danish realm. The US maintains a military base there, critical to its ballistic missile early warning system.

Recently, there has been increasing sentiment for Greenlandic independence, particularly after revelations about historical policies of the local population.

But amid the prospect of acquisition talk, Greenland in March established a new unity government in a show of national unity, with its founding document declaring: “Greenland belongs to us.”