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A key figure from Donald Trump's senior advisors has increased tensions on Denmark by questioning Copenhagen’s claim to the vast Arctic island.

Force Deemed Unnecessary

Stephen Miller, also claimed the use of armed force would not be needed to take over the northern landmass because “nobody is going to fight the United States in combat over the fate of Greenland”.

“What do you mean military action against Greenland? Greenland has 30,000 inhabitants people,” Miller inaccurately claimed, the correct number being closer to 57,000.

He also suggested that Copenhagen lacks a legitimate right to the territory, which is a former Danish colony and continues as a constituent country of the Kingdom of Denmark.

Escalating Diplomatic Strains

Miller’s comments come amid increasing friction between the US and Denmark after the American leader's repeated interest to annex Greenland.

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

In his interview, Miller asserted that control over Greenland could be gained without armed conflict 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.

He added: “The US is the power of NATO. For the US to protect Arctic interests to defend NATO, obviously Greenland should be part of the US.”

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

International Reactions

These statements came after Trump remarked recently, following events in Venezuela, that the US needed Greenland “urgently”.

Denmark's leader, Mette Frederiksen, reacted by warning that an American aggression against a fellow alliance member would mean the collapse of the defensive pact and “post-Second World War security”.

The island's own leader, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, issued a strong statement, urging Trump to abandon his “notions of acquisition” and labeled American rhetoric of being “wholly inappropriate”.

Background and Present Position

The aide's assertions came after 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 online image, he responded by stating: “This has represented the official stance of the US government from the start of this presidency... Donald Trump has been very clear about that.”

The territory remained a colony until 1953, when it was integrated of the Danish realm. The US has had a strategic installation there, important for its ballistic missile early warning system.

Recently, there has been increasing sentiment for self-rule, especially following revelations about Denmark’s treatment of the local population.

But amid the spectre of acquisition talk, Greenland in March established a new unity government in a demonstration of solidarity, with its agreement stating: “We are the rightful owners of Greenland.”