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

Military Intervention Dismissed

The president’s deputy chief of staff, stated emphatically military intervention would not be necessary to assume control of the Arctic territory because “no nation would engage the United States in combat over the fate of Greenland”.

“The idea of military action against Greenland? Its population numbers just a population of 30,000 people,” Miller inaccurately claimed, the correct number being closer to 57,000.

He also suggested that Copenhagen lacks a valid claim to the region, which is a one-time colonial possession and remains part of the Danish kingdom.

Growing Tensions

These remarks come amid increasing friction between the US and Denmark after the American leader's repeated interest to purchase Greenland.

The Danish foreign policy committee has convened an emergency session to examine the bilateral ties with the United States.

Speaking to media, Miller told CNN that dominion of the island could be gained without armed conflict due to its small population.

Challenging Copenhagen's Rule

“The real question is what right does Denmark have to exercise sovereignty over Greenland? What is the basis of their territorial claim?” he asked.

Miller continued: “As the leading power within the dominant force in 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 need to even think or talk about” a armed takeover in Greenland, reiterating: “Nobody is going to fight the US over this issue.”

Global Responses

His comments came after Trump remarked recently, fresh from events in Venezuela, that the US needed Greenland “very badly”.

Denmark's leader, Mette Frederiksen, responded by warning that an American aggression against a NATO ally would mean the collapse of the defensive pact and “the postwar security order”.

The island's own leader, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, also made a forceful rebuke, urging Trump to abandon his “notions of acquisition” and accused the US of being “wholly inappropriate”.

Historical Context and Current Stance

The aide's assertions came after his wife, podcaster Katie Miller, posted a digital image of Greenland under a US flag with the caption “IN THE NEAR FUTURE”.

When questioned on the online image, he laughed and said: “This has represented the official stance of the US government from the beginning of this administration... Donald Trump has been explicit about that.”

Greenland was under colonial rule until 1953, when it was integrated of the Danish realm. 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, especially following revelations about Denmark’s treatment of Greenlandic people.

However, facing the prospect of acquisition talk, Greenland in March formed a new coalition government in a demonstration of solidarity, with its founding document declaring: “Greenland belongs to us.”