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

Military Intervention Dismissed

Stephen Miller, stated emphatically the use of armed force would not be required to take over the Arctic territory because “nobody is going to fight the United States in combat over the future of Greenland”.

“What do you mean military action against Greenland? Its population numbers just a population of 30,000 people,” he incorrectly stated, the correct number being closer to 57,000.

He also suggested that Denmark does not have a valid claim to the territory, which is a former Danish colony and continues as a constituent country of the Kingdom of Denmark.

Growing Tensions

These remarks follow a period of increasing friction between the US and Denmark after the American leader's repeated interest to acquire Greenland.

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

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

Questioning Danish Sovereignty

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

He added: “The US is the dominant force in NATO. For the US to secure the Arctic region to defend NATO, it is logical that Greenland should be incorporated into the United States.”

There was, he said “no requirement to even think or talk about” a military operation in Greenland, reiterating: “No country would wage war against the US over this issue.”

Global Responses

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

The Danish prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, reacted by saying that an American aggression against a NATO ally would mean the end of the military alliance and “the postwar security order”.

The island's own leader, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, issued a forceful rebuke, calling on the US president to abandon his “fantasies about annexation” and labeled American rhetoric of being “wholly inappropriate”.

Historical Context and Current Stance

The aide's assertions were preceded by his wife, a conservative commentator, posted a map on social media of Greenland draped in a US flag with the tag “IN THE NEAR FUTURE”.

Asked about the online image, he responded by stating: “This has represented the official stance of the US government since the start of this presidency... Donald Trump has been explicit about that.”

The territory remained a colony until 1953, when it was integrated of the kingdom of Denmark. The US maintains a strategic installation there, critical to its national missile defense network.

In recent years, there has been growing support for Greenlandic independence, particularly after revelations about Denmark’s treatment of the local population.

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