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One of Donald Trump’s senior advisors has ramped up the pressure on Denmark by disputing Denmark's sovereign claim to the vast Arctic island.

Military Intervention Dismissed

Stephen Miller, also claimed military intervention would not be necessary to take over the Arctic territory because “no nation would engage the United States militarily over the future of Greenland”.

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

Miller further proposed that Copenhagen lacks a valid claim to the territory, which is a one-time colonial possession and remains part of the Kingdom of Denmark.

Growing Tensions

These remarks follow a period of growing tensions between the two NATO allies after the US president’s renewed calls to purchase Greenland.

The Danish foreign policy committee has convened an extraordinary meeting 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 assert control over Greenland? What is the basis of their territorial claim?” Miller questioned.

He added: “The US is the power of NATO. For the US to secure the Arctic region to defend NATO, obviously Greenland should be incorporated into the United States.”

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

International Reactions

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

Denmark's leader, Mette Frederiksen, reacted by saying that an American aggression against a fellow alliance member 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 “notions of acquisition” and labeled American rhetoric of being “completely and utterly unacceptable”.

Historical Context and Current Stance

The aide's assertions were preceded by his wife, a conservative commentator, posted a digital image of Greenland under a US flag with the tag “SOON”.

When questioned on the online image, he responded by stating: “This has represented the formal position of the US government since the start of this presidency... The president has been very clear about that.”

Greenland was under colonial rule until 1953, when it was integrated of the kingdom of Denmark. The US has had a strategic installation there, important for its national missile defense network.

Recently, there has been growing support for self-rule, particularly after disclosures about Denmark’s treatment of the local population.

But amid the spectre of Trump’s threat, Greenland in March formed a new coalition government in a demonstration of solidarity, with its agreement stating: “We are the rightful owners of Greenland.”