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

Force Deemed Unnecessary

Stephen Miller, stated emphatically 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 Denmark does not have a valid claim to the territory, which is a one-time colonial possession and continues as a constituent country of the Kingdom of Denmark.

Escalating Diplomatic Strains

Miller’s comments follow a period of growing tensions between the US and Denmark after the American leader's repeated interest to annex Greenland.

A key parliamentary committee in Denmark has convened an extraordinary meeting to discuss the bilateral ties with the United States.

In his interview, Miller told CNN that dominion of the island could be achieved without armed conflict due to its small population.

Questioning Danish Sovereignty

“The real question is what right does Denmark have to assert control over Greenland? What is the basis of their ownership claim?” Miller questioned.

He added: “The US is the dominant force in NATO. For the US to protect Arctic interests to safeguard the alliance, it is logical that Greenland should be part of the US.”

There was, he said “no requirement to even think or talk about” a military operation in Greenland, adding: “Nobody is going to fight the US over this issue.”

Global Responses

His comments followed Trump said over the weekend, fresh from other foreign policy actions, that the US needed Greenland “urgently”.

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

Greenland’s prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, also made a forceful rebuke, calling on the US president to give up his “fantasies about annexation” and labeled American rhetoric of being “completely and utterly unacceptable”.

Historical Context and Current Stance

The aide's assertions were preceded by 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 social media post, he laughed and said: “This has represented the formal position of the US government since the beginning of this administration... Donald Trump has been explicit about that.”

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

In recent years, there has been growing support for Greenlandic independence, especially following disclosures about Denmark’s treatment of the local population.

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