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A key figure from Donald Trump's senior advisors has ramped up the pressure on Denmark by challenging Copenhagen’s claim to the vast Arctic island.

Military Intervention Dismissed

Stephen Miller, stated emphatically the use of armed force would not be needed to assume control of the Arctic territory because “no nation would engage the United States militarily over the fate of Greenland”.

“The idea of military action against Greenland? Greenland has a population of 30,000 people,” he incorrectly stated, despite the actual figure being closer to 57,000.

He also suggested that Copenhagen lacks a legitimate right to the territory, which is a one-time colonial possession 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 US president’s renewed calls to annex Greenland.

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

Speaking to media, Miller told CNN that control over Greenland could be achieved without armed conflict due to its small population.

Questioning Danish Sovereignty

“The core issue is on what grounds does Denmark have to assert control over Greenland? What legal foundation of their territorial claim?” Miller questioned.

Miller continued: “As the leading power within the power of NATO. For the US to protect Arctic interests to safeguard the alliance, it is logical that Greenland should be incorporated into the United States.”

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

Global Responses

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

Denmark's leader, Mette Frederiksen, responded by saying that an American aggression against a NATO ally would mean the end of the military alliance and “post-Second World War security”.

Greenland’s prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, issued a forceful rebuke, calling on the US president to give up his “fantasies about annexation” and accused the US of being “wholly inappropriate”.

Background and Present Position

Miller’s comments were preceded by his wife, podcaster Katie Miller, posted a map on social media of Greenland draped in a US flag with the tag “SOON”.

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

The territory was under colonial rule until 1953, when it became part of the kingdom of Denmark. The US has had a military base there, important for its ballistic missile early warning system.

In recent years, there has been increasing sentiment for self-rule, particularly after disclosures about historical policies of the local population.

But amid the prospect of acquisition talk, Greenland in March established a new unity government in a show of national unity, with its agreement stating: “Greenland belongs to us.”