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A key figure from Donald Trump's senior advisors has increased tensions on the Danish government by questioning Denmark's sovereign claim to Greenland.

Military Intervention Dismissed

Stephen Miller, stated emphatically military intervention would not be needed to assume control of the northern landmass 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,” Miller inaccurately claimed, despite the actual figure 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 remains part of the Danish kingdom.

Growing Tensions

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

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

Speaking to media, Miller asserted that control over Greenland could be achieved without armed conflict due to its limited number of residents.

Questioning Danish Sovereignty

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

Miller continued: “The US is 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.”

There was, he said “no requirement to even consider or discuss” a armed takeover in Greenland, adding: “No country would wage war against the US militarily.”

Global Responses

His comments followed Trump remarked recently, following events in Venezuela, that the US desired the territory “very badly”.

The Danish prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, reacted by warning that an American aggression against a NATO ally would mean the collapse of the military alliance and “post-Second World War security”.

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

Background and Present Position

The aide's assertions were preceded by his wife, podcaster Katie Miller, posted a digital image of Greenland draped in a US flag with the caption “IN THE NEAR FUTURE”.

Asked about the social media post, he responded by stating: “It has been 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 became part of the Danish realm. The US maintains a military base there, critical to its ballistic missile early warning system.

Recently, there has been increasing sentiment for Greenlandic independence, especially following disclosures about Denmark’s treatment of the local population.

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