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A key figure from Donald Trump's senior advisors has ramped up the pressure on the Danish government by challenging Copenhagen’s claim to Greenland.

Force Deemed Unnecessary

Stephen Miller, also claimed military intervention would not be required to take over the northern landmass 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 a population of 30,000 people,” Miller inaccurately claimed, the correct number 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 continues as a constituent country of the Danish kingdom.

Escalating Diplomatic Strains

Miller’s comments follow a period of increasing friction between the two NATO allies after the American leader's repeated interest to purchase Greenland.

The Danish foreign policy committee has called an emergency session to discuss the bilateral ties with the United States.

Speaking to media, Miller told CNN that dominion of the island could be gained without military intervention due to its limited number of residents.

Questioning Danish Sovereignty

“The real question is what right does Denmark have to exercise sovereignty over Greenland? What legal foundation of their territorial claim?” Miller questioned.

He added: “The US is the power of NATO. For the US to protect Arctic interests to defend NATO, obviously Greenland should be part of the US.”

He stated there was “no requirement to even consider or discuss” a military operation in Greenland, adding: “Nobody is going to fight the US over this issue.”

International Reactions

These statements came after Trump remarked recently, fresh from other foreign policy actions, that the US needed Greenland “urgently”.

Denmark's leader, Mette Frederiksen, responded by warning that an attack by the US a fellow alliance member would mean the collapse of the defensive pact and “post-Second World War security”.

The island's own leader, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, also made a forceful rebuke, urging Trump 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, a conservative commentator, posted a map on social media of Greenland draped in a US flag with the caption “SOON”.

When questioned on the online image, he responded by stating: “It has been the official stance of the US government since the beginning of this administration... The president has been very clear about that.”

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

In recent years, there has been growing support for Greenlandic independence, particularly after revelations about historical policies of Greenlandic people.

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