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One of Donald Trump’s top aides has ramped up the pressure on the Danish government by questioning Denmark's sovereign claim to the vast Arctic island.

Military Intervention Dismissed

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

“What do you mean military action against Greenland? Its population numbers just 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 remains part of the Danish kingdom.

Growing Tensions

Miller’s comments come amid growing tensions between the US and Denmark after the US president’s renewed calls to annex Greenland.

A key parliamentary committee in Denmark has called an emergency session to discuss the kingdom’s relationship with the United States.

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

Questioning Danish Sovereignty

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

He added: “As the leading power within the power of NATO. For the US to secure the Arctic region to safeguard the alliance, it is logical that Greenland should be part of the US.”

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

International Reactions

His comments came after Trump said over the weekend, fresh from other foreign policy actions, that the US needed Greenland “very badly”.

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

Greenland’s prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, also made a forceful rebuke, urging Trump to abandon his “notions of acquisition” and labeled American rhetoric of being “wholly inappropriate”.

Historical Context and Current Stance

The aide's assertions came after his wife, podcaster Katie Miller, shared a digital image of Greenland under a US flag with the tag “IN THE NEAR FUTURE”.

Asked about the online image, he responded by stating: “It has been the formal position of the US government from the beginning of this administration... The president has been very clear about that.”

The territory remained a colony until 1953, when it became part of the Danish realm. The US maintains a strategic installation there, important for its national missile defense network.

In recent years, there has been increasing sentiment for Greenlandic independence, especially following disclosures about historical policies of Greenlandic people.

However, facing the spectre of acquisition talk, Greenland in March formed a new unity government in a show of national unity, with its founding document declaring: “Greenland belongs to us.”