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A key figure from Donald Trump's top aides has increased tensions on the Danish government by challenging Copenhagen’s claim to the vast Arctic island.

Military Intervention Dismissed

Stephen Miller, also claimed the use of armed force would not be required to assume control of the northern landmass because “nobody is going to fight the United States in combat over the fate of Greenland”.

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

He also suggested that Denmark does not have a legitimate right to the region, which is a former Danish colony and continues as a constituent country of the Danish kingdom.

Growing Tensions

These remarks follow a period of increasing friction between the US and Denmark after the American leader's repeated interest to acquire Greenland.

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

Speaking to media, Miller asserted that control over Greenland could be achieved without military intervention due to its small population.

Challenging Copenhagen's Rule

“The real question is on what grounds does Denmark have to assert control over Greenland? What is the basis of their ownership claim?” he asked.

He added: “As the leading power within the dominant force in NATO. For the US to secure the Arctic region to defend NATO, obviously Greenland should be incorporated into the United States.”

There was, he said “no requirement 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

These statements came after Trump remarked recently, following other foreign policy actions, that the US desired the territory “urgently”.

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

Greenland’s prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, issued a forceful rebuke, calling on the US president to abandon his “notions of acquisition” and labeled American rhetoric of being “wholly inappropriate”.

Historical Context and Current Stance

The aide's assertions were preceded by his wife, a conservative commentator, 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: “It has been the official stance of the US government since the start of this presidency... The president has been very clear about that.”

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

Recently, there has been growing support for Greenlandic independence, particularly after disclosures about historical policies of the local population.

But amid the prospect of Trump’s threat, Greenland in March formed a new coalition government in a show of national unity, with its founding document declaring: “We are the rightful owners of Greenland.”