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

Military Intervention Dismissed

Stephen Miller, stated emphatically the use of armed force would not be needed to assume control of the northern landmass because “nobody is going to fight the United States militarily over the future of Greenland”.

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

He also suggested that Copenhagen lacks a valid claim to the territory, which is a former Danish colony and remains part of the Danish kingdom.

Escalating Diplomatic Strains

These remarks follow a period of increasing friction between the US and Denmark after the US president’s renewed calls to acquire Greenland.

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

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

Challenging Copenhagen's Rule

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

He added: “The US is the dominant force in NATO. For the US to secure the Arctic region to safeguard the alliance, obviously Greenland should be part of the US.”

He stated there was “no requirement to even think or talk about” a armed takeover in Greenland, adding: “Nobody is going to fight the US militarily.”

Global Responses

These statements came after Trump remarked recently, fresh from events in Venezuela, that the US desired the territory “very badly”.

The Danish prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, responded by saying that an attack by the US a fellow alliance member would mean the end of the military alliance and “the postwar security order”.

Greenland’s prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, issued a strong statement, urging Trump to give up his “notions of acquisition” and labeled American rhetoric of being “wholly inappropriate”.

Historical Context and Current Stance

Miller’s comments came after his wife, a conservative commentator, shared a digital image of Greenland draped in a US flag with the tag “SOON”.

When questioned on the online image, he responded by stating: “This has represented the official stance of the US government since the start of this presidency... 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 maintains a strategic installation there, critical to its national missile defense network.

Recently, there has been growing support for self-rule, especially following disclosures about Denmark’s treatment of the local population.

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