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A key figure from Donald Trump's top aides has ramped up the pressure on Denmark by disputing Copenhagen’s claim to the vast Arctic island.

Force Deemed Unnecessary

Stephen Miller, stated emphatically military intervention would not be necessary to assume control of the Arctic territory because “nobody is going to fight the United States in combat over the future of Greenland”.

“What do you mean military action against Greenland? Greenland has 30,000 inhabitants people,” Miller inaccurately claimed, the correct number being closer to 57,000.

Miller further proposed that Denmark does not have a valid claim to the region, which is a former Danish colony and continues as a constituent country of the Kingdom of Denmark.

Growing Tensions

These remarks follow a period of growing tensions between the US and Denmark after the American leader's repeated interest to annex Greenland.

The Danish foreign policy committee has called an extraordinary meeting to examine the kingdom’s relationship with the United States.

Speaking to media, Miller told CNN that dominion of the island could be achieved without armed conflict due to its limited number of residents.

Questioning Danish Sovereignty

“The core issue is what right does Denmark have to assert control over Greenland? What legal foundation of their territorial claim?” he asked.

Miller continued: “The US is the dominant force in NATO. For the US to secure the Arctic region to safeguard the alliance, it is logical that Greenland should be incorporated into the United States.”

There was, he said “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 events in Venezuela, that the US needed Greenland “urgently”.

Denmark's leader, Mette Frederiksen, reacted by warning that an American aggression against a fellow alliance member would mean the collapse of the defensive pact and “the postwar security order”.

The island's own leader, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, also made a forceful rebuke, calling on the US president to give up his “fantasies about annexation” and accused the US of being “wholly inappropriate”.

Historical Context and Current Stance

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

When questioned on the social media post, he laughed and said: “This has represented the formal position of the US government from the start of this presidency... The president has been explicit about that.”

The territory was under colonial rule until 1953, when it became part of the kingdom of Denmark. The US has had a military base there, important for its national missile defense network.

Recently, there has been growing support for Greenlandic independence, particularly after revelations 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: “We are the rightful owners of Greenland.”