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

Military Intervention Dismissed

Stephen Miller, stated emphatically military intervention would not be needed to assume control of the northern landmass because “no nation would engage the United States in combat over the future 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.

Miller further proposed that Copenhagen lacks a valid claim to the region, which is a one-time colonial possession and remains part of the Kingdom of Denmark.

Growing Tensions

Miller’s comments follow a period of increasing friction between the US and Denmark after the US president’s renewed calls to annex 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 achieved without military intervention due to its limited number of residents.

Questioning Danish Sovereignty

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

Miller continued: “As the leading power within 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.”

There was, he said “no need to even consider or discuss” a military operation in Greenland, reiterating: “Nobody is going to fight the US militarily.”

International Reactions

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

The Danish prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, responded by saying that an American aggression against a fellow alliance member would mean the end of the defensive pact and “the postwar security order”.

Greenland’s prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, also made a strong statement, calling on the US president to give up his “fantasies about annexation” and accused the US of being “wholly inappropriate”.

Background and Present Position

Miller’s comments came after his wife, podcaster Katie Miller, posted a map on social media of Greenland under a US flag with the tag “IN THE NEAR FUTURE”.

Asked about the social media post, he responded by stating: “It has been the official stance of the US government since the beginning of this administration... Donald Trump has been very clear about that.”

The territory was under colonial rule until 1953, when it was integrated of the kingdom of Denmark. The US has had a military base there, critical to its ballistic missile early warning system.

Recently, there has been increasing sentiment for Greenlandic independence, especially following revelations about historical policies of the local population.

But amid 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.”