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One of Donald Trump’s senior advisors has increased tensions on the Danish government by disputing Denmark's sovereign claim to the vast Arctic island.

Military Intervention Dismissed

Stephen Miller, stated emphatically the use of armed force would not be necessary to take over the northern landmass because “no nation would engage the United States militarily over the fate of Greenland”.

“What do you mean military action against Greenland? Greenland has a population of 30,000 people,” Miller inaccurately claimed, despite the actual figure being closer to 57,000.

Miller further proposed that Copenhagen lacks a legitimate right to the territory, 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 increasing friction between the two NATO allies after the US president’s renewed calls to acquire Greenland.

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

Speaking to media, Miller told CNN that control over Greenland could be gained without military intervention due to its limited number of residents.

Challenging Copenhagen's Rule

“The core issue is what right does Denmark have to exercise sovereignty over Greenland? What is the basis of their ownership claim?” Miller questioned.

Miller continued: “As the leading power within the power of NATO. For the US to secure the Arctic region to defend NATO, obviously Greenland should be incorporated into the United States.”

He stated there was “no requirement to even consider or discuss” a military operation in Greenland, adding: “Nobody is going to fight the US militarily.”

Global Responses

His comments came after Trump remarked recently, fresh from other foreign policy actions, that the US needed Greenland “urgently”.

The Danish prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, responded by warning that an American aggression against a NATO ally would mean the end of the military alliance and “post-Second World War security”.

Greenland’s prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, issued a forceful rebuke, calling on the US president to give up his “fantasies about annexation” and accused the US of being “completely and utterly unacceptable”.

Background and Present Position

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

Asked about the online image, he laughed and said: “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 was integrated of the kingdom of Denmark. The US has had a military base there, important for its national missile defense network.

In recent years, there has been growing support for self-rule, especially following disclosures about historical policies of Greenlandic people.

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