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A key figure from Donald Trump's top aides has increased tensions 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 necessary 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? Its population numbers just 30,000 inhabitants people,” Miller inaccurately claimed, the correct number being closer to 57,000.

He also suggested that Copenhagen lacks a legitimate right to the region, which is a one-time colonial possession and continues as a constituent country of the Danish kingdom.

Growing Tensions

Miller’s comments follow a period of increasing friction between the two NATO allies after the US president’s renewed calls to purchase Greenland.

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

In his interview, Miller told CNN that control over Greenland could be gained without armed conflict due to its small population.

Challenging Copenhagen's Rule

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

He added: “The US is the power of NATO. For the US to protect Arctic interests 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, reiterating: “No country would wage war against the US over this issue.”

International Reactions

His comments followed Trump remarked recently, fresh from events in Venezuela, that the US needed Greenland “very badly”.

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

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

Historical Context and Current Stance

Miller’s comments were preceded by his wife, a conservative commentator, shared 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: “This has represented the formal position of the US government from the start of this presidency... Donald Trump has been explicit about that.”

The territory was under colonial rule until 1953, when it was integrated of the kingdom of Denmark. The US has had a strategic installation there, important for its ballistic missile early warning system.

In recent years, there has been increasing sentiment for Greenlandic independence, 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: “We are the rightful owners of Greenland.”