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One of Donald Trump’s top aides has increased tensions on the Danish government by questioning Copenhagen’s claim to the vast Arctic island.

Military Intervention Dismissed

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

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

He also suggested that Copenhagen lacks a valid claim to the region, which is a one-time colonial possession and remains part of the Danish kingdom.

Escalating Diplomatic Strains

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 extraordinary meeting to examine the kingdom’s relationship with the United States.

In his interview, Miller asserted that dominion of the island could be achieved without military intervention 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 ownership claim?” he asked.

He added: “The US is the dominant force in NATO. For the US to secure the Arctic region to defend NATO, it is logical that Greenland should be part of the US.”

There was, he said “no need to even think or talk about” a armed takeover in Greenland, reiterating: “No country would wage war against the US over this issue.”

Global Responses

These statements came after Trump remarked recently, following other foreign policy actions, that the US desired the territory “very badly”.

Denmark's leader, Mette Frederiksen, reacted by saying that an attack by the US a NATO ally would mean the end of the military alliance and “post-Second World War security”.

The island's own leader, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, also made a forceful rebuke, urging Trump to abandon his “notions of acquisition” and labeled American rhetoric of being “completely and utterly unacceptable”.

Historical Context and Current Stance

Miller’s comments were preceded by his wife, podcaster Katie Miller, shared a digital image of Greenland under a US flag with the tag “SOON”.

Asked about the social media post, he responded by stating: “This has represented the formal position of the US government since the start of this presidency... The president has been explicit about that.”

The territory remained a colony until 1953, when it became part of the kingdom of Denmark. The US has had a strategic installation there, critical to its national missile defense network.

In recent years, there has been growing support for Greenlandic independence, particularly after revelations about historical policies of the local population.

But amid the spectre of Trump’s threat, Greenland in March established a new unity government in a show of national unity, with its founding document declaring: “We are the rightful owners of Greenland.”