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One of Donald Trump’s senior advisors has ramped up the pressure on the Danish government by questioning Denmark's sovereign claim to Greenland.

Military Intervention Dismissed

Stephen Miller, stated emphatically military intervention would not be required to take over the Arctic territory because “no nation would engage the United States militarily over the fate of Greenland”.

“The idea of military action against Greenland? Its population numbers just 30,000 inhabitants people,” he incorrectly stated, despite the actual figure being closer to 57,000.

He also suggested that Denmark does not have a valid claim to the territory, which is a former Danish colony and continues as a constituent country of the Kingdom of Denmark.

Escalating Diplomatic Strains

Miller’s comments follow a period of growing tensions between the two NATO allies after the US president’s renewed calls to acquire Greenland.

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

In his interview, Miller told CNN that control over Greenland could be achieved without armed conflict 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 legal foundation of their ownership claim?” Miller questioned.

He added: “As the leading power within the dominant force in NATO. For the US to secure the Arctic region to defend NATO, it is logical that Greenland should be incorporated into the United States.”

There was, he said “no requirement to even consider or discuss” a armed takeover in Greenland, adding: “No country would wage war against the US over this issue.”

Global Responses

These statements followed Trump said over the weekend, following other foreign policy actions, that the US desired the territory “urgently”.

The Danish prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, reacted by warning that an American aggression against a fellow alliance member would mean the collapse of the military alliance and “the postwar security order”.

Greenland’s prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, issued a strong statement, calling on the US president to abandon 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, shared a map on social media of Greenland under a US flag with the caption “IN THE NEAR FUTURE”.

When questioned on the online image, he responded by stating: “This has represented the official stance of the US government from the beginning of this administration... Donald Trump has been explicit about that.”

Greenland remained a colony until 1953, when it was integrated of the Danish realm. The US has had a strategic installation there, important for its national missile defense network.

Recently, there has been increasing sentiment for Greenlandic independence, especially following revelations about Denmark’s treatment of Greenlandic people.

But amid the prospect of Trump’s threat, Greenland in March established a new coalition government in a show of national unity, with its agreement stating: “Greenland belongs to us.”