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A key figure from Donald Trump's senior advisors has ramped up the pressure on the Danish government by disputing Copenhagen’s claim to the vast Arctic island.

Force Deemed Unnecessary

Stephen Miller, stated emphatically military intervention would not be needed to take over the Arctic territory because “nobody is going to fight 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,” Miller inaccurately claimed, the correct number being closer to 57,000.

He also suggested that Copenhagen lacks a valid claim to the region, which is a former Danish colony and remains part of the Danish kingdom.

Escalating Diplomatic Strains

These remarks follow a period of growing tensions between the two NATO allies after the US president’s renewed calls to annex Greenland.

The Danish foreign policy committee has called an emergency session to examine the kingdom’s relationship with the United States.

Speaking to media, Miller told CNN that dominion of the island could be achieved without military intervention due to its small population.

Challenging Copenhagen's Rule

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

He added: “The US is the power of NATO. For the US to protect Arctic interests to safeguard the alliance, it is logical that Greenland should be incorporated into the United States.”

There was, he said “no need to even think or talk about” a armed takeover in Greenland, adding: “Nobody is going to fight the US over this issue.”

International Reactions

These statements came after Trump said over the weekend, following other foreign policy actions, that the US needed Greenland “very badly”.

The Danish prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, reacted by warning that an American aggression against a fellow alliance member 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, urging Trump to abandon his “notions of acquisition” and accused the US of being “wholly inappropriate”.

Background and Present Position

Miller’s comments came after his wife, a conservative commentator, posted a digital image of Greenland draped in a US flag with the tag “IN THE NEAR FUTURE”.

When questioned on the online image, he laughed and said: “It has been the official stance of the US government since the beginning of this administration... Donald Trump has been very clear about that.”

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

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

But amid the prospect 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.”