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A key figure from Donald Trump's top aides has ramped up the pressure on the Danish government by challenging Copenhagen’s claim to Greenland.

Force Deemed Unnecessary

The president’s deputy chief of staff, also claimed 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 future 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.

Miller further proposed that Copenhagen lacks a legitimate right to the territory, which is a one-time colonial possession and remains part of the Kingdom of Denmark.

Growing Tensions

These remarks follow a period of increasing friction between the US and Denmark after the US president’s renewed calls to annex Greenland.

A key parliamentary committee in Denmark has convened an extraordinary meeting to discuss the bilateral ties with the United States.

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

Questioning Danish Sovereignty

“The core issue is what right does Denmark have to exercise sovereignty 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 incorporated into the United States.”

He stated there was “no requirement to even think or talk about” a armed takeover in Greenland, reiterating: “Nobody is going to fight the US militarily.”

International Reactions

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

Denmark's leader, Mette Frederiksen, responded by saying that an American aggression against a NATO ally would mean the collapse of the military alliance and “post-Second World War security”.

Greenland’s prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, issued a forceful rebuke, urging Trump to give up his “notions of acquisition” and labeled American rhetoric of being “wholly inappropriate”.

Historical Context and Current Stance

The aide's assertions came after his wife, a conservative commentator, posted a digital image of Greenland under a US flag with the tag “SOON”.

Asked about the online image, he responded by stating: “It has been the formal position of the US government from the beginning of this administration... Donald Trump has been explicit about that.”

Greenland was under colonial rule until 1953, when it became part of the Danish realm. The US has had a military base there, critical to its ballistic missile early warning system.

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

But amid the spectre of Trump’s threat, Greenland in March formed a new coalition government in a demonstration of solidarity, with its founding document declaring: “We are the rightful owners of Greenland.”