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A key figure from Donald Trump's senior advisors has increased tensions on Denmark 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 northern landmass because “nobody is going to fight the United States in combat over the fate of Greenland”.

“What do you mean military action against Greenland? Greenland has a population of 30,000 people,” he incorrectly stated, the correct number being closer to 57,000.

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

Escalating Diplomatic Strains

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

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

Speaking to media, Miller asserted that control over Greenland could be gained without armed conflict due to its small population.

Questioning Danish Sovereignty

“The real question is what right does Denmark have to exercise sovereignty over Greenland? What legal foundation of their ownership claim?” he asked.

Miller continued: “As the leading power within the dominant force in NATO. For the US to protect Arctic interests to defend NATO, it is logical that Greenland should be part of the US.”

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

Global Responses

His comments followed Trump said over the weekend, following events in Venezuela, that the US needed Greenland “urgently”.

The Danish prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, reacted by saying that an attack by the US a NATO ally would mean the end of the defensive pact and “post-Second World War security”.

The island's own leader, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, also made a strong statement, calling on the US president to abandon his “fantasies about annexation” and labeled American rhetoric of being “wholly inappropriate”.

Background and Present Position

Miller’s comments came after his wife, podcaster Katie Miller, posted a map on social media of Greenland under a US flag with the tag “SOON”.

When questioned on the online image, he laughed and said: “This has represented the official stance of the US government since the start of this presidency... The president has been very clear about that.”

Greenland was under colonial rule until 1953, when it became part of the Danish realm. The US maintains a strategic installation there, important for its ballistic missile early warning system.

In recent years, there has been growing support for Greenlandic independence, especially following revelations about historical policies of Greenlandic people.

However, facing the spectre of acquisition talk, Greenland in March formed a new coalition government in a show of national unity, with its founding document declaring: “We are the rightful owners of Greenland.”