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

Military Intervention Dismissed

The president’s deputy chief of staff, stated emphatically military intervention would not be necessary to take over the northern landmass because “nobody is going to fight the United States militarily over the fate of Greenland”.

“What do you mean military action against Greenland? Greenland has 30,000 inhabitants people,” Miller inaccurately claimed, despite the actual figure being closer to 57,000.

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

Growing Tensions

These remarks come amid increasing friction between the two NATO allies after the American leader's repeated interest to acquire Greenland.

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

Speaking to media, 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 on what grounds does Denmark have to exercise sovereignty 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, obviously 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, adding: “No country would wage war against the US over this issue.”

International Reactions

These statements came after Trump said over the weekend, fresh from events in Venezuela, that the US needed Greenland “very badly”.

Denmark's leader, Mette Frederiksen, reacted by warning that an American aggression against a fellow alliance member would mean the collapse of the defensive pact and “the postwar security order”.

Greenland’s prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, issued a forceful rebuke, calling on the US president to give up his “notions of acquisition” and accused the US of being “completely and utterly unacceptable”.

Historical Context and Current Stance

Miller’s comments were preceded by his wife, podcaster Katie Miller, shared a map on social media of Greenland draped in a US flag with the caption “SOON”.

Asked about the online image, he laughed and said: “It has been the formal position of the US government from 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 maintains a strategic installation there, important for its national missile defense network.

Recently, there has been growing support for Greenlandic independence, especially following revelations about Denmark’s treatment of the local population.

However, facing the spectre of Trump’s threat, Greenland in March formed a new unity government in a show of national unity, with its agreement stating: “Greenland belongs to us.”