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One of Donald Trump’s senior advisors has increased tensions on Denmark by challenging Copenhagen’s claim to Greenland.

Force Deemed Unnecessary

Stephen Miller, also claimed the use of armed force would not be required 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? Greenland has a population of 30,000 people,” he incorrectly stated, the correct number being closer to 57,000.

He also suggested that Denmark does not have 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 increasing friction between the US and Denmark after the American leader's repeated interest to annex Greenland.

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

In his interview, Miller told CNN that dominion of the island could be achieved 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 is the basis of their territorial claim?” he asked.

He added: “The US is the power of NATO. For the US to secure the Arctic region to safeguard the alliance, obviously Greenland should be part of the US.”

There was, he said “no requirement to even think or talk about” a military operation in Greenland, reiterating: “No country would wage war against the US militarily.”

Global Responses

These statements came after Trump said over the weekend, following events in Venezuela, that the US needed Greenland “urgently”.

The Danish prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, reacted by warning that an attack by the US a fellow alliance member would mean the end of the military alliance and “post-Second World War security”.

The island's own leader, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, issued a strong statement, urging Trump to abandon his “fantasies about annexation” and accused the US of being “wholly inappropriate”.

Background and Present Position

Miller’s comments were preceded by his wife, a conservative commentator, posted a map on social media of Greenland under a US flag with the caption “SOON”.

When questioned on the social media post, he responded by stating: “It has been the official stance of the US government since the beginning of this administration... The president 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, important for its national missile defense network.

In recent years, there has been growing support for self-rule, especially following revelations about Denmark’s treatment of Greenlandic people.

But amid the prospect of Trump’s threat, Greenland in March established a new unity government in a show of national unity, with its founding document declaring: “We are the rightful owners of Greenland.”