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A key figure from Donald Trump's senior advisors has ramped up the pressure on Denmark by questioning Denmark's sovereign claim to Greenland.

Military Intervention Dismissed

Stephen Miller, also claimed the use of armed force would not be necessary to assume control of the Arctic territory because “no nation would engage the United States in combat over the future of Greenland”.

“The idea of military action against Greenland? Greenland has 30,000 inhabitants people,” he incorrectly stated, the correct number being closer to 57,000.

Miller further proposed that Copenhagen lacks a valid claim to the territory, which is a former Danish colony and remains part of the Kingdom of Denmark.

Escalating Diplomatic Strains

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

The Danish foreign policy committee has convened 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 gained without armed conflict due to its limited number of residents.

Challenging Copenhagen's Rule

“The real question is on what grounds does Denmark have to exercise sovereignty over Greenland? What is the basis of their ownership claim?” he asked.

He added: “The US is the dominant force in NATO. For the US to protect Arctic interests 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, adding: “No country would wage war against the US militarily.”

Global Responses

These statements followed Trump remarked recently, following events in Venezuela, that the US desired the territory “urgently”.

The Danish prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, reacted by saying that an attack by the US a fellow alliance member would mean the collapse of the defensive pact and “the postwar security order”.

Greenland’s prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, also made a forceful rebuke, calling on the US president to abandon his “notions of acquisition” and labeled American rhetoric of being “wholly inappropriate”.

Historical Context and Current Stance

Miller’s comments were preceded by his wife, podcaster Katie Miller, shared a digital image of Greenland draped in a US flag with the tag “IN THE NEAR FUTURE”.

When questioned on the online image, he responded by stating: “It has been the formal position 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 military base there, critical to its national missile defense network.

In recent years, there has been increasing sentiment for self-rule, especially following revelations about historical policies of the local population.

But amid the prospect of Trump’s threat, 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.”