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One of Donald Trump’s senior advisors has ramped up the pressure on the Danish government by questioning Copenhagen’s claim to Greenland.

Military Intervention Dismissed

The president’s deputy chief of staff, also claimed the use of armed force would not be required to assume control of the northern landmass because “no nation would engage the United States militarily over the future of Greenland”.

“The idea of military action against Greenland? Greenland has a population of 30,000 people,” Miller inaccurately claimed, the correct number being closer to 57,000.

Miller further proposed that Denmark does not have a valid claim to the territory, which is a former Danish colony and continues as a constituent country of the Danish kingdom.

Escalating Diplomatic Strains

Miller’s comments follow a period of increasing friction between the US and Denmark after the US president’s renewed calls to purchase Greenland.

A key parliamentary committee in Denmark has convened an extraordinary meeting to discuss the kingdom’s relationship with the United States.

Speaking to media, Miller told CNN that dominion of the island could be achieved without armed conflict due to its limited number of residents.

Challenging Copenhagen's Rule

“The real question is what right does Denmark have to assert control over Greenland? What legal foundation of their territorial claim?” Miller questioned.

He added: “The US is the power of NATO. For the US to secure the Arctic region to defend NATO, it is logical that Greenland should be incorporated into the United States.”

There was, he said “no requirement to even consider or discuss” a military operation in Greenland, reiterating: “Nobody is going to fight the US over this issue.”

International Reactions

His comments came after Trump remarked recently, following other foreign policy actions, that the US needed Greenland “urgently”.

The Danish prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, responded by warning that an American aggression against a fellow alliance member would mean the end of the military alliance and “the postwar security order”.

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

Historical Context and Current Stance

The aide's assertions came after his wife, podcaster Katie Miller, shared a digital image of Greenland under a US flag with the caption “IN THE NEAR FUTURE”.

When questioned on the online image, he responded by stating: “This has represented the formal position of the US government from the start of this presidency... Donald Trump has been very clear about that.”

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

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

However, facing the prospect 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.”