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One of Donald Trump’s top aides has ramped up the pressure on the Danish government by disputing Denmark's sovereign claim to Greenland.

Force Deemed Unnecessary

Stephen Miller, also claimed the use of armed force would not be necessary to take over the Arctic territory because “nobody is going to fight the United States in combat over the fate of Greenland”.

“What do you mean military action against Greenland? Its population numbers just 30,000 inhabitants people,” he incorrectly stated, despite the actual figure being closer to 57,000.

He also suggested that Denmark does not have a valid claim to the territory, which is a one-time colonial possession and continues as a constituent country of the Kingdom of Denmark.

Escalating Diplomatic Strains

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

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

Speaking to media, Miller told CNN that control over Greenland could be gained without armed conflict due to its limited number of residents.

Challenging Copenhagen's Rule

“The core issue is what right does Denmark have to assert control over Greenland? What legal foundation of their ownership claim?” he asked.

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

There was, he said “no need to even think or talk about” a military operation in Greenland, adding: “Nobody is going to fight the US militarily.”

Global Responses

His comments followed Trump remarked recently, fresh from other foreign policy actions, that the US needed Greenland “urgently”.

The Danish prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, responded by saying 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, issued a strong statement, urging Trump to abandon his “fantasies about annexation” and accused the US of being “wholly inappropriate”.

Background and Present Position

The aide's assertions came after his wife, a conservative commentator, shared a map on social media of Greenland draped in a US flag with the caption “IN THE NEAR FUTURE”.

Asked about the social media post, he laughed and said: “It has been the official stance of the US government since the start of this presidency... The president has been very clear about that.”

The territory remained a colony until 1953, when it was integrated of the kingdom of Denmark. 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 disclosures about Denmark’s treatment 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 agreement stating: “Greenland belongs to us.”