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A key figure from Donald Trump's top aides has increased tensions on Denmark by questioning 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 Arctic territory because “nobody is going to fight the United States in combat over the fate 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 Copenhagen lacks a valid claim to the region, which is a one-time colonial possession and continues as a constituent country of the Danish kingdom.

Escalating Diplomatic Strains

Miller’s comments come amid increasing friction between the US and Denmark after the US president’s renewed calls to acquire Greenland.

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

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

Questioning Danish Sovereignty

“The core issue is what right does Denmark have to exercise sovereignty over Greenland? What is the basis 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 safeguard the alliance, 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, reiterating: “Nobody is going to fight the US militarily.”

International Reactions

His comments came after Trump remarked recently, fresh from events in Venezuela, that the US desired the territory “very badly”.

Denmark's leader, Mette Frederiksen, reacted 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, also made a forceful rebuke, urging Trump to abandon his “fantasies about annexation” and labeled American rhetoric 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 under a US flag with the tag “IN THE NEAR FUTURE”.

When questioned on the social media post, he responded by stating: “It has been the official stance of the US government from the beginning of this administration... Donald Trump has been very clear about that.”

The territory remained a colony until 1953, when it was integrated of the kingdom of Denmark. The US has had a military base there, important for its national missile defense network.

In recent years, there has been increasing sentiment for self-rule, particularly after revelations about historical policies of Greenlandic people.

However, facing the prospect of acquisition talk, Greenland in March formed a new unity government in a demonstration of solidarity, with its agreement stating: “We are the rightful owners of Greenland.”