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

Military Intervention Dismissed

Stephen Miller, stated emphatically military intervention would not be required to assume control of the Arctic territory because “no nation would engage the United States militarily over the fate 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.

He also suggested that Denmark does not have a legitimate right to the region, 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 two NATO allies after the US president’s renewed calls to acquire Greenland.

The Danish foreign policy committee has convened an emergency session to discuss the kingdom’s relationship 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 assert control 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 defend NATO, obviously Greenland should be incorporated into the United States.”

There was, he said “no requirement to even consider or discuss” a armed takeover in Greenland, adding: “No country would wage war against the US over this issue.”

Global Responses

These statements came after Trump said over the weekend, following other foreign policy actions, that the US desired the territory “very badly”.

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 military alliance and “post-Second World War security”.

The island's own leader, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, also made a strong statement, calling on the US president to give up his “fantasies about annexation” and accused the US of being “completely and utterly unacceptable”.

Background and Present Position

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

When questioned on the social media post, he laughed and said: “This has represented the official stance of the US government since the start of this presidency... Donald Trump has been very clear about that.”

The territory remained a colony until 1953, when it was integrated of the Danish realm. The US maintains a military base there, important for 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.

But amid the spectre of Trump’s threat, Greenland in March formed a new coalition government in a show of national unity, with its agreement stating: “We are the rightful owners of Greenland.”