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One of Donald Trump’s senior advisors has increased tensions on the Danish government by challenging Denmark's sovereign claim to Greenland.

Force Deemed Unnecessary

Stephen Miller, also claimed military intervention would not be needed to take over the northern landmass because “no nation would engage the United States in combat over the future of Greenland”.

“What do you mean military action against Greenland? Greenland has a population of 30,000 people,” Miller inaccurately claimed, despite the actual figure being closer to 57,000.

He also suggested that Copenhagen lacks a legitimate right to the territory, 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 annex Greenland.

A key parliamentary committee in Denmark has called an extraordinary meeting to discuss the bilateral ties with the United States.

Speaking to media, Miller told CNN that control over Greenland could be achieved without military intervention due to its limited number of residents.

Questioning Danish Sovereignty

“The real question is on what grounds does Denmark have to assert control over Greenland? What legal foundation of their ownership claim?” he asked.

He added: “As the leading power within the power of NATO. For the US to secure the Arctic region to defend NATO, obviously Greenland should be part of the US.”

There was, he said “no need to even consider or discuss” a military operation in Greenland, adding: “No country would wage war against the US militarily.”

Global Responses

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

The Danish prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, responded by warning that an attack by the US a NATO ally would mean the collapse of the defensive pact and “post-Second World War security”.

Greenland’s prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, issued a forceful rebuke, urging Trump to abandon his “notions of acquisition” and accused the US of being “wholly inappropriate”.

Historical Context and Current Stance

Miller’s comments came after his wife, podcaster Katie Miller, posted a map on social media of Greenland draped in a US flag with the tag “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 explicit about that.”

The territory remained a colony until 1953, when it became part of the Danish realm. The US has had a strategic installation there, important for its ballistic missile early warning system.

Recently, there has been increasing sentiment for Greenlandic independence, especially following revelations about historical policies of Greenlandic people.

But amid the prospect of Trump’s threat, Greenland in March established a new unity government in a show of national unity, with its founding document declaring: “We are the rightful owners of Greenland.”