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One of Donald Trump’s senior advisors has increased tensions on the Danish government by disputing Denmark's sovereign claim to the vast Arctic island.

Force Deemed Unnecessary

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

“The idea of military action against Greenland? Its population numbers just 30,000 inhabitants people,” he incorrectly stated, the correct number being closer to 57,000.

Miller further proposed that Copenhagen lacks a legitimate right to the region, which is a former Danish colony and remains part of the Kingdom of Denmark.

Escalating Diplomatic Strains

These remarks follow a period of growing tensions between the US and Denmark after the American leader's repeated interest to annex Greenland.

The Danish foreign policy committee has called an emergency session to discuss the bilateral ties with the United States.

In his interview, Miller asserted that dominion of the island could be gained without military intervention due to its small population.

Challenging Copenhagen's Rule

“The real question is what right does Denmark have to exercise sovereignty 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, obviously Greenland should be part of the US.”

There was, he said “no requirement to even think or talk about” a armed takeover in Greenland, reiterating: “Nobody is going to fight the US over this issue.”

International Reactions

These statements followed Trump remarked recently, fresh from events in Venezuela, that the US needed Greenland “urgently”.

The Danish prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, responded by saying that an attack by the US a fellow alliance member would mean the end of the military alliance and “post-Second World War security”.

The island's own leader, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, issued a forceful rebuke, urging Trump to abandon his “notions of acquisition” and labeled American rhetoric of being “wholly inappropriate”.

Historical Context and Current Stance

The aide's assertions were preceded by his wife, podcaster Katie Miller, posted a digital image of Greenland draped in a US flag with the caption “IN THE NEAR FUTURE”.

Asked about the online image, he responded by stating: “It has been the formal position of the US government from the beginning of this administration... 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 maintains a military base there, important for its ballistic missile early warning system.

Recently, there has been increasing sentiment for Greenlandic independence, especially following disclosures about Denmark’s treatment of Greenlandic people.

But amid the spectre of Trump’s threat, Greenland in March established a new unity government in a show of national unity, with its founding document declaring: “Greenland belongs to us.”