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A key figure from Donald Trump's senior advisors has increased tensions on Denmark by questioning Copenhagen’s claim to the vast Arctic island.

Military Intervention Dismissed

Stephen Miller, also claimed the use of armed force would not be necessary to take over 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,” he incorrectly stated, the correct number being closer to 57,000.

Miller further proposed that Denmark does not have a legitimate right to the territory, which is a former Danish colony and remains part of the Danish kingdom.

Escalating Diplomatic Strains

These remarks 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 extraordinary meeting to discuss the bilateral ties with the United States.

Speaking to media, Miller told CNN that dominion of the island could be achieved without armed conflict due to its small population.

Challenging Copenhagen's Rule

“The core issue is on what grounds does Denmark have to exercise sovereignty over Greenland? What legal foundation of their ownership claim?” he asked.

Miller continued: “The US is the dominant force in NATO. For the US to secure the Arctic region to safeguard the alliance, obviously Greenland should be part of the US.”

There was, he said “no need to even consider or discuss” a armed takeover in Greenland, adding: “Nobody is going to fight the US militarily.”

Global Responses

His comments followed Trump remarked recently, following other foreign policy actions, that the US needed Greenland “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 defensive pact and “the postwar security order”.

The island's own leader, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, issued a strong statement, urging Trump to give up his “fantasies about annexation” and accused the US of being “wholly inappropriate”.

Background and Present Position

Miller’s comments came after his wife, podcaster Katie Miller, shared a digital image of Greenland under a US flag with the tag “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 explicit about that.”

The territory remained a colony until 1953, when it became part of the Danish realm. The US maintains a strategic installation there, critical to its ballistic missile early warning system.

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

However, facing the spectre of acquisition talk, Greenland in March formed a new unity government in a demonstration of solidarity, with its founding document declaring: “Greenland belongs to us.”