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One of Donald Trump’s senior advisors has increased tensions on Denmark by challenging Copenhagen’s claim to Greenland.

Force Deemed Unnecessary

The president’s deputy chief of staff, stated emphatically military intervention would not be necessary to assume control of the northern landmass because “no nation would engage the United States militarily over the fate of Greenland”.

“What do you mean military action against Greenland? Its population numbers just 30,000 inhabitants people,” he incorrectly stated, the correct number being closer to 57,000.

He also suggested that Copenhagen lacks a valid claim to the territory, which is a former Danish colony and remains part of the Kingdom of Denmark.

Growing Tensions

These remarks come amid growing tensions between the US and Denmark after the US president’s renewed calls to acquire Greenland.

The Danish foreign policy committee has called an emergency session to examine the kingdom’s relationship with the United States.

In his interview, Miller asserted that control over Greenland could be gained without military intervention due to its limited number of residents.

Challenging Copenhagen's Rule

“The core issue is what right does Denmark have to assert control over Greenland? What legal foundation of their ownership claim?” Miller questioned.

He added: “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 requirement to even consider or discuss” a military operation in Greenland, reiterating: “Nobody is going to fight the US militarily.”

Global Responses

These statements followed Trump said over the weekend, following other foreign policy actions, that the US needed Greenland “very badly”.

The Danish prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, reacted by saying that an American aggression against a fellow alliance member would mean the collapse of the defensive pact and “post-Second World War security”.

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

Historical Context and Current Stance

Miller’s comments were preceded by his wife, a conservative commentator, shared a map on social media of Greenland under a US flag with the caption “IN THE NEAR FUTURE”.

When questioned on the social media post, he laughed and said: “This has represented the formal position of the US government since the beginning of this administration... The president has been explicit about that.”

The territory was under colonial rule until 1953, when it was integrated of the kingdom of Denmark. The US maintains a military base there, critical to its national missile defense network.

In recent years, there has been growing support for Greenlandic independence, particularly after disclosures about Denmark’s treatment of the local population.

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