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A key figure from Donald Trump's senior advisors has ramped up the pressure on Denmark by questioning Denmark's sovereign claim to the vast Arctic island.

Military Intervention Dismissed

Stephen Miller, stated emphatically the use of armed force would not be necessary to assume control of the northern landmass because “nobody is going to fight the United States in combat over the future of Greenland”.

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

Miller further proposed that Denmark does not have a valid claim to the territory, which is a one-time colonial possession and remains part of the Kingdom of Denmark.

Escalating Diplomatic Strains

These remarks follow a period of increasing friction between the two NATO allies after the US president’s renewed calls to annex Greenland.

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

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

Challenging Copenhagen's Rule

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

He added: “As the leading power within the dominant force in NATO. For the US to secure the Arctic region to defend NATO, obviously Greenland should be incorporated into the United States.”

He stated there was “no requirement to even think or talk about” a armed takeover in Greenland, adding: “No country would wage war against the US militarily.”

International Reactions

These statements came after Trump said over the weekend, fresh from events in Venezuela, that the US needed Greenland “urgently”.

The Danish prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, reacted by warning that an attack by the US a fellow alliance member would mean the end of the defensive pact and “the postwar security order”.

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

Historical Context and Current Stance

Miller’s comments were preceded by his wife, podcaster Katie Miller, posted a digital image of Greenland draped in a US flag with the caption “SOON”.

Asked about the online image, he laughed and said: “It has been the formal position of the US government from the start of this presidency... Donald Trump has been very clear about that.”

Greenland remained a colony until 1953, when it became part of the Danish realm. The US maintains a military base there, important for its national missile defense network.

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

But amid the prospect of acquisition talk, Greenland in March formed a new coalition government in a show of national unity, with its founding document declaring: “Greenland belongs to us.”