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One of Donald Trump’s top aides has increased tensions on the Danish government by challenging Copenhagen’s claim to Greenland.

Military Intervention Dismissed

Stephen Miller, also claimed military intervention would not be required to take over the northern landmass because “no nation would engage the United States militarily over the fate of Greenland”.

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

He also suggested that Copenhagen lacks a valid claim to the region, which is a former Danish colony and continues as a constituent country of the Danish kingdom.

Growing Tensions

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

A key parliamentary committee in Denmark has convened an emergency session to examine the bilateral ties with the United States.

In his interview, Miller asserted that control over Greenland could be achieved without armed conflict due to its limited number of residents.

Questioning Danish Sovereignty

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

Miller continued: “The US is the dominant force in NATO. For the US to protect Arctic interests to safeguard the alliance, 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: “Nobody is going to fight the US over this issue.”

International Reactions

His comments came after Trump said over the weekend, following events in Venezuela, that the US needed Greenland “urgently”.

Denmark's leader, Mette Frederiksen, responded by warning that an American aggression against a fellow alliance member would mean the end of the military alliance and “post-Second World War security”.

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

Historical Context and Current Stance

Miller’s comments came after his wife, a conservative commentator, posted a map on social media of Greenland under a US flag with the caption “SOON”.

Asked about the online image, he laughed and said: “This has represented the official stance of the US government since the beginning of this administration... The president has been very clear about that.”

Greenland was under colonial rule until 1953, when it was integrated of the kingdom of Denmark. The US has had a military base there, critical to its ballistic missile early warning system.

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

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