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One of Donald Trump’s senior advisors has increased tensions on Denmark by challenging Copenhagen’s claim to the vast Arctic island.

Military Intervention Dismissed

The president’s deputy chief of staff, also claimed the use of armed force would not be needed to assume control of the Arctic territory because “nobody is going to fight the United States militarily over the fate of Greenland”.

“What do you mean military action against Greenland? Greenland has a population of 30,000 people,” Miller inaccurately claimed, the correct number being closer to 57,000.

Miller further proposed that Copenhagen lacks a valid claim to the territory, which is a former Danish colony and remains part of the Kingdom of Denmark.

Escalating Diplomatic Strains

Miller’s comments come amid increasing friction between the US and Denmark after the American leader's repeated interest to annex Greenland.

A key parliamentary committee in Denmark has called an emergency session 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 limited number of residents.

Questioning Danish Sovereignty

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

He added: “The US is the power of NATO. For the US to protect Arctic interests to safeguard the alliance, obviously Greenland should be incorporated into the United States.”

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

International Reactions

His comments followed Trump said over the weekend, fresh from other foreign policy actions, that the US needed Greenland “urgently”.

Denmark's leader, Mette Frederiksen, responded by saying that an attack by the US a NATO ally would mean the collapse of the defensive pact and “the postwar security order”.

The island's own leader, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, also made a strong statement, calling on the US president to abandon his “fantasies about annexation” and labeled American rhetoric of being “wholly inappropriate”.

Background and Present Position

Miller’s comments came after his wife, a conservative commentator, shared a map on social media of Greenland draped in a US flag with the tag “IN THE NEAR FUTURE”.

When questioned on the online image, he responded by stating: “It has been the official stance of the US government from the beginning of this administration... Donald Trump has been very clear about that.”

Greenland remained a colony until 1953, when it became part of the kingdom of Denmark. The US has had a strategic installation there, important for its ballistic missile early warning system.

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

But amid the prospect of acquisition talk, Greenland in March established a new unity government in a show of national unity, with its agreement stating: “We are the rightful owners of Greenland.”