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A key figure from Donald Trump's top aides has ramped up the pressure on the Danish government by disputing Copenhagen’s claim to the vast Arctic island.

Force Deemed Unnecessary

Stephen Miller, stated emphatically military intervention would not be needed to assume control of the northern landmass because “no nation would engage the United States in combat over the fate of Greenland”.

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

Miller further proposed that Copenhagen lacks a legitimate right to the territory, which is a former Danish colony and remains part of the Danish kingdom.

Growing Tensions

Miller’s comments come amid growing tensions between the two NATO allies 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.

In his interview, Miller told CNN that control over Greenland could be gained without armed conflict due to its small population.

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.

Miller continued: “As the leading power within the power of NATO. For the US to secure the Arctic region to safeguard the alliance, it is logical that 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: “No country would wage war against the US militarily.”

Global Responses

These statements came after Trump remarked recently, following events in Venezuela, that the US needed Greenland “urgently”.

Denmark's leader, Mette Frederiksen, responded by saying that an attack by the US a fellow alliance member would mean the collapse of the military alliance and “post-Second World War security”.

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

Background and Present Position

The aide's assertions came after his wife, podcaster Katie Miller, posted a map on social media of Greenland under a US flag with the tag “IN THE NEAR FUTURE”.

When questioned on the online image, he laughed and said: “It has been the formal position of the US government since the start of this presidency... The president 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, critical to its national missile defense network.

Recently, there has been increasing sentiment for self-rule, particularly after disclosures about historical policies of Greenlandic people.

But amid the prospect of acquisition talk, Greenland in March formed a new coalition government in a demonstration of solidarity, with its agreement stating: “We are the rightful owners of Greenland.”