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A key figure from Donald Trump's senior advisors has ramped up the pressure on Denmark by challenging Copenhagen’s claim to Greenland.

Force Deemed Unnecessary

The president’s deputy chief of staff, also claimed military intervention would not be needed to take over the northern landmass because “no nation would engage the United States in combat over the fate of Greenland”.

“What do you mean military action against Greenland? Greenland has 30,000 inhabitants people,” he incorrectly stated, despite the actual figure being closer to 57,000.

He also suggested that Denmark does not have a valid claim to the territory, which is a former Danish colony and continues as a constituent country of the Danish kingdom.

Escalating Diplomatic Strains

These remarks follow a period of growing tensions between the US and Denmark after the US president’s renewed calls to annex Greenland.

The Danish foreign policy committee has convened an extraordinary meeting to discuss the kingdom’s relationship with the United States.

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

Questioning Danish Sovereignty

“The core issue is on what grounds does Denmark have to assert control over Greenland? What is the basis of their territorial claim?” he asked.

Miller continued: “As the leading power within the dominant force in NATO. For the US to protect Arctic interests to defend NATO, it is logical that Greenland should be part of the US.”

There was, he said “no need to even think or talk about” a military operation in Greenland, adding: “No country would wage war against the US over this issue.”

International Reactions

His comments followed Trump remarked recently, fresh from other foreign policy actions, that the US needed Greenland “very badly”.

The Danish prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, responded by warning that an attack by the US a fellow alliance member would mean the end of the military alliance 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 accused the US of being “completely and utterly unacceptable”.

Historical Context and Current Stance

The aide's assertions were preceded by his wife, podcaster Katie Miller, posted a digital image of Greenland draped in a US flag with the tag “SOON”.

When questioned on the social media post, he responded by stating: “It has been the formal position of the US government from the beginning of this administration... The president has been explicit about that.”

Greenland was under colonial rule until 1953, when it became part of the kingdom of Denmark. The US maintains a strategic installation there, important for its ballistic missile early warning system.

In recent years, there has been growing support for Greenlandic independence, particularly after disclosures about historical policies of Greenlandic people.

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