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One of Donald Trump’s senior advisors has ramped up the pressure on the Danish government by questioning Denmark's sovereign claim to Greenland.

Military Intervention Dismissed

The president’s deputy chief of staff, also claimed the use of armed force would not be necessary to take over the northern landmass because “no nation would engage the United States in combat over the future of Greenland”.

“The idea of military action against Greenland? Greenland has a population of 30,000 people,” he incorrectly stated, the correct number being closer to 57,000.

Miller further proposed that Copenhagen lacks a legitimate right to the territory, which is a one-time colonial possession and continues as a constituent country of the Danish kingdom.

Escalating Diplomatic Strains

Miller’s comments follow a period of growing tensions between the two NATO allies after the American leader's repeated interest to purchase Greenland.

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

In his interview, Miller told CNN that control over Greenland could be achieved without military intervention due to its limited number of residents.

Questioning Danish Sovereignty

“The real question is what right does Denmark have to assert control over Greenland? What legal foundation of their ownership claim?” Miller questioned.

Miller continued: “As the leading power within the dominant force in 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.”

He stated there was “no requirement to even consider or discuss” a military operation in Greenland, adding: “No country would wage war against 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 collapse of the defensive pact and “the postwar security order”.

Greenland’s prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, issued a forceful rebuke, calling on the US president to give up his “notions of acquisition” and labeled American rhetoric of being “wholly inappropriate”.

Historical Context and Current Stance

Miller’s comments were preceded by his wife, a conservative commentator, posted a digital image of Greenland under a US flag with the tag “IN THE NEAR FUTURE”.

When questioned on the social media post, he responded by stating: “It has been the formal position of the US government since the start of this presidency... Donald Trump has been very clear about that.”

The territory remained a colony until 1953, when it was integrated of the kingdom of Denmark. The US has had a strategic installation there, critical to its national missile defense network.

In recent years, there has been increasing sentiment for self-rule, especially following disclosures about historical policies of Greenlandic people.

But amid the spectre 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.”