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One of Donald Trump’s senior advisors has increased tensions on the Danish government by disputing Denmark's sovereign claim to the vast Arctic island.

Force Deemed Unnecessary

Stephen Miller, also claimed military intervention would not be required to take over the Arctic territory because “nobody is going to fight 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 legitimate right 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 increasing friction between the two NATO allies after the American leader's repeated interest to annex Greenland.

A key parliamentary committee in Denmark has called an extraordinary meeting to examine the bilateral ties 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.

Challenging Copenhagen's Rule

“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 power of NATO. For the US to secure the Arctic region to defend NATO, it is logical that Greenland should be incorporated into the United States.”

There was, he said “no need to even consider or discuss” a armed takeover in Greenland, reiterating: “No country would wage war against the US militarily.”

International Reactions

These statements followed Trump remarked recently, fresh from events in Venezuela, that the US desired the territory “urgently”.

Denmark's leader, Mette Frederiksen, reacted by warning that an attack by the US a NATO ally would mean the collapse of the defensive pact and “post-Second World War security”.

The island's own leader, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, issued a forceful rebuke, urging Trump to abandon his “fantasies about annexation” and accused the US of being “wholly inappropriate”.

Background and Present Position

The aide's assertions came after his wife, a conservative commentator, posted a map on social media of Greenland draped in a US flag with the tag “SOON”.

Asked about the online image, he laughed and said: “This has represented the formal position of the US government since 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 maintains a strategic installation there, important for its national missile defense network.

In recent years, there has been increasing sentiment for self-rule, particularly after revelations about historical policies of the local population.

But amid the spectre of Trump’s threat, Greenland in March established a new unity government in a demonstration of solidarity, with its founding document declaring: “We are the rightful owners of Greenland.”