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

Military Intervention Dismissed

The president’s deputy chief of staff, stated emphatically the use of armed force would not be necessary to take over the northern landmass 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,” he incorrectly stated, the correct number being closer to 57,000.

He also suggested that Denmark does not have a legitimate right to the territory, which is a former Danish colony and remains part of the Kingdom of Denmark.

Growing Tensions

Miller’s comments follow a period of increasing friction between the US and Denmark after the American leader's repeated interest to acquire Greenland.

The Danish foreign policy committee has convened an emergency session to examine the kingdom’s relationship 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.

Challenging Copenhagen's Rule

“The real question is what right 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 incorporated into the United States.”

There was, he said “no requirement to even think or talk about” a armed takeover in Greenland, reiterating: “Nobody is going to fight the US over this issue.”

Global Responses

These statements came after Trump remarked recently, fresh from other foreign policy actions, that the US desired the territory “very badly”.

The Danish prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, responded by warning that an attack by the US a fellow alliance member would mean the collapse of the defensive pact and “the postwar security order”.

Greenland’s prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, also made a strong statement, urging Trump to give up his “fantasies about annexation” and labeled American rhetoric of being “wholly inappropriate”.

Background and Present Position

The aide's assertions came after his wife, a conservative commentator, shared a digital image of Greenland under a US flag with the tag “SOON”.

When questioned on the social media post, he responded by stating: “This has represented the formal position of the US government since the beginning of this administration... The president has been very clear about that.”

The territory remained a colony 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 increasing sentiment for self-rule, particularly after disclosures about Denmark’s treatment of Greenlandic people.

But amid the prospect of acquisition talk, Greenland in March formed a new unity government in a show of national unity, with its founding document declaring: “Greenland belongs to us.”