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A key figure from Donald Trump's top aides has increased tensions on Denmark by questioning Denmark's sovereign claim to Greenland.

Force Deemed Unnecessary

The president’s deputy chief of staff, stated emphatically military intervention would not be required 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,” he incorrectly stated, the correct number being closer to 57,000.

Miller further proposed that Denmark does not have a legitimate right to the territory, which is a one-time colonial possession and continues as a constituent country of the Kingdom of Denmark.

Escalating Diplomatic Strains

Miller’s comments come amid growing tensions between the two NATO allies after the US president’s renewed calls to acquire Greenland.

The Danish foreign policy committee has convened an extraordinary meeting to examine the bilateral ties with the United States.

In his interview, Miller told CNN that dominion of the island could be achieved without military intervention 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 ownership claim?” he asked.

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.”

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

Global Responses

His comments came after Trump remarked recently, following events in Venezuela, that the US needed Greenland “very badly”.

The Danish prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, reacted by warning that an American aggression against a NATO ally would mean the collapse of the military alliance and “the postwar security order”.

The island's own leader, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, issued a forceful rebuke, calling on the US president to give up his “fantasies about annexation” and labeled American rhetoric of being “completely and utterly unacceptable”.

Historical Context and Current Stance

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

Asked about the online image, he laughed and said: “This has represented the official stance of the US government from the beginning of this administration... The president has been explicit about that.”

The territory was under colonial rule until 1953, when it was integrated of the Danish realm. The US has had a military base there, critical to its ballistic missile early warning system.

Recently, there has been growing support for self-rule, particularly after disclosures about Denmark’s treatment of the local population.

But amid the spectre of Trump’s threat, Greenland in March established a new unity government in a show of national unity, with its agreement stating: “We are the rightful owners of Greenland.”