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One of Donald Trump’s senior advisors has ramped up the pressure on Denmark by challenging Denmark's sovereign claim to the vast Arctic island.

Force Deemed Unnecessary

Stephen Miller, stated emphatically the use of armed force would not be needed to take over the Arctic territory because “nobody is going to fight the United States in combat over the future of Greenland”.

“What do you mean military action against Greenland? Its population numbers just 30,000 inhabitants people,” Miller inaccurately claimed, the correct number being closer to 57,000.

Miller further proposed that Denmark does not have a valid claim to the region, which is a former Danish colony and continues as a constituent country of the Danish kingdom.

Escalating Diplomatic Strains

Miller’s comments follow a period of increasing friction between the US and Denmark after the US president’s renewed calls to annex Greenland.

A key parliamentary committee in Denmark has called an extraordinary meeting to examine the kingdom’s relationship with the United States.

Speaking to media, Miller told CNN that dominion of the island could be gained without military intervention due to its small population.

Questioning Danish Sovereignty

“The core issue 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.”

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 over this issue.”

International Reactions

His comments came after Trump remarked recently, following other foreign policy actions, that the US desired the territory “very badly”.

Denmark's leader, Mette Frederiksen, responded by saying that an attack by the US a fellow alliance member would mean the collapse of the defensive pact and “the postwar security order”.

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

Background and Present Position

Miller’s comments were preceded by his wife, a conservative commentator, posted a map on social media of Greenland under a US flag with the caption “IN THE NEAR FUTURE”.

When questioned on the online image, he laughed and said: “This has represented the formal position of the US government from the start of this presidency... Donald Trump has been very clear about that.”

Greenland remained a colony until 1953, when it was integrated of the Danish realm. The US has had a strategic installation there, important for its ballistic missile early warning system.

In recent years, there has been growing support for self-rule, 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 agreement stating: “Greenland belongs to us.”