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

Military Intervention Dismissed

The president’s deputy chief of staff, stated emphatically the use of armed force would not be required to assume control of the northern landmass because “no nation would engage the United States in combat over the future of Greenland”.

“What do you mean military action against Greenland? Greenland has a population of 30,000 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 one-time colonial possession and continues as a constituent country of the Kingdom of Denmark.

Escalating Diplomatic Strains

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

Questioning Danish Sovereignty

“The core issue is on what grounds does Denmark have to exercise sovereignty over Greenland? What is the basis of their ownership claim?” Miller questioned.

He added: “As the leading power within the power of NATO. For the US to protect Arctic interests to defend NATO, it is logical that Greenland should be part of the US.”

There was, he said “no need to even think or talk about” a military operation in Greenland, adding: “No country would wage war against the US militarily.”

Global Responses

These statements followed Trump remarked recently, following events in Venezuela, that the US needed Greenland “urgently”.

Denmark's leader, Mette Frederiksen, reacted by saying that an American aggression against a NATO ally would mean the end of the defensive pact and “post-Second World War security”.

The island's own leader, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, issued a forceful rebuke, calling on the US president to abandon his “notions of acquisition” and accused the US of being “wholly inappropriate”.

Historical Context and Current Stance

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

Asked about the online image, he laughed and said: “It has been 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 was integrated of the kingdom of Denmark. The US has had a strategic installation there, important for its ballistic missile early warning system.

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

However, facing the spectre of acquisition talk, Greenland in March formed a new unity government in a show of national unity, with its agreement stating: “Greenland belongs to us.”