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One of Donald Trump’s top aides has ramped up the pressure on Denmark by questioning Denmark's sovereign claim to Greenland.

Force Deemed Unnecessary

Stephen Miller, stated emphatically the use of armed force would not be needed to assume control of the northern landmass because “no nation would engage 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 Copenhagen lacks a valid claim to the region, which is a one-time colonial possession and remains part of the Danish kingdom.

Growing Tensions

These remarks follow a period of growing tensions between the two NATO allies after the American leader's repeated interest 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 small population.

Challenging Copenhagen's Rule

“The real question is on what grounds 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 power of NATO. For the US to secure the Arctic region to safeguard the alliance, obviously Greenland should be part of the US.”

There was, he said “no requirement to even consider or discuss” a military operation in Greenland, adding: “Nobody is going to fight the US over this issue.”

International Reactions

His comments followed Trump said over the weekend, following other foreign policy actions, that the US needed Greenland “very badly”.

Denmark's leader, Mette Frederiksen, responded by warning that an American aggression against a NATO ally would mean the end of the defensive pact and “the postwar security order”.

The island's own leader, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, issued a strong statement, calling on the US president to give up his “fantasies about annexation” and accused the US of being “wholly inappropriate”.

Background and Present Position

Miller’s comments came after his wife, podcaster Katie Miller, shared a map on social media of Greenland draped in a US flag with the caption “SOON”.

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

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

In recent years, there has been growing support for Greenlandic independence, especially following revelations about Denmark’s treatment of Greenlandic people.

But amid the spectre of acquisition talk, Greenland in March formed a new unity government in a show of national unity, with its agreement stating: “We are the rightful owners of Greenland.”