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A key figure from Donald Trump's senior advisors has increased tensions on the Danish government by disputing Denmark's sovereign claim to the vast Arctic island.

Military Intervention Dismissed

Stephen Miller, also claimed the use of armed force would not be required to take over the Arctic territory because “no nation would engage the United States militarily over the future of Greenland”.

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

Miller further proposed that Copenhagen lacks a legitimate right to the territory, which is a former Danish colony and continues as a constituent country of the Danish kingdom.

Growing Tensions

These remarks come amid growing tensions between the two NATO allies after the US president’s renewed calls to purchase Greenland.

The Danish foreign policy committee has convened an extraordinary meeting to discuss the kingdom’s relationship with the United States.

Speaking to media, Miller told CNN that control over Greenland could be achieved without military intervention due to its limited number of residents.

Challenging Copenhagen's Rule

“The real question is on what grounds does Denmark have to exercise sovereignty over Greenland? What is the basis of their ownership claim?” he asked.

Miller continued: “The US is the dominant force in NATO. For the US to protect Arctic interests to safeguard the alliance, obviously Greenland should be incorporated into the United States.”

There was, he said “no requirement to even consider or discuss” a armed takeover in Greenland, reiterating: “No country would wage war against the US militarily.”

International Reactions

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

The Danish prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, responded by saying that an American aggression against a NATO ally would mean the end of the military alliance and “post-Second World War security”.

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

Background and Present Position

Miller’s comments were preceded by his wife, a conservative commentator, shared a map on social media of Greenland draped in a US flag with the tag “SOON”.

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

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

Recently, there has been growing support for self-rule, especially following revelations about historical policies of the local population.

But amid the spectre of Trump’s threat, Greenland in March formed a new coalition government in a demonstration of solidarity, with its agreement stating: “Greenland belongs to us.”