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

Force Deemed Unnecessary

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”.

“The idea of military action against Greenland? Its population numbers just 30,000 inhabitants people,” he incorrectly stated, despite the actual figure being closer to 57,000.

Miller further proposed that Copenhagen lacks a valid claim to the region, which is a former Danish colony and remains part of the Danish kingdom.

Escalating Diplomatic Strains

These remarks follow a period of increasing friction between the US and Denmark 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 control over Greenland could be achieved without armed conflict due to its limited number of residents.

Questioning Danish Sovereignty

“The real question is what right does Denmark have to assert control over Greenland? What is the basis of their territorial claim?” Miller questioned.

Miller continued: “As the leading power within 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.”

He stated there was “no need to even think or talk about” a military operation in Greenland, adding: “No country would wage war against the US over this issue.”

International Reactions

These statements came after Trump remarked recently, fresh from other foreign policy actions, that the US needed Greenland “very badly”.

The Danish prime minister, 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”.

Greenland’s prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, also made a forceful rebuke, urging Trump to abandon his “notions of acquisition” and labeled American rhetoric of being “wholly inappropriate”.

Historical Context and Current Stance

The aide's assertions were preceded by his wife, podcaster Katie Miller, shared a digital image of Greenland under a US flag with the caption “IN THE NEAR FUTURE”.

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... Donald Trump has been very clear about that.”

The territory remained a colony until 1953, when it was integrated of the kingdom of Denmark. The US maintains a strategic installation there, critical to its ballistic missile early warning system.

In recent years, there has been increasing sentiment for Greenlandic independence, 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 founding document declaring: “Greenland belongs to us.”