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A key figure from Donald Trump's senior advisors has increased tensions on the Danish government by questioning 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 necessary to take over the Arctic territory because “no nation would engage the United States in combat over the fate of Greenland”.

“The idea of military action against Greenland? Greenland has 30,000 inhabitants people,” he incorrectly stated, the correct number being closer to 57,000.

He also suggested that Denmark does not have a valid claim to the territory, 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 two NATO allies after the US president’s renewed calls to purchase Greenland.

The Danish foreign policy committee has convened an extraordinary meeting to examine the bilateral ties with the United States.

In his interview, Miller asserted that control over Greenland could be gained 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 assert control over Greenland? What legal foundation of their territorial claim?” Miller questioned.

He added: “The US is the power of NATO. For the US to secure the Arctic region to safeguard the alliance, it is logical that Greenland should be part of the US.”

He stated there was “no need to even consider or discuss” a armed takeover in Greenland, reiterating: “Nobody is going to fight the US over this issue.”

International Reactions

These statements followed Trump remarked recently, following events in Venezuela, that the US desired the territory “very badly”.

The Danish prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, reacted by saying that an attack by the US a fellow alliance member would mean the end of the defensive pact and “post-Second World War security”.

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”.

Background and Present Position

The aide's assertions were preceded by his wife, a conservative commentator, posted a map on social media of Greenland under a US flag with the caption “SOON”.

When questioned on the social media post, he responded by stating: “It has been the formal position 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 has had a strategic installation there, critical to its ballistic missile early warning system.

Recently, there has been increasing sentiment for Greenlandic independence, especially following revelations about Denmark’s treatment of the local population.

But amid the spectre of Trump’s threat, Greenland in March formed a new unity government in a show of national unity, with its founding document declaring: “Greenland belongs to us.”