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A key figure from Donald Trump's top aides has ramped up the pressure on the Danish government by disputing Denmark's sovereign claim to Greenland.

Military Intervention Dismissed

The president’s deputy chief of staff, stated emphatically the use of armed force would not be needed to take over the northern landmass because “nobody is going to fight the United States militarily over the future of Greenland”.

“The idea of military action against Greenland? Its population numbers just 30,000 inhabitants people,” Miller inaccurately claimed, the correct number being closer to 57,000.

He also suggested that Denmark does not have a valid claim to the region, which is a former Danish colony and continues as a constituent country of the Kingdom of Denmark.

Growing Tensions

These remarks come amid increasing friction between the US and Denmark after the American leader's repeated interest 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 dominion of the island could be gained without military intervention due to its limited number of residents.

Questioning Danish Sovereignty

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

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 need to even think or talk about” a armed takeover in Greenland, reiterating: “No country would wage war against the US militarily.”

Global Responses

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

Denmark's leader, Mette Frederiksen, reacted by warning that an American aggression against a fellow alliance member would mean the collapse of the military alliance and “post-Second World War security”.

The island's own leader, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, also made a forceful rebuke, urging Trump to abandon his “fantasies about annexation” and accused the US of being “completely and utterly unacceptable”.

Background and Present Position

The aide's assertions were preceded by his wife, podcaster Katie Miller, shared a digital image of Greenland draped in a US flag with the caption “SOON”.

When questioned on the social media post, he laughed and said: “It has been the official stance of the US government since the start of this presidency... The president has been explicit about that.”

Greenland remained a colony until 1953, when it was integrated of the Danish realm. The US has had a military base there, important for its ballistic missile early warning system.

In recent years, there has been growing support for self-rule, particularly after disclosures about Denmark’s treatment of the local population.

But amid the prospect of acquisition talk, Greenland in March established a new coalition government in a demonstration of solidarity, with its founding document declaring: “Greenland belongs to us.”