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One of 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 military intervention would not be required to take over the northern landmass because “no nation would engage the United States militarily over the fate of Greenland”.

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

He also suggested that Denmark does not have a valid claim to the region, which is a one-time colonial possession and continues as a constituent country of the Kingdom of Denmark.

Growing Tensions

These remarks follow a period of increasing friction between the two NATO allies after the US president’s renewed calls to acquire Greenland.

A key parliamentary committee in Denmark has called an emergency session to examine the kingdom’s relationship with the United States.

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

Challenging Copenhagen's Rule

“The real question is what right does Denmark have to assert control over Greenland? What legal foundation of their territorial claim?” he asked.

He added: “The US is the dominant force in NATO. For the US to secure the Arctic region to safeguard the alliance, obviously Greenland should be part of the US.”

He stated there was “no requirement to even think or talk about” a military operation in Greenland, reiterating: “Nobody is going to fight the US over this issue.”

Global Responses

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

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

Greenland’s prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, also made a forceful rebuke, calling on the US president to give up his “fantasies about annexation” and labeled American rhetoric of being “wholly inappropriate”.

Background and Present Position

The aide's assertions came after 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 responded by stating: “It has been the official stance of the US government from the beginning of this administration... Donald Trump has been very clear about that.”

Greenland was under colonial rule until 1953, when it became part of the Danish realm. The US maintains a strategic installation there, important for 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.

However, facing the spectre of Trump’s threat, Greenland in March formed a new coalition government in a show of national unity, with its agreement stating: “We are the rightful owners of Greenland.”