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A key figure from Donald Trump's senior advisors has ramped up the pressure on the Danish government by challenging 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 Arctic territory because “nobody is going to fight the United States in combat over the future 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 Copenhagen lacks a valid claim to the territory, which is a one-time colonial possession and continues as a constituent country of the Kingdom of Denmark.

Escalating Diplomatic Strains

Miller’s comments 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 called an emergency session to discuss the bilateral ties with the United States.

Speaking to media, Miller told CNN that dominion of the island could be gained without armed conflict due to its limited number of residents.

Questioning Danish Sovereignty

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

He added: “As the leading power within 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.”

There was, he said “no need to even consider or discuss” a armed takeover in Greenland, adding: “Nobody is going to fight the US militarily.”

International Reactions

His comments followed Trump said over the weekend, fresh from events in Venezuela, that the US needed Greenland “urgently”.

Denmark's leader, Mette Frederiksen, responded by saying that an attack by the US a NATO ally would mean the end of the defensive pact and “post-Second World War security”.

Greenland’s prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, issued a strong statement, urging Trump to give up his “fantasies about annexation” and labeled American rhetoric of being “completely and utterly unacceptable”.

Historical Context and Current Stance

The aide's assertions came after his wife, podcaster Katie Miller, shared a digital image of Greenland under a US flag with the caption “SOON”.

Asked about 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 remained a colony until 1953, when it was integrated 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 self-rule, particularly after disclosures about historical policies of Greenlandic people.

But amid the spectre of acquisition talk, 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.”