EPA-EFE/REX/ShutterstockKremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia was closely monitoring the situation, after US President-elect Donald Trump refused to rule out military action to reclaim Greenland from Denmark.
Peskov said that the Arctic falls in “Russia's sphere of national and strategic interests and it is interested in peace and stability there.”
Trump's comments about Greenland, a largely autonomous Danish region, sparked a warning from European leaders.
European Union Foreign Minister Kaja Kallas stressed that “we must respect Greenland's territorial integrity and sovereignty,” and German Foreign Minister Olaf Scholz explained that “the border must not be moved by force.”
Trump said earlier this week that the United States needs Denmark and the Panama Canal “for economic security,” and refused to rule out using economic or military force to control them.
He also referred to the border with Canada as an “artificially drawn line.” Denmark and Canada are close allies of the United States in NATO.
Dmitry Peskov said Trump's claims are a matter for the United States, Denmark and other countries, but Russia is monitoring the “rather tragic” situation surrounding his comments. “We are present in the Arctic region, and we will continue to be there,” he said.
Outgoing US Secretary of State Antony Blinken sought to allay concerns about the president-elect's comments during a visit to Paris: “The idea… is clearly not a good idea, but perhaps more importantly, it's clearly not going to happen.” “
About 56,000 people live in Greenland, which is home to US and Danish military bases. It also has significant untapped mineral and oil wealth.
Greenland's Prime Minister, Miot Egede, seeks independence, although the territory's economy relies heavily on Danish support.
He and the Danish leader stressed that it was “not for sale” and that its future was in the hands of the Greenlanders themselves.
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy downplayed Trump's comments, although he acknowledged that “the intensity of his rhetoric and the sometimes unpredictability of what he said could be destabilizing.”
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Copenhagen had a clear interest in ensuring that the United States — its “closest ally ever” — plays a key role at a time of rising tensions in the North Atlantic, especially regarding Russia.
The European Commission said that Trump's threat to Greenland was “highly theoretical” and “largely hypothetical,” considering that he had not yet taken office.
However, it emphasized that Greenland, as an overseas territory, is subject to a mutual assistance clause that requires all EU countries to provide assistance to it in the event of an attack.
The Kremlin mocked the European response, noting that it had reacted “very timidly… almost in a whisper.”
Last week, Greenland's leader said the territory must free itself from the “shackles of colonialism,” although he did not mention the United States.
Pele Broberg, a former Greenlandic foreign minister who now heads the largest opposition party, told the BBC that most Greenlanders he spoke to believed the United States was vital to their defense and safety.
“We are part of the North American continent, and that is why the United States defense is in a great place with regard to Greenland, because we are creating a buffer zone that does not need to be militarized.”
He called for a “free association agreement” with the United States covering trade and defense that would give Greenland independence but hand the United States responsibility for security.
Trump's allies have reinforced his views on Greenland.
Keith Kellogg, Trump's pick to end the war in Ukraine, said many of the president-elect's statements about Greenland were logical and “put the United States in a position of global leadership.”
Republican Congressman Mike Walz told Fox News that the issue is “not just about Greenland, it's about the Arctic,” because Russia is trying to control the Arctic region with its mineral and natural resources.
“Denmark can be a great ally, but you can't treat Greenland, which they have operational control over, as an isolated region – it's in the Western Hemisphere.”
