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A top Russian official has announced that the country’s leadership is closely monitoring President-elect Donald Trump’s remarks about potentially annexing Greenland.
Some shit you should know before you read: For weeks, President-Elect Donald Trump called for Greenland to join the United States, arguing that the island’s vast natural resources and strategic Arctic location are critical for US national security. Trump has brought up Greenland’s rare earth minerals and their value in monitoring Russian and Chinese military activity in the Arctic region. He also expressed concerns about potential geopolitical threats in the Arctic, framing US control over Greenland as a necessity for safeguarding global security and protecting the “free world.” Currently, Greenland is an autonomous territory under Danish sovereignty, with its population enjoying significant self-governance. While Greenland’s government is exploring paths to independence, it has firmly rejected the idea of becoming part of the United States, insisting that its sovereignty and self-determination are non-negotiable.
What’s going on now: During an interview with CNBC, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia was concerned over President-elect Donald Trump’s remarks about potentially annexing Greenland, calling the situation “rather dramatic.” Peskov emphasized that the Arctic is within Russia’s “sphere of national and strategic interests“ and stated, “We are present in the Arctic zone, and we will continue to be present there.“ He also said it was in Russia’s interest to preserve “an atmosphere of peace and stability“ in the region while warning of potential consequences if US ambitions disrupted this balance. Peskov added, “We are watching the rhetoric on these topics coming out of Washington with great interest.”
Russia’s ambassador to Denmark, Vladimir Barbin, also criticized Trump’s remarks, particularly the idea of using military force to acquire Greenland. Barbin stressed that Greenland’s fate should be determined only through the will of its people, within the framework of Danish law, and without “interference from outside.” He further warned that any US efforts to strengthen its security at the expense of other nations would “be taken into account by Russia in its military planning.”
This all comes as Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said that Trump’s rhetoric about Greenland was an effort to engage in a “long-distance debate between great powers” rather than a genuine territorial claim. Meloni said she interpreted Trump’s statements as a strategic move to counter Chinese influence rather than an outright challenge to Danish sovereignty.
