Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that U.S. ambitions for Greenland date back to the 1860s. He highlighted past American attempts to annex the island, including a failed land swap deal in 1910 and an offer to buy Greenland after World War II.
Putin stated that the U.S. continues to push its geostrategic and military interests in the Arctic, warning that NATO’s growing presence in the region could escalate tensions. However, he emphasized that Greenland remains an issue between Denmark and the U.S., while Russia observes the situation with concern.
Russian President Vladimir Putin described Donald Trump’s stated intention to take control of Greenland as ‘serious’, speaking in Murmansk.
“It is obvious that the United States will continue to systematically promote its geostrategic, military-political and economic interests in the Arctic,” the Russian leader said.
He added that the issue concerned only the US and Greenland, but said it was a worry for Russia too in a broader sense.
“At the same time, of course, we are only concerned about the fact that NATO countries in general are increasingly labelling the Far North as a springboard for possible conflicts, practising the use of troops in these conditions, including by their recruits from Finland and Sweden, with whom, incidentally, we had no problems at all until recently. They are creating [problems] with their own hands for some reason. Why? It is absolutely incomprehensible,” Putin added.
Previously, Trump said he wanted to buy Greenland, a territory of Denmark- and even failed to rule out taking it by force this year – saying he needed the mineral-rich nation for ‘national security’ reasons.
His remarks shone a spotlight on the turbulent relationship Greenland and Denmark, its former colonial master, with the colony becoming part of the Kingdom of Denmark in 1953. Critics including within the Greenland administration have accused the European country of neglect in terms of jobs, financial backing and other support.
