MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that dismissing US President Donald Trump’s push for control over Greenland would be a mistake.
His remarks come at a time as US Vice President JD Vance prepares to lead a high-level delegation to Greenland on Friday.
Trump has repeatedly expressed his desire to gain control of the autonomous Danish territory, describing the prospect as an “absolute necessity” for national security purposes.
Russian President Vladimir Putin warned it would be foolish to dismiss President Donald Trump’s push for control of Greenland, stating that the move is unsurprising given America’s long-standing interest in the mineral-rich territory.
Delivering a major speech in Russia’s Murmansk, the world’s largest city north of the Arctic Circle, Putin said that Trump’s stated intent to annex Greenland “is an issue that concerns two specific nations and has nothing to do with us.”
“It is a profound mistake to treat it as some preposterous talk by the new US administration. Nothing of the sort,” Putin said.
He added that the US had such plans “as far back as the 1860s,” adding that the country had offered to buy Greenland from Denmark after World War II.
“In short, the United States has serious plans regarding Greenland. These plans have long historical roots, as I have just mentioned, and it is obvious that the United States will continue to consistently advance its geo-strategic, military-political and economic interests in the Arctic,” Putin said.
NATO concerns
While Putin insisted that tensions between Greenland and the US were not linked to Russia, he voiced concerns “about the fact that NATO countries are increasingly designating the Far North as a potential launchpad for conflicts and are practising the deployment of troops in these conditions.”
He highlighted Finland and Sweden, which joined the NATO alliance in 2023 and 2024, respectively, noting that Russia had no issues with them until recently, but now they were causing problems.
“We will not tolerate any encroachments on our country’s sovereignty and will steadfastly safeguard our national interests,” he said.
