Trump’s plan to take over Greenland is ‘serious’, Putin says
The Russian leader is concerned that Nato countries could use the Arctic as a springboard for future conflicts
Russia considers US plans to annex Greenland “serious” and worries the West could use the Arctic as a springboard for future conflicts, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday.
US President Donald Trump has pushed to take control of the autonomous Danish island since taking office in January, saying Washington needs to have it for “international security”.
“It is a deep mistake to think that this is some extravagant talk from the new American administration. It is nothing of the sort,” Putin told an Arctic forum in the northern city of Murmansk.
“We are talking about serious plans on the American side with regard to Greenland. These plans have long-standing historical roots,” he added.
“It is obvious that the role and importance of the Arctic both for Russia and for the whole world is growing. But unfortunately, geopolitical competition, the struggle for positions in this region, is also intensifying,” Putin said.
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‘This plan has historic origins’: Putin says Trump’s plan to annex Greenland is ‘serious’
He said that while Russia was not directly involved in the question of Greenland’s ownership, Moscow was concerned that “Nato countries, in general, are increasingly designating the far north as a springboard for possible conflicts”.