Kathrine Frich
Greenland has become a central focus in global strategic discussions
Trump’s statements have drawn pushback from Denmark, Greenlanders and NATO allies in recent months.
Now, Russia has weighed in with its own strong warning, intensifying geopolitical tensions across the Arctic.
Arctic warning
Speaking in the State Duma, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Russia would react if Greenland were militarised by the United States.
He stated that any deployment of forces or infrastructure aimed at Russia would prompt “appropriate countermeasures, including military-technical ones.”
Lavrov added that decisions about Greenland’s future rest with Washington and Copenhagen. “The United States, Denmark, and Greenland must sort this out for themselves,” he said.
Greenland remains an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark.
Self determination debate
Lavrov argued that the island’s residents should have their voices heard, claiming they had long been treated unfairly by Danish authorities.
“Taking into account the opinions of the residents of the largest island, of course, who have been treated quite harshly by official Copenhagen for many years and decades… as second-class citizens,” he said. “There is ample evidence to support this point.”
He maintained that Russia’s position is that the Arctic should remain peaceful. “Our principled position, however, is that the Arctic must remain a zone of peace and cooperation.”
At the same time, he warned that if military capabilities directed against Russia were established there, Moscow would respond.
Wider tensions
Lavrov criticised the European Union, accusing it of taking a “servile stance toward Washington” amid what he described as “Russophobic hysteria,” and denounced what he called Western “double standards.”
He said Western governments back Greenland’s right to self-determination while rejecting Moscow’s claims over Crimea, Donbas and other Ukrainian territories referred to by the Kremlin as “Novorossiya.”
The foreign minister insisted Russia would “defend truth and law” in the annexed regions and continue diplomatic and political efforts tied to its military campaign in Ukraine, which approaches its fourth year on February 24.
Lavrov also highlighted Moscow’s growing ties with Beijing, describing China as a “great eastern neighbour” and confirming preparations for a future visit by President Vladimir Putin.
In a lighter aside, he encouraged lawmakers to consider visiting North Korea’s Wonsan resort, calling it a destination with a “Magnificent sea, excellent conditions,” and said Pyongyang was becoming “cleaner and more beautiful.”
Sources: Daily Express.
