Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Thursday reminded President-elect Donald Trump, who is seeking Greenland, that Russia will protect its “strategic interests” in the Arctic region.
“The Arctic is a zone of our national interests, strategic interests. We are interested in maintaining an atmosphere of peace and stability in the Arctic,” Peskov said. said.
“We are keeping a close eye on the rather dramatic developments, but so far, thank God, it's at the level of statements,” he said.
Peskov was referring to Trump. comment He said he would like to gain control of Greenland, perhaps as America's 51st or 52nd state, depending on his efforts. Annex Canada Pan out.
Mr. Peskov was wrong to point out that since Donald Trump Jr. took office, progress on acquisitions has not exceeded the “level of statements.” was dispatched Off to Greenland on Tuesday. Trump Jr. said he had an “absolutely incredible experience” at the permanent winter wonderland, but he didn't come back with the deeds to Greenland in hand.
A Kremlin spokesman noted that Trump was not the first US leader to hint at claiming Greenland, and that he was not as quick to contain him as previous bidders for the strategic Arctic property. He blamed European countries for this.
“Europe is reacting very timidly, and of course it's scary to react to President Trump's words. So Europe is reacting very cautiously, modestly, quietly, almost in a whisper,” he said. Ta.
The Danes weren't really whispering when they rejected Trump's early proposals. Last month, King Frederick
“It is important for the Danish side to convey that Greenland and the Faroe Islands are part of Danish territory and this is not up for debate. This is how it is marked,” says royal expert Lars Hofbacke Sorensen says: explained to USA Today on Thursday.
The Faroe Islands are also an autonomous territory of Denmark, and although President Trump has not yet expressed interest in purchasing the islands, their coat of arms features a ram, making the Faroe Islands even larger.
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen politely but firmly told President Trump that his ambitions for Greenland will never come true.
“We are fully aware that Greenland has its own ambitions. If that were to happen, Greenland would be independent, but there are few ambitions to become a federal state in the United States. '' Rasmussen said.
“We do not believe we are in a foreign policy crisis. We are open to dialogue with the United States about how we can work together even more closely to ensure that America's ambitions are realized.”
Greenland is currently ruled by Prime Minister Mute Egede, who said his people do not seek independence just to become part of the United States.
“Greenland is ours. We are not and will never be for sale. We must not lose our age-old struggle for freedom,” he said. . declared After President Trump first floated the idea of seizing power last month.
Other European leaders, especially after President Trump, have outspokenly rejected his bid for Greenland. refused At Tuesday's free-wheeling Mar-a-Lago news conference, he said, to rule out the use of economic or even military force.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz claimed that “The principle of inviolability of borders applies to all countries, whether they are very small or very powerful,” he said on Wednesday.
“There is no doubt that the European Union will allow other countries in the world to attack its sovereign borders,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrault said.
Denmark, and by extension Greenland, are members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), whose charter stipulates that all member states must consider attacks against them as attacks on themselves. This is hypothetically true even if the attack comes from a NATO member state, such as the United States.
often discussed Article 5 NATO Charter What other members are actually required to do is more vague than most people think do Based on the spirit of “collective self-defense,” he referred to the “use of force” as an option rather than an obligation. Article 5 has only been invoked once in the United States, after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
As Mr. Peskov hinted in his remarks on Thursday, Main reason The United States is interested in acquiring Greenland because of its strategic importance as an observation post in the Arctic, a defense breakwater for the North American continent, and protection from intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) launched from Europe. It is.
Greenland also has valuable oil, gas and mineral resources, but a combination of environmental concerns, bureaucracy and opposition to development by three indigenous groups have left the land largely untapped. inuit tribe.
Inuit are by no means a minority in Greenland, making up about 88 percent of the country's modest population of 57,000 people. official language The language of Greenland is a combination of Inuit dialects and Danish as a second language. Resources are rarely exploited or explored without Inuit consent. And they are generally, if not universally, opposed To the idea.
As a result, Greenland's economy relies primarily on fishing and is heavily dependent on subsidies from Denmark. This is a major reason why reasonable ambitions for political independence for vast territories have always been frustrated in the past.
China is heavy investor Not only is he an avid consumer of Greenland's fish, but also an active participant in existing mining operations in the region, President Trump's strategy is to undermine the interests of both Russia and China in the Arctic. It can bring significant rewards.
When President Trump took office, he was on solid ground. said The people of Greenland would benefit “tremendously” by becoming part of the United States, and the United States would benefit tremendously from acquiring Greenland, as the Kremlin's concerns suggest. Russia and China will be the losers in this deal. The key question is: Are the people of Greenland really determined to become independent, or will they stick with Denmark for the first time in 600 years, and are they willing to slow down on oil, gas and mineral exploration? It is.
