Russia will take countermeasures, including military ones, if Western nations expand their armed presence in Greenland, foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said in the State Duma on Wednesday.
“Of course, in the event of the militarisation of Greenland and the creation of military capabilities aimed at Russia, we will take adequate countermeasures, including military-technical ones,” he told Russian lawmakers.
Several European countries have sent small military contingents to Greenland in recent weeks.
The deployments followed repeated statements by US President Donald Trump that he wanted the United States to annex the island, which is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark. Finland also sent two liaison officers to Greenland as part of the recent European presence.
Lavrov said the issue should be resolved by the United States, Denmark and Greenland. “The US, Denmark and Greenland must sort this out themselves,” he said. He also accused Denmark of treating Greenlanders as “second-class citizens”.
Trump has argued that control of Greenland is important for security in the Arctic. He previously warned that Russia or China might seek influence over the island if the United States did not act.
At the end of January, Trump said he had reached a “framework” understanding with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte to secure stronger US influence in Greenland.
Greenland’s authorities have stated that sovereignty and territorial integrity are a “red line” in any talks with Washington.
Source: AFP
HT