Moscow has responded to Donald Trump’s comments about acquiring Greenland.
“The Arctic is a zone of our national and strategic interests,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov when asked about Trump’s remarks on Greenland.
His words resemble those of President Putin when speaking about NATO’s eastward expansion, referring to it as a “Zone of Strategic Influence,” which typically means “Stay Away.”
However, the elected president, Donald Trump, has refused to rule out the use of military force to take control of the world’s largest island. His comments have raised alarm in Moscow.
“We are closely monitoring the situation, but fortunately, so far, it has only been words without action,” Peskov said.
The Kremlin’s concern is no surprise, given the economic and geopolitical importance of the Arctic to Russia.
Russia has the longest coastline in the Arctic, through which the Northern Sea Route runs. Vast reserves of oil and gas in the region make this area extremely significant for the country’s energy supply.
The route offers a shortcut between Europe and Asia. This has attracted major trading powers like China, which is why Russia has committed to investing $30 billion in this passage.
Russia is the only Arctic state that is not a member of NATO, which makes the Kremlin view its Arctic coastline as a vulnerability. This is why it has reopened more than 50 Soviet-era military bases along the coastline and modernized its fleet.
In such a context, any U.S. attempt to acquire Greenland would be seen as a provocation.
