MOSCOW: Russia has warned it would take countermeasures, including military-technical steps, if Western countries increase their military presence in Greenland, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday.
His remarks come after several European nations reportedly deployed small troop contingents to the Arctic island in recent weeks, following repeated statements by US President Donald Trump expressing interest in annexing Greenland.
Speaking to Russian lawmakers, Lavrov stated that if Greenland were militarised and military infrastructure targeting Russia were established there, Moscow would respond with appropriate measures, including military ones.
Greenland, which has a population of about 57,000, has functioned as an autonomous territory of Denmark for decades.
Last month, President Trump appeared to soften earlier remarks about seizing Greenland, saying he had reached a “framework” agreement with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte aimed at expanding US influence. Prior to that, he had suggested that without US control, Greenland could fall under Russian or Chinese influence.
Lavrov emphasized that the matter should be resolved between the United States, Denmark, and Greenland. He also accused Denmark of treating Greenlanders as “second-class citizens.”
Greenland’s authorities have maintained that sovereignty and territorial integrity remain a “red line” in any negotiations with Washington.
