Europena Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas says that Greenland’s sovereignty must be respected.Russia is closely monitoring Donald Trump’s territorial claims to Greenland, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has said, after the US president-elect refused to rule out the possibility of using military force to acquire the Danish territory.
“We are following this rather dramatic development closely. Thankfully, for now, it remains at the level of statements,” Peskov told a news conference in Moscow on Thursday.
Trump on Tuesday repeated his desire for the US to take control of Greenland. Asked by a journalist if he would rule out using economic or military force in order to acquire Greenland, Trump replied, “I’m not going to commit to that.”
“We need Greenland for national security purposes,” Trump later said.
The mineral-rich island – an autonomous Danish territory – is located in the Arctic, where Russia, China and the US have jockeyed for supremacy in recent years.
Regarding the Arctic region, Peskov reiterated its strategic importance to Russia.
“The Arctic zone is an area of our national and strategic interests. We are present in the Arctic and will continue to be. Maintaining peace and stability in the region is paramount, and we are open to cooperation with all nations to achieve this goal,” he noted. Advertisement
Peskov also criticised European leaders’ response to Trump’s comments. “Europe reacts very timidly – it is clear they are hesitant to challenge Trump’s words,” he said.
Kremlin spokes …
