BURSTRussian President Vladimir Putin said President Trump’s desire to take Greenland has nothing to do with the Kremlin.
“As for Greenland, this is a matter that concerns two specific states and has nothing to do with us,” Putin said to the crowd at the International Arctic Forum hosted in Russia.
Trump reiterated his intent to take over the autonomous Danish territory this week in the Oval Office.
“We need Greenland. And the world needs us to have Greenland, including Denmark. Denmark has to have us have Greenland,” Trump told reporters.
“And, you know, we’ll see what happens. But if we don’t have Greenland, we can’t have great international security.”
During his remarks, Putin acknowledged that the United States’s plan to purchase the Arctic territory has “long historical roots” dating back to World War II.
“After the end of the war, the United States offered Denmark to buy these islands quite recently by the standards of world history,” Putin said.
“In short, we are talking about serious plans on the American side with regard to Greenland,” he added.
The Russian leader has vowed not to interfere with the tensions in the Northern Hemisphere but continues to note the uptick in Western alliances in the area.
“I would like to emphasize that Russia has never threatened anyone in the Arctic, but we are closely monitoring the development of the situation, building an adequate response line, increasing the combat capabilities of the armed forces and modernizing military facilities,” the Kremlin leader said.