Vladimir Putin has warned Donald Trump that Russia is watching his moves “very closely” as the President-elect eyes up taking control of Greenland.
The Russian President’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the situation unfolding in the Arctic territory was “rather dramatic” in a fresh statement on Thursday – and couldn not resist a swipe at a “timid” Europe in the process.
“The Arctic is a zone of our national interests, our strategic interests,” Peskov warned.
He continued: “We are interested in preserving the atmosphere of peace and stability in the Arctic zone.
Putin has warned Donald Trump that Russia is watching his moves ‘very closely’
REUTERS
“We are watching the rather dramatic development of the situation very closely, but so far, thank God, at the level of statements.
“Europe reacts very timidly and it is of course scary to react to Trump’s words, therefore Europe reacts very cautiously, modestly, quietly, almost in a whisper.”
Trump has so far refused to rule out using military or economic action to seize both Greenland and the Panama Canal – and has also hinted at turning Canada into the US’s 51st state.
If Trump secured Greenland and Canada, the US and Russia would be practically the only countries with territory in the Arctic Ocean.
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Donald Trump has hinted at taking control of Greenland
REUTERS
Russia has been ramping up its Arctic presence – opening new permanent bases and laying down advanced anti-aircraft missiles to the region in order to tighten its grip over sizeable oil and gas reserves.
In 25 years, it is expected that much of the Arctic will be free of ice in the summer months, which would bring a host of opportunities for new commercial shipping routes along the northern sea route, which runs from northern Europe to Asia.
The Kremlin sees the route as a faster alternative to the Suez Canal – and wants to control it.
But any potential seizure of Greenland will be met with fierce opposition. Mute Egede, the territory’s Prime Minister, flew to Denmark to his Danish counterpart Mette Frederiksen and King Frederik X on Wednesday for crisis talks over Trump’s comments.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump Jr flew over to Greenland on a “personal day-trip” which saw his father’s private jet parked up in capital city Nuuk.
Donald Trump Jr flew over to Greenland on a ‘personal day-trip’
REUTERS
The chilling warnings from Russia came just before Trump himself revealed that a meeting with Putin is in the process of being set up.
“He wants to meet,” Trump told Republican state governors at his Mar-a-Lago base – but Ukraine is set to be the topic of talks, not Greenland.
“President Putin wants to meet,” Trump said. “He has said that even publicly and we have to get that war over with. That’s a bloody mess.”
Trump’s advisers have so far floated proposals to end the war which would effectively hand large parts of the country over to Russia for the foreseeable future.
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