Vladimir Putin says President Donald Trump said he would win Greenland.
Geopolitical competition is intensifying in the Arctic, but Russia is willing to work with foreign partners from the West.
In a massive speech on Thursday, Putin said President Donald Trump’s intention to win Greenland was “serious,” and it was clear that the US would continue to promote benefits to the Arctic Circle. He said the Greenland question had nothing to do with Russia.
However, Moscow is concerned that “NATO countries are increasingly designating NATO countries generally as a springboard for conflicts that may practice the use of military forces on these conditions, such as “new recruits,” Finland and Sweden.”
Russia was monitoring the situation and building responses, including increasing military capabilities in the region. “We will not allow infringements on our country’s sovereignty and ensure that our interests are protected,” Putin said.
Report from Moscow, Yulia Shapovarova said that the Russian president’s priorities are developing regional infrastructure to improve the state of people’s lives and to gain better access to the natural resources of the Arctic.
“Putin sees many prospects for further development in the region, with the most important direction being strengthening transportation and logistics in the Arctic,” she said.
“Russia is also keen to develop the North Sea route, the shortest transportation route between Western Eurasia and the Asia-Pacific region, but the country is not going to do so on its own. It is ready to work together and is ready for the outlook for the Arctic.”
It focuses on the strategic importance of the Arctic Circle in mining, shipping and security, due to repeated statements by Trump that it wants to win Greenland. He does not rule out forcefully doing so.
The Arctic Circle holds fossil fuels and minerals beneath the land and seabeds that could become more accessible due to global warming. It is also a military-racing area, and defense analysts say that Russia has built its presence much faster than the West by reopening Soviet-era bases and modernizing its navy.
The US considers the Arctic to be important for national security.
The Kremlin suggested that the Arctic is a zone of Russia’s strategic interest and that in February, Russia and the US could work together to develop natural resources there as they pursue a rapid reconciliation in which the two countries praised Ukraine and its European allies.
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