Putin Acknowledges US Interest in Greenland

Putin Acknowledges US Interest in Greenland Russian President Vladimir Putin has remarked that US President Donald Trump's intentions regarding Greenland are "serious.
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" He also announced that Russia plans to bolster its military presence in the region. Speaking at the International Arctic Forum in Murmansk, Putin noted Trump's assertive stance toward Greenland as a sign of escalating tensions in the area. "The United States has longstanding and significant plans concerning Greenland," he stated on Thursday. "It is clear that the US will persist in imposing its geopolitical, military, and economic ambitions on the Arctic." Just a day earlier, Trump reaffirmed his ambition to assert control over the semi-autonomous Danish territory, declaring, "I think we'll go as far as we have to go. We need Greenland, and the world needs us to have Greenland, including Denmark." He has previously suggested that the US would use force if necessary to gain control of Greenland.

In response to Trump's remarks, Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen firmly rejected the notion, stating, "I must clearly oppose what I perceive as an escalation from the American side. We will not accept the United States dictating how the Danish realm, including Greenland, should be shaped in the future." US Vice President JD Vance is scheduled to make an uninvited trip to Greenland on Friday, adding to the list of US officials visiting the territory since Trump returned to office.

Russia's Military Expansion in the Arctic The Trump administration has argued that US ownership of Greenland is critical to both national and global security. Meanwhile, Putin, who is currently engaged in military actions in Ukraine and has dismissed US ceasefire proposals, claimed that Russia has never threatened anyone in the Arctic, contrasting this with the US posture. Still, he emphasized Russia's commitment to safeguarding its interests in the region, announcing plans to commission more icebreakers, expand capabilities at Russia's northernmost ports, and increase troop deployments in the Arctic.

Potential for Geopolitical Conflict and Investment Opportunities While Putin's comments hinted at potential geopolitical conflicts in the Arctic, he also extended an invitation for commercial investment opportunities to foreign partners, assuring them of guaranteed returns. As Arctic ice diminishes, the Northern Sea Route presents an alternative shipping route to the Suez Canal, reducing travel time to Asia by up to two weeks amid Western sanctions over the Ukraine conflict, which have disrupted Moscow's ties with Europe. Prior to the Ukraine invasion, Putin had promoted the Northern Sea Route as a strategic priority. Climate change has facilitated year-round access for Russian icebreakers along the country's northern coast.

The opening of these shipping routes has led to discussions about a new global race for deep-sea mining, as the US, Canada, Russia, Norway, and Denmark, along with an increasingly assertive China, seek to tap into the wealth of minerals and fossil fuels beyond their northern boundaries.

DW news

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