Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during his annual joint press conference December 19, 2025 in Moscow, Russia.
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Russia called the Trump administration threats to take over Greenland “extraordinary” on Friday, adding that he would continue to monitor the situation.
“The situation is unusual, I would even say extraordinary from the point of view of international law,” declared Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, according to comments reported by the official Russian news agency Ria Novosti.
American President Donald Trump spoke of acquiring Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory, from a daring military operation to remove Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on January 3. He said the United States needed Greenland to national security and that only Washington can counter a alleged threat from Russia and China to the island.
Peskov added that Trump “said that international law is not a priority for him. The situation is developing on a different trajectory and we, along with the rest of the world, will monitor which one.”
A Kremlin spokesperson was not immediately available for comment when contacted by CNBC.
Peskov’s comments come shortly after negotiations between the United States, Denmark and Greenland were held. crucial discussions on the future of the Arctic island.
The White House meeting, described as “frank but constructive” by Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen, ended Wednesday without diplomatic progress, although they agreed to continue discussions through a high-level working group.
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In a recent interview with the New York Times, Trump said he doesn’t. “need of international law” and that only his “own morality” and his mind can stop him.
Several NATO members deployed small numbers of troops to Greenland for a period joint military exercisemeanwhile, seeks to strengthen the military presence in and around the sparsely populated island.
Denmark, responsible for the defense of Greenland, Germany, France, Sweden and Norway have all confirmed their intention to take part in the joint exercises, known as “Operation Arctic Endurance”.
Earlier in the week, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said it was unacceptable to say that Beijing and Moscow posed a threat to Greenland, accusing the West of double standards.
