Russia calls Trump’s threats to seize Greenland ‘extraordinary’

Russia on Friday called the Trump administration’s threats to seize Greenland “extraordinary,” adding that it 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.

US President Donald Trump has discussed the acquisition of Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory., since a bold military operation to remove Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on January 3. He said the United States needed Greenland for national security and that only Washington could counter an alleged threat to the island from Russia and China.

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.”

Contacted by CNBC, a Kremlin spokesperson was not immediately available for comment.

Peskov’s comments come shortly after the United States, Denmark and Greenland held crucial negotiations over the Arctic island’s future.

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.

In a recent interview with the New York Times, Trump said he did not “need international law” and that only his “own morality” and mind could stop him.

Meanwhile, several NATO members have deployed a small number of troops to Greenland for a joint military exercise, seeking 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.