The Kremlin said Russia considers Greenland to be Danish territory, as Donald Trump refuses to back down over his repeated threats against a Nato ally.
Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the situation was “extraordinary” from the perspective of international law, despite Moscow itself having been repeatedly accused of breaching international law with its deadly invasion of Ukraine four years ago.
“On the other hand, given that President Trump is in Washington ... he himself has said that international law is not a priority for him,” Peskov added.
Trump threatened new tariffs against those who oppose his Greenland plans on Friday, after European allies rallied around Denmark by sending a small number of troops to the territory.
Denmark’s foreign minister emerged from a summit at the White House this week saying there remained a “fundamental disagreement” on the issue.
The Trump administration argues that the territory is key to security in the Arctic, and charges Denmark with not having done enough to protect it.
The US president has not ruled out the use of force to take it, just as Copenhagen maintains it is not for sale.
Trump's special envoy to Greenland said he planned to visit the territory in March, and that he believed a deal could be done.
“I do believe that there's a deal that should and will be made once this plays out,” Jeff Landry told Fox News in an interview on Friday.
“The president is serious. I think he's laid the markers down. He's told Denmark what he's looking for”.
European nations this week sent small numbers of military personnel to the island at Denmark's request. The White House said it was unlikely to make a difference.
“I don't think troops in Europe impact the president's decision-making process, nor does it impact his goal of the acquisition of Greenland at all,” White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told a briefing.
New Hampshire Senator Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat on the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the takeover rhetoric undermined Nato and played into the hands of its main adversaries, Russia and China.
“I know there are real, deep concerns here in Denmark and in Greenland. These concerns are understandable when trust is shaken. But I believe saner heads will prevail,” she said.
“And I believe that because institutions are already acting. On both sides of the aisle in Congress, there is overwhelming support for Nato and for the US-Danish relationship.”
Cabinet ministers from Denmark and Greenland met on Friday to discuss the island's preparedness, they said in a joint statement.
Trump first floated the idea of acquiring Greenland in 2019 during his first term, but faces opposition in Washington, including from within his own party.
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