Russian President Vladimir Putin warned it would be foolish to dismiss U.S. President Donald Trump‘s push for control of Greenland, saying the move is unsurprising given America’s longtime interest in the mineral-rich territory.
Delivering a major speech in Russia’s Murmansk, the world’s largest city north of the Arctic Circle, Putin said on Thursday that Trump’s stated intent to annex Greenland “is an issue that concerns two specific nations and has nothing to do with us.”
“It is a profound mistake to treat it as some preposterous talk by the new U.S. administration. Nothing of the sort,” Putin said.
He added that the U.S. had such plans “as far back as the 1860s” and flagged that the country had offered to buy Greenland from Denmark after World War II.
“In short, the United States has serious plans regarding Greenland. These plans have long historical roots, as I have just mentioned, and it is obvious that the United States will continue to consistently advance its geo-strategic, military-political and economic interests in the Arctic,” Putin said.
His comments, which were not critical of Trump’s intentions, come as U.S. Vice President JD Vance prepares to lead a high-profile U.S. delegation to Greenland on Friday.
Vance said in a video posted on social media platform X earlier this week that he would join his wife, Usha Vance, to “check out what’s going on with the security” of Greenland.
Trump has repeatedly expressed his desire to gain control of the autonomous Danish territory, describing the prospect as an “absolute necessity” for purposes related to national security.
The respective governments of both Greenland and Denmark have voiced firm opposition to Trump’s plans, with Mute Egede, the outgoing prime minister of Greenland, earlier this month saying: “Don’t keep treating us with disrespect. Enough is enough.”
NATO concerns
While Putin insisted tensions between Greenland and the U.S. were not related to Russia, he expressed concerns “about the fact that NATO countries are increasingly often designating the Far North as a springboard for possible conflicts and are practicing the use of troops in these conditions.”
He pointed to Finland and Sweden, which joined the NATO alliance in 2023 and 2024 respectively, saying Russia had had no issues with them until recently but now they were creating problems.
“Why? It is impossible to understand. But nevertheless, we will proceed from current realities and will respond to all this,” Putin said, saying Russia was monitoring developments in the Arctic, creating a response strategy, boosting its combat capabilities and modernising military infrastructure.
“We will not tolerate any encroachments on our country’s sovereignty and will steadfastly safeguard our national interests,” he said.
Finland and Sweden had both followed an approach of neutrality and military nonalignment but changed their position by Russia’s invasion of its neighbor Ukraine in 2022. Finland has a land border with Russia, while Sweden shares a maritime border with the country.