US annexation of Greenland would pose ‘military threat’ – top Russian MP
The US could use Greenland to stage an attack on Russia, State Duma Defense Committee chairman Andrey Kartapolov said on Thursday. The comment came after US President-elect Donald Trump reiterated his plan of purchasing the self-governing Arctic island from Denmark.
Trump has insisted that “ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity” for American national security.
Asked by RIA Novosti whether the US annexation of Greenland would pose a “military threat” to Russia, Kartapolov replied: “Obviously.”
“Greenland occupies a very large area in the Arctic and gives direct access to the Arctic, so for us it would not be the best option,” he said. The legislator argued that the island could serve as “a good springboard for America in a future hypothetical intercontinental clash.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists on Thursday that Moscow is “interested in maintaining an atmosphere of peace and stability” in the region. President Vladimir Putin’s senior aide, Nikolay Patrushev, warned in September that “the military activity of NATO members in the Arctic increases the potential for conflict.”
Danish officials have rejected the possibility of selling the island. “Greenland is not for sale and will not be in the future either,” Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said on Tuesday.
In 2009, Greenland was granted the right to declare independence through a referendum. The island’s pro-independence prime minister, Mute Bourup Egede, has also rejected Trump’s acquisition proposal.
“We fully recognize that Greenland has its own ambitions. If they materialize, Greenland will become independent, though hardly with an ambition to become a federal state in the United States,” Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said.
Greenland, the world’s largest island, was granted home rule by Denmark in 1979. Its territory is rich in oil and minerals. Greenland is also home to the US Pituffik military base and NATO infrastructure.
Trump, who takes office on January 20, has also suggested that the US should absorb Canada and reestablish control over the Panama Canal.
