Russian President Vladimir Putin has cautioned that the ongoing tensions around the largest island in the world, Greenland, should be taken seriously, as according to him Washington has long maintained aspirations to seize Greenland.
While speaking at the International Arctic Forum in Murmansk on Thursday, Putin discussed the ongoing difficulties surrounding Greenland, a Danish semi-autonomous island. Notably, US President Donald Trump has made repeated pledges to annex Greenland for geopolitical benefits.
On Wednesday, Trump mentioned Greenland again, asserting that it would benefit everyone, including Denmark, and that US sovereignty over the island is necessary to “properly defend a large section of this Earth”.
He said, “We have to have the land because it’s not possible to properly defend a large section of this Earth – not just the US – without it. So we have to have it, and I think we will have it.”
A long desire of US
Putin warned that Trump’s remarks should be taken seriously and mentioned that the US wanted to annex Greenland over more than 150 years.
“Everyone knows about the US plans to annex Greenland. You know, this may surprise someone only at first glance. And it is a deep mistake to believe that this is some kind of extravagant talk of the new American administration,” Putin warned.
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Putin further pointed out that American plans to seize Greenland date back to 1860, but they did not get Congressional support at the time. The statement reads, “Let me remind you that by 1868, the Alaska purchase was being ridiculed in American newspapers. It was called madness, an ‘ice box,’ and ‘the polar bear garden’ of Andrew Johnson, then-US president. And his Greenland proposals failed.”
By highlighting the history, Putin noted that the US, Germany, and Denmark also came close to signing a land-swap deal in 1910, which would have resulted in Greenland being ceded to America. However, the agreement ultimately fell through.
Denmark had complete authority over Greenland from the early 19th century until the 1950s. Following Nazi Germany’s takeover of the Scandinavian nation, it was occupied by the United States during World War Two. Today, the island is home to an American military installation and the facilities for a ballistic missile early warning system.
Now the US seems to be pushing consistently to acquire Greenland especially since Donald Trump took office as the President of USA. A few weeks back Trump’s son Don Jr visited the island for some ‘event’. While now the Vice Prwsident JD Vance, his wife and National Security Advisor of US Mike Waltz too are making the trip over.
The moves have spooked Denmark and Europe at large as Trump has made his intentions clear that he believes the region should become a part of USA for geostrategic as well as military reasons.
The island has become more independent in recent decades; it was given home rule in 1979, and if a referendum is approved, the right to become independent was established in 2009. But now it’s so called independence is in question with the US using every pressure tactic to acquire the huge Arctic nation.
