MOSCOW (Reuters) – Greenland is not a “natural part” of Denmark and problems with the former colonial territory are becoming more acute, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday.
US President Donald Trump has said he wants the United States to take full control of Greenland, a self-governing Danish territory, for national security reasons. On Saturday, he announced tariffs on imports from European allies opposed to potential U.S. takeovers.
Russia reacted with glee to the widening rift between the United States and Europe over Greenland but was angered by Trump’s suggestion that Moscow was also seeking to take control of the island.
Lavrov told a news conference in Moscow on Tuesday that Russia had no interest in interfering in Greenland affairs and that Washington knew Moscow had no plans to control the island itself.
“In principle, Greenland is not a natural part of Denmark, is it?” Lavrov said.
“It is neither a natural part of Norway nor a natural part of Denmark. It was a colonial conquest. The fact that the residents are now used to it and feel comfortable is another matter.”
European countries said Trump’s tariff announcement would violate the trade deal reached with their administration last year. EU leaders are due to discuss possible retaliation at an emergency summit in Brussels on Thursday.
(Reporting by Dmitry Antonov and Vladimir Soldakin; Writing by Gleb Stolyarov and Lucy Papachristo; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)
