MOSCOW, Jan 20 (Reuters) – Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday that Greenland is not ‘a natural part’ of Denmark and that the problem of former colonial territories is becoming more acute.
US President Donald Trump has stated that he wants full control of Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark, for national security reasons. On Saturday, he announced tariffs on imports from European allies who oppose a possible U.S. takeover.
Russia has reacted enthusiastically to the growing divide between the US and Europe over Greenland, but has bristled at Trump’s suggestion that Moscow also seeks to control the island.
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At a press conference in Moscow on Tuesday, Lavrov said Russia has no interest in interfering in Greenland’s affairs and that Washington knows Moscow has no plans to take control of the island.
‘In principle, Greenland is not a natural part of Denmark, is it?’ declared Lavrov.
‘It was neither a natural part of Norway nor a natural part of Denmark. This is a colonial conquest. The fact that the inhabitants are now used to it and feel comfortable is another matter.’
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European countries asserted that Trump’s tariff announcement would violate a trade agreement reached with his government last year. EU leaders are due to discuss possible retaliation at an emergency summit in Brussels on Thursday.
(Reporting by Dmitry Antonov and Vladimir Soldatkin)
