Putin says US push for Greenland rooted in history, vows to uphold Russian interest in the Arctic

MOSCOW (AP) — Russia's President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that President Donald Trump's propulsion for power implicit Greenland wasn't astonishing fixed longtime U.S. involvement successful the mineral-rich territory.

Speaking astatine a argumentation forum successful the Artic larboard of Murmansk, Putin noted that the United States archetypal considered plans to triumph power implicit Greenland successful the 19th century, and past offered to bargain it from Denmark aft World War II.

“It tin look astonishing lone astatine archetypal glimpse and it would beryllium incorrect to judge that this is immoderate benignant of extravagant speech by the existent U.S. administration,” Putin said. “It’s evident that the United States volition proceed to systematically beforehand its geostrategic, military-political and economical interests successful the Arctic.”

Trump irked overmuch of Europe by suggesting that the United States should successful immoderate signifier power the self-governing, mineral-rich territory of Denmark, a U.S. state and NATO member. As the nautical gateway to the Arctic and North Atlantic approaches to North America, Greenland has broader strategical worth arsenic some China and Russia question entree to its waterways and earthy resources.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance and his woman are owed to sojourn an American subject basal successful Greenland connected Friday connected a travel that was scaled backmost aft an uproar by Greenlanders and Danes.

Speaking connected Thursday, Putin noted that Russia is disquieted astir NATO’s activities successful the Arctic and volition respond by strengthening its subject capableness successful the polar region.

“We are surely acrophobic astir NATO members describing the Far North arsenic the portion of imaginable conflicts,” helium said, noting that Russia's neighbors Finland and Sweden person joined the alliance. “Russia has ne'er threatened anyone successful the Arctic, but we volition intimately travel the developments and equine an due effect by expanding our subject capableness and modernizing subject infrastructure.”

Russia has sought to asseverate its power implicit wide areas of the Arctic successful contention with the United States, Canada, Denmark and Norway arsenic shrinking polar crystal from the warming satellite offers caller opportunities for resources and shipping routes. China besides has shown an expanding involvement successful the region, believed to clasp up to one-fourth of the Earth’s undiscovered lipid and gas.

“We won’t let immoderate infringement connected our country’s sovereignty, reliably safeguard our nationalist interests portion supporting bid and stableness successful the polar region,” Putin said.

While pledging to fortify Russia's subject foothold successful the Arctic, Putin said that Moscow was holding the doorway unfastened to broader planetary practice successful the region.

“The stronger our positions volition be, the much important the results volition beryllium and the broader opportunities we volition person to motorboat planetary projects successful the Arctic involving the countries that are affable to us, and, possibly, Western countries if they amusement involvement successful associated work. I’m definite the clip volition travel to motorboat specified projects.”

Kirill Dmitriev, caput of the Russian Direct Investment Fund and Putin's envoy for planetary concern who took portion successful talks with U.S. officials, told reporters past period that Russia and the U.S. should make associated vigor ventures.

“We request associated projects, including successful the Arctic and different regions,” helium said.