In an interview with the Sputnik agency Studennikov said “In the context of the development of the situation around Greenland, it is also important to note that Russia does not accept the introduction of confrontational approaches in the Arctic and is interested in preserving it as a zone of stability and predictability.”

The diplomat stressed that Russia advocates the creation of an international security architecture in the Arctic, based on principles of equality for all states in the region. In addition, he reiterated Moscow’s position against any external interference in the internal affairs of other countries, including Denmark. “The fate of Greenland must be determined by the Greenlanders themselves, without any external interference,” he added.

On January 7th, Donald Trump, then US president-elect, declared that Greenland should be part of the US, stressing its strategic importance for national security and the protection of the “free world”, particularly against China and Russia. He also refused promising not to use military force to establish control over the territory.

Greenland’s Prime Minister Mute Egede also stressed that the island is not for sale and will never be sold.

Greenland was a colony of Denmark until 1953 and remains part of the Danish kingdom, but in 2009 it was granted autonomy with the possibility of self-government and independent internal policy-making.

In 2019, several media outlets reported that Trump was considering acquiring Greenland.

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