The Kremlin said on Friday that it is closely monitoring President Donald Trump’s push to acquire Greenland, calling the proposal by the United States “extraordinary from the standpoint of international law.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Trump “has said that international law is not a priority for him,” adding, “The situation is developing along a different trajectory, and we, along with the rest of the world, will be watching to see which one,” CNBC reported. Earlier this week, Russia rejected claims that it has its sights set on Greenland, calling such claims a “fictitious pretext” used by NATO to grow its military presence in the Arctic, according to Reuters.
Russia is far from a valid judge on the rules of international law. The country is still engaged in a war that it started by invading Ukraine in February 2022. In recent months, Moscow has fired missiles and drones at civilian targets in Kyiv and surrounding cities, with an estimated 2,514 Ukrainian civilians being killed at the hands of Russia in 2025.
Trump has said multiple times that acquiring Greenland is a priority for U.S. national security, arguing that Russia and China have their own plans for taking over the territory. The president said earlier this week that Greenland is “vital” for his plans to build a “Golden Dome” of defense to protect the United States.
“NATO should be leading the way for us to get it. IF WE DON’T, RUSSIA OR CHINA WILL, AND THAT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!” Trump said.
In an interview with The New York Times last week, Trump also suggested he prioritizes his “own morality” and his “own mind” over international law. The president said that the United States would abide by international law, but then added, “It depends [on] what your definition of international law is.”
Many NATO countries — including Denmark, which oversees Greenland’s defense — have rebuked Trump over his effort to acquire Greenland while ramping up military presence around the territory. Denmark, France, Sweden, and Norway are conducting joint military exercises in Greenland, a move that has seemingly enraged Moscow. Russia accused NATO of “using high-profile statements from Washington on the Greenland issue solely to promote an anti-Russian and anti-Chinese agenda.”
“We consider the alliance’s policy of escalating confrontation in the Arctic to be counterproductive and extremely dangerous,” Russia added.
Louisiana Republican Governor Jeff Landry, who’s also serving as Trump’s special envoy to Greenland, said that Russia and China have increased production of icebreaker ships in the past year, suggesting that both countries are seeking “to gain control of the Arctic.”
“China and Russia have built more icebreakers in one year than the United States has built in the history of our country. They aren’t just building them for fun,” Landry told Fox & Friends Friday morning. “It is vital that America secures Greenland and reinforces the Monroe Doctrine for the future of national security.”
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen and Greenlandic Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt met with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the White House earlier this week to discuss Trump’s push to acquire Greenland. Following the meeting, Rasmussen said that both sides agreed to disagree, with Denmark sticking firm to its “red lines.”
“For us, ideas that would not respect the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark and the right of self-determination of the Greenlandic people are, of course, totally unacceptable,” Rasmussen added.