What is Russia’s reaction to Trump’s Greenland bid?
U.S. President Donald Trump welcomes Russian President Vladimir Putin at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, on August 15, 2025.
Participant | Getty Images News | Getty Images
US President Donald Trump says Chinese and Russian ships should seize Greenland as a matter of US national security was “everywhere” In the Arctic region, the comments drew a swift rebuke from Beijing.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian hit back on Monday, accusing Washington of “using the so-called ‘China threat’ as an excuse for selfish gain.”
Russia, by contrast, has remained fairly quiet about Trump’s ambitions to seize Greenland and his threat to use military force to seize the Arctic island if necessary.
The Kremlin’s silence on the Greenland issue can be partly explained by the fact that it is a holiday season for Russians and Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas on January 7. The Russian leadership has not yet commented on the capture of Nicolas Maduro, the leader of Russia’s ally Venezuela, last weekend.
Russia’s foreign ministry issued a statement criticizing US “aggressive actions” in Venezuela and the seizure of a new Russian-flagged oil tanker in the Atlantic on Wednesday. However, the issue is also silent on Greenland, a semi-autonomous region belonging to Denmark.
Moscow probably has much more reason than China to be vocal about the US “taking over” of a giant Arctic asset like Greenland; for Russia has been laser-focused on increasing (and competing) geostrategic interests in the Arctic in recent years.
“We will not provide gas, oil, coal, heating oil; we will not provide anything,” Putin said.
Sergei Karpukhin | Afp | Getty Images
There’s good reason for this: Russia is by far the largest Arctic nation, covering 53% of the Arctic Ocean coastline, and has long-standing geopolitical, strategic and socio-economic interests in the region.
The Arctic is a strategic driver for Russia in terms of employment, investment and growth; There are established oil, gas and extractive industries here, as well as fisheries, infrastructure and transport logistics related to the Northern Sea Route, an important Arctic shipping route between Europe and Asia, especially for Russia.
In addition, Russia maintains a sea-based nuclear deterrent in the Arctic, where it maintains numerous military bases and airbases, as well as a dedicated fleet of icebreakers to facilitate trade, transportation and resource extraction in the region.
Division of NATO is more important for Moscow
Russia’s Arctic interests may be affected The US obsession with Greenland, and especially any move to seize the island by force. But analysts told CNBC that Moscow is more interested in achieving its ultimate goal: the destruction of NATO.
“Russia’s stake in Greenland is very small,” Jamie Shea, former deputy assistant secretary general for emerging security issues at NATO, told CNBC on Wednesday.
“The United States will have a greater presence in the North Atlantic” [if it increased its presence in Greenland] but NATO currently limits what Russia can do in the High North, with Canada, Denmark, Norway and the United Kingdom increasing their military presence and capabilities in the region, and Sweden and Finland joining NATO. Shea, an international defense and security expert from think tank Chatham House, added that not much will change strategically for Russia.
Danish, Greenlandic and US flags fly at the Danish armed forces’ Arctic Command in Nuuk, Greenland, on March 27, 2025.
Leonhard Foeger | Reuters
The analyst noted that Putin “would be pleased to see more divisions and inconsistencies in NATO and a massive transatlantic crisis that could lead to the United States halting its support for Ukraine and withdrawing U.S. troops from Europe.”
If the United States were to “connect to the Western Hemisphere,” this would ultimately give Russia more room to expand its influence in Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, and Europe. So in balance, [it would be] “It’s a great victory for Putin for which he paid no price,” he added.
‘A gift to Putin’
Trump’s renewed Greenland target and threat to use military force if necessary sent shockwaves through NATO and its European member states this week.
Both Greenland and Denmark have repeatedly told Trump that the island is not ready to be seized or sold and that any military action to seize the island would mean the end of the NATO alliance.
European leaders also opposed Trump, stating that “it is up to Denmark and Greenland, and them alone, to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland.”
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will meet with Danish officials next week.
The apparent alarm among European leaders and the increasing likelihood of NATO’s dissolution is “an absolute gift to Putin,” RUSI senior research fellow Edward R. Arnold told CNBC.
“Putin always knew, and Soviet leaders before him knew, that Russia couldn’t beat NATO militarily. Russia is so powerful, so it has to beat NATO politically, which basically makes Article Five hollow.” [and to] “Try to alienate the United States from European interests to the point of revealing this,” he added.
If the annexation of Greenland becomes a more realistic possibility, Arnold added, “NATO will effectively devour itself politically.”
