Russian state media pundits have mulled the possibility of splitting Greenland with Donald Trump, as the President-elect continues to posture about acquiring the Danish territory.
Andrey Gurulyov, a member of the state Duma – the Russian assembly – said on Sunday that “basically, the war in the Arctic has started” and that Russia should look to strengthen its resources in the north, according to The Daily Beast.
In December, Trump floated the idea of purchasing Greenland from Denmark, calling the acquisition an "absolute necessity" for American “security” and “freedom”. Last week, when asked if he would rule out using "military or economic coercion" to obtain the foreign land, he replied, "No, I can’t assure you on either of those two."
Speaking during an appearance on Sunday Evening With Vladimir Solovyov, Gurulyov, a former deputy commander of the Southern Military District of the Russian military, said: “In recent days, events have been developing very rapidly.
“We should recognize that basically, the war in the Arctic has started. We’ve been getting ready for this and strengthening our Arctic component.”
Per The Daily Beast, he added: “With Trump announcing his aspirations for Greenland, why don’t we look at Greenland as well? Do we need Greenland? This is not a joke. We certainly need it.
“If all else fails, we can make a deal with Trump and split Greenland in two parts.”
In 2022, a report by the Danish Security and Intelligence Service accused Russia of forging a letter that claimed to be from Greenland’s foreign minister to Republican Senator Tom Cotton in 2019.
The letter stated: “Our government is going to overcome all legal and political barriers... and to organize the referendum on independence of Greenland from Denmark as fast as possible.” Cotton has since bragged about being the one to suggest buying Greenland to Trump.
"It is highly likely that the letter was fabricated and shared on the Internet by Russian influence agents, who wanted to create confusion and a possible conflict between Denmark, the USA and Greenland," the Danish intelligence report stated.
Danish officials have also been clear in expressing that Greenland is not currently for sale.
Last week, Donald Trump Jr traveled to Greenland, reportedly to explore his father’s interest in purchasing the island, but left quickly after it was made clear to him that Denmark was not interested.
Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said on Tuesday that Greenland’s Prime Minister, Mute Edege, "has been very, very clear ... there is a lot of support among the people of Greenland that Greenland is not for sale and will not be in the future."
Greenland is an autonomous territory of Denmark, meaning it has its own ruling body while still being a part of the Kingdom of Denmark.
