Interfax news agency reported that on January 12, Russian Deputy Chairman of the Security Council Dmitry Medvedev said that the people of Greenland could vote to annex Russia if US President Donald Trump does not quickly act to gain control of this island.
President Donald Trump needs to rush. According to unverified information, a surprise referendum could take place in just a few days, in which all 55,000 Greenland residents will vote to join Russia," Mr. Medvedev said.
If that happens, it's done. There will be no new little stars on the US flag" - former Russian President Medvedev said.
Greenland is an autonomous territory belonging to Denmark, but has a particularly important strategic location in the Arctic. Recently, President Donald Trump revived the idea that the US needs to control Greenland, arguing that this island is of key significance to US national security, both in terms of geographical location and resource potential.
According to Mr. Trump, the US ownership of Greenland is necessary to curb Russia's increasing influence in the Arctic region.
This stance has faced clear opposition from both Denmark and the Greenland authorities, who affirm that the island is not an object for trading or transferring sovereignty.
However, statements from Washington still make the Greenland issue a hot topic in international debates.
In that context, Mr. Medvedev's statement is seen as a mocking and provocative response to the US ambitions.
Although Russia has not made any official claims to Greenland, Moscow has long closely monitored the strategic role of this island, especially due to Greenland's position on the North Atlantic coastal routes and the presence of an important US military and space surveillance facility here.
The Kremlin has not commented directly on Mr. Trump's promotion of the idea of controlling Greenland. However, Russia has affirmed that the Arctic is an area associated with national interests and its core strategy, and said it is closely monitoring the "quite dramatic" debate surrounding the future of Greenland.
Tensions in the Arctic have increased significantly in recent years, especially after the Ukraine conflict in 2022 flared many regional cooperation mechanisms.
As climate change opens up new maritime routes and prospects for resource exploitation, the Arctic is increasingly becoming a competitive space among major powers.
In another statement posted on social networks, Mr. Medvedev continued to emphasize his point of view, saying that if Greenland is "occupied", Mr. Trump may even call himself "Government President of Greenland", similar to how the US leader once called himself "Government President of Venezuela".
According to Mr. Medvedev, in the scenario of Greenland joining Russia, this country will have a new federal entity, which he calls the "90th federal entity".
