US President Donald Trump announced on Monday that Washington will take decisive action to eliminate "the Russian threat" in Greenland.
"NATO has been telling Denmark, for 20 years, that 'you have to get the Russian threat away from Greenland.' Unfortunately, Denmark has been unable to do anything about it. Now it is time, and it will be done!!!" Trump said on his Truth Social platform.
The White House, the Danish Presidency in the European Union, and Denmark's foreign affairs ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters' request for comment.
Trump has repeatedly insisted he will settle for nothing less than ownership of Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark.
Leaders of both Denmark and Greenland have insisted the island is not for sale and does not want to be part of the United States.
On Sunday, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and Trump discussed the security situation in Greenland and the Arctic on a phone call. Rutte said both "will continue to work on this," and added: "I look forward to seeing him (Trump) in Davos later this week."
Greenland has long attracted US interest due to its strategic location and vast mineral resources, as well as alleged concerns about rising Russian and Chinese activity.
In a fresh move, Trump said on Saturday that Washington will impose 10 percent tariffs on goods from eight European nations, including Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands, and Finland, from February 1, rising to 25 percent in June, for their opposition to US control of Greenland.
Following the announcement, the eight European countries issued a joint statement on Sunday, denouncing the US threat and reaffirming their commitment to Arctic security.
Meanwhile, the Kremlin acknowledged last week Greenland's legal status as part of Denmark, also describing the recent situation on the island as “very controversial.”
"We proceed from the understanding that Greenland is a territory of the Kingdom of Denmark,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov had said.
