Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov threatened on Wednesday (local time) that Moscow would take “military” countermeasures if Western countries continue to strengthen their military footprint in Greenland, TRT World reported.
Speaking to Russian lawmakers, Lavrov said: “Of course, in the event of the militarization of Greenland and the creation of military capabilities aimed at Russia, we will take adequate countermeasures, including military-technical ones.”
The development comes as several European countries have begun sending small contingents of troops to Greenland following US President Donald Trump’s repeated claims of annexing the Arctic island.
Read also | The Prime Minister of Greenland opened a permanent NATO mission on the Arctic island
Lavrov also accused Denmark of treating Greenlanders as “second-class citizens” and said the US, Greenland and Denmark should sort it out between themselves. Home to nearly 57,000 people, Greenland has been an autonomous Danish territory for decades.
Trump’s plan to annex Greenland
In January 2026, Trump announced plans to annex Greenland, adding that Washington had struck a “framework” deal with North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) chief Mark Rutte to ensure greater US influence. He later backed down from these threats.
Read also | Trump asserts US sovereignty over Greenland military bases
Trump has often argued that if the US doesn’t annex Greenland, Russia or China can. A CNBC report cited Trump’s interaction with reporters aboard AirForce One in January as saying, “Right now, Greenland is covered with Russian and Chinese ships everywhere. We need Greenland from a national security perspective.”
He also argued that Greenland’s position between the US, Russia and China would make the island a key base for a proposed missile defense shield known as the “Golden Dome”. He said the US had to take “ownership” of a NATO member’s territory to ensure its defence, The Guardian reported.
In early January, as Trump stepped up his demand to annex Greenland, he ruled out using force to occupy the Arctic island in Davos. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Trump said: “I don’t want to use force. I won’t use force. All the US is asking for is a place called Greenland. You can say yes and we appreciate that very much. Or you can say no and we’ll remember that.”
Read also | Trump, Greenland and the NATO stress test
European military personnel in Greenland
According to a BBC report, soon after Trump expressed plans to annex Greenland, it caused alarm among European countries. A small French military contingent has arrived in the capital of the Arctic island of Nuuk. The French military contingent was joined by military personnel from Germany, Sweden, Norway, Finland, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
NATO’s European deployment consisted of just a few dozen troops, including 15 from France, and was part of joint Danish-led exercises known as “Operation Arctic Endurance”.
Read also | Why Putin cheered the American invasion of Greenland
European pushback from Trump’s plan to annex Greenland
In January, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgio Meloni, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen issued a joint statement on Greenland.
The statement read: “Arctic security remains a key priority for Europe and is critical to international and transatlantic security. NATO has made it clear that the Arctic region is a priority and European allies are stepping up. We and many other allies have increased our presence, activities and investments to keep the Arctic safe and deter adversaries. The Kingdom of Denmark – including Greenland – is part of NATO.”
The group added that security in the Arctic region must be achieved collectively, in conjunction with NATO allies, including the US.