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Al Jazeera
31-03-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Is Trump's Greenland plan part of a scramble for the Arctic?
United States President Donald Trump has iterated his ambitions to acquire Greenland ahead of a visit to the semi-autonomous Danish territory by his vice president, JD Vance. 'We need Greenland for international safety and security. We need it. We have to have it,' Trump said in an interview on Wednesday. He also told reporters at the White House: 'We need Greenland. And the world needs us to have Greenland, including Denmark,' adding that the US will go 'as far as we have to go.' His comments prompted anger in Greenland where there have long been calls for full independence from Denmark. Now, 85 percent of the Arctic territory's population has also expressed opposition to coming under Washington's rule. Trump's ambitions have been noted elsewhere as well. On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin responded to Trump's comments, saying his desire for Greenland is unsurprising and rooted in history. Putin explained that the US has long coveted the mineral-rich Arctic region, amid a global scramble for the resources. Here is more about the Arctic scramble, and why Greenland is significant: During an address at the International Arctic Forum in the Russian city of Murmansk, the largest city within the Arctic circle, Putin said he believes Trump is serious about taking Greenland and the US will continue with efforts to acquire it. 'It can look surprising only at first glance and it would be wrong to believe that this is some sort of extravagant talk by the current US administration,' said Putin, adding that it is obvious the US will continue to 'systematically advance its geostrategic, military-political and economic interests in the Arctic'. Putin also expressed concerns about Russia's neighbours, Finland and Sweden, joining NATO, the transatlantic military alliance between North America and Europe. Finland joined NATO in 2023 and Sweden joined in 2024. 'Russia has never threatened anyone in the Arctic, but we will closely follow the developments and mount an appropriate response by increasing our military capability and modernising military infrastructure,' Putin said. He added that Russia is 'open' to cooperating with foreign partners in the Arctic. 'The stronger our positions will be, the more significant the results will be and the broader opportunities we will have to launch international projects in the Arctic involving the countries that are friendly to us, and, possibly, Western countries if they show interest in joint work.' US Vice President JD Vance and his wife, Usha Vance, are set to touch down in Greenland on Friday. They will be accompanied by White House National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright to the US's Pituffik Space Base in northwestern Greenland 'to receive a briefing on Arctic security issues and meet with US service members', according to a statement released by Vance's office. Greenland's acting head of government, Mute Egede wrote in an online post on Monday that Greenland had not in fact extended any invitation for an official or private visit. 'The present government is a caretaker government awaiting the formation of a new government coalition and we have kindly requested all countries to respect this process,' the post read. Following this, the Vances changed the itinerary of their trip. While Usha Vance was initially supposed to visit the Avannaata Qimussersu dogsled race in Sisimiut, the couple will now visit the US base only. This change of plan was welcomed by Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen who told Danish public radio DR: 'I actually think it's very positive that the Americans are cancelling their visit to Greenlandic society. Instead, they will visit their own base, Pituffik, and we have nothing against that.' However, Trump's comments in advance of his vice president's trip have been met with apprehension in both Denmark and Greenland. Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen told Danish broadcasters on Tuesday: 'I have to say that it is unacceptable pressure being placed on Greenland and Denmark in this situation. And it is pressure that we will resist. 'President Trump is serious. He wants Greenland. Therefore, [this visit] cannot be seen independently of anything else.' Since Trump's inauguration on January 20, he has repeatedly stated that he wants to acquire Greenland, saying that it is critical for US national security. Greenland is a semi-autonomous Danish territory situated between the Arctic Ocean and the North Atlantic Ocean. The island is a former Danish colony. Geographically, it is part of North America; its capital Nuuk is closer to New York (some 2,900km or 1,800 miles) than to the Danish capital, Copenhagen, which is located 3,500km (2,174 miles) to the east. Its location, offering the shortest route from North America to Europe, is seen as strategic for the US. It would give Washington leverage for its military and its ballistic missile early-warning system. The US is also interested in placing radars in the waters that connect Greenland, Iceland and the United Kingdom. These waters are a gateway for Russian and Chinese ships, which the US wants to track. Greenland is also rich in natural resources, including rare earth minerals which are used for the manufacture of technology. A 2023 survey showed that 25 of 34 minerals deemed 'critical raw materials' by the European Commission could be found in Greenland. Most of Greenland's population of 56,000 residents comprise Indigenous Inuit people who oppose the mining of oil and gas, however. Trump is not the first US leader to covet the island; the US has long expressed interest in Greenland. In 1867, US Secretary of State William H Seward tried to negotiate with Russia to buy Greenland after the US bought Alaska from Russia. However, the attempt was not successful. When Greenland was still a Danish colony, in 1946, US President Harry S Truman proposed buying the island, an offer Denmark refused. As the planet warms due to climate change, the vast untapped resources of the Arctic are becoming more accessible. Countries like the US, Canada, China and Russia are now eyeing these resources. In December 2024, Canada released a policy document detailing plans to ramp up its military and diplomatic presence in the Arctic. Russia is also constructing military installations and power plants in the region. Meanwhile, Russia and China have been working together to develop Arctic shipping routes as Moscow seeks to deliver more oil and gas to China amid Western sanctions while Beijing seeks an alternative shipping route to reduce its dependence on the Strait of Malacca. The Northern Sea Route (NSR), a maritime route in the Arctic Ocean, is becoming easier to navigate due to melting ice. The NSR can cut shipping trips significantly short. Russia is hoping to ramp up commerce through the NSR to trade more with Asia than Europe due to Western sanctions. Last year, the number of oil shipments from Russia to China via the NSR rose by a quarter. China is also probing the region, and has sent 10 scientific expeditions to the Arctic and built research vessels to survey the icy waters north of Russia.
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Putin: Trump desire to take Greenland ‘has nothing to do with us'
Russian President Vladimir Putin said President Trump's desire to take Greenland has nothing to do with the Kremlin. 'As for Greenland, this is a matter that concerns two specific states and has nothing to do with us,' Putin said to the crowd at the International Arctic Forum hosted in Russia. Trump reiterated his intent to take over the autonomous Danish territory this week in the Oval Office. 'We need Greenland. And the world needs us to have Greenland, including Denmark. Denmark has to have us have Greenland,' Trump told reporters. 'And, you know, we'll see what happens. But if we don't have Greenland, we can't have great international security.' During his remarks, Putin acknowledged that the United States's plan to purchase the Arctic territory has 'long historical roots' dating back to World War II. 'After the end of the war, the United States offered Denmark to buy these islands quite recently by the standards of world history,' Putin said. 'In short, we are talking about serious plans on the American side with regard to Greenland,' he added. The Russian leader has vowed not to interfere with the tensions in the Northern Hemisphere but continues to note the uptick in Western alliances in the area. 'I would like to emphasize that Russia has never threatened anyone in the Arctic, but we are closely monitoring the development of the situation, building an adequate response line, increasing the combat capabilities of the armed forces and modernizing military facilities,' the Kremlin leader said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
28-03-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Putin: Trump desire to take Greenland ‘has nothing to do with us'
Russian President Vladimir Putin said President Trump's desire to take Greenland has nothing to do with the Kremlin. 'As for Greenland, this is a matter that concerns two specific states and has nothing to do with us,' Putin said to the crowd at the International Arctic Forum hosted in Russia. Trump reiterated his intent to take over the autonomous Danish territory this week in the Oval Office. 'We need Greenland. And the world needs us to have Greenland, including Denmark. Denmark has to have us have Greenland,' Trump told reporters. 'And, you know, we'll see what happens. But if we don't have Greenland, we can't have great international security.' During his remarks, Putin acknowledged that the United States's plan to purchase the Arctic territory has 'long historical roots' dating back to World War II. 'After the end of the war, the United States offered Denmark to buy these islands quite recently by the standards of world history,' Putin said. 'In short, we are talking about serious plans on the American side with regard to Greenland,' he added. The Russian leader has vowed not to interfere with the tensions in the Northern Hemisphere but continues to note the uptick in Western alliances in the area. 'I would like to emphasize that Russia has never threatened anyone in the Arctic, but we are closely monitoring the development of the situation, building an adequate response line, increasing the combat capabilities of the armed forces and modernizing military facilities,' the Kremlin leader said.
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Vances embark on shortened Greenland trip amid backlash
(NewsNation) — Vice President JD Vance, his wife Usha and National Security Adviser Mike Waltz will land in Greenland Friday, kicking off a controversial trip to the self-governing Danish territory. Greenland's outgoing Prime Minister Múte Bourup Egede said the U.S. delegation's visit was planned without 'any invitations' or input from the territory. What started off as a three-day cultural visit is now a one-day stop. The brief trip to Space Force's Pituffik Space Base comes as President Donald Trump continues to push for the U.S. to annex the mineral-rich island. Other officials headed to Greenland include Energy Secretary Chris Wright, Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, and former Homeland Security Advisor Julia Nesheiwat, who is Waltz's wife. Vance trip to Greenland 'a mistake': Ex-ambassador JD Vance has supported the idea of America owning Greenland, and is aligned with Trump's vow to 'go as far as we have to go' to obtain the island for national security purposes. 'If there are nuclear weapons coming at the United States, they're not coming across the Atlantic or Pacific Ocean, they're coming over the poles. So having northern monitoring, monitoring for our strategic defense is critical,' Wright told Fox News. Carla Sands, the former ambassador to Denmark and Greenland under Trump's first term, told NewsNation that U.S. acquisition of Greenland is 'necessary for the security of the United States' and its allies in Europe. Denmark can't defend Greenland, former ambassador says This delegation has gotten pushback from officials in Greenland, Denmark and the U.S. Egede criticized the trip before JD Vance announced his participation, calling the U.S. delegation's visit 'very aggressive.' 'The only purpose is to show a show of power to us, and the signal is not to be misunderstood,' Egede told the Greenlandic newspaper Sermitsiaq on Sunday. That's a sentiment Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen echoed Tuesday. Frederiksen accused the U.S. of placing 'unacceptable pressure' on both Greenland and Denmark. 'It's depressing to me to watch the way the Trump administration talks about our allies, so I am frustrated by it,' former U.S. Ambassador to Denmark Rufus Gifford, who served under President Obama, said on 'NewsNation Now.' RFK says 10,000 job cuts necessary at 'sprawling' HHS agency Even Russia has weighed in. The U.S. rival has said it will put more military personnel in the arctic to defend its interests in the region, President Vladimir Putin said at the International Arctic Forum in Murmansk on Thursday. Denmark's TV 2 reported Wednesday that U.S. representatives couldn't find anyone on the island interested in welcoming second lady Usha Vance for a visit. After allegedly knocking on doors across the capital, the trip's itinerary was shortened. The White House team called the story 'categorically false,' according to New Republic reporting. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Russia Today
28-03-2025
- Business
- Russia Today
Putin aide reveals proposal for Musk's planned Mars mission
Moscow is prepared to contribute a compact nuclear power station and 'other advanced technologies' to support Elon Musk's future Mars mission, according to President Vladimir Putin's special economic representative Kirill Dmitriev. Dmitriev, who has taken on the role of chief economic envoy in recent US-Russia talks, first floated the idea of a joint mission to Mars in mid-March. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the International Arctic Forum on Thursday, Dmitriev said Moscow could offer various technological capabilities for long-duration missions to the Red Planet. 'Russia can offer a small-scale nuclear power station for the Mars mission, along with other advanced technologies,' Dmitriev told RIA Novosti. 'We believe that Russia has a lot to offer the Mars mission, because we possess nuclear technologies that, I think, could be applicable.' READ MORE: Moscow invites Musk to collaborate on Mars exploration Dmitriev previously highlighted the potential role of the national nuclear energy giant Rosatom and the space agency Roscosmos in enhancing the safety and efficiency of deep space missions. He also noted that 2025 would be a symbolic year to announce such an initiative, as it marks the 50th anniversary of the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project — the first crewed international space mission, jointly carried out by the US and the Soviet Union in July 1975. The SpaceX CEO has not yet publicly responded to the proposal, though Dmitriev reiterated that he was open to holding a videoconference with Musk to explore potential cooperation. The renewed outreach comes amid signs of improving relations between Moscow and Washington. Dmitriev was part of the Russian delegation at recent US-Russia talks in Saudi Arabia, which resulted in an agreement to begin restoring diplomatic and scientific cooperation across several sectors. READ MORE: American starship explodes in 'meteor shower' of debris (VIDEOS) President Vladimir Putin has also noted that in his communications with President Donald Trump, the two sides had 'agreed to work together in space.' READ MORE: Russian business should 'cooperate' with Musk – Putin Putin has voiced support for cooperation with Musk, signaling high-level backing for potential joint projects. Speaking at the Forum of Future Technologies in February, the president said Russian companies should be ready to collaborate with Musk once he shifts his focus back to science from his current role advising on US government reform. Earlier this month, Musk reaffirmed his goal to launch the first uncrewed Mars mission as early as 2026, with human landings possibly beginning in 2029. A prototype Starship carrying a Tesla-developed humanoid robot is expected to be part of the initial test phase. Starship departs for Mars at the end of next year, carrying Optimus. If those landings go well, then human landings may start as soon as 2029, although 2031 is more likely. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 15, 2025
